Lunchtime Movie Review

Year of Release: 1988

Running Time: 1 hr. 28 min.

MPAA Rating: R

Directed By: Tom Holland

Produced By: David Kirschner

Distributed By: United Artists

Starring: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Dinah Manoff, and Tommy Swerdlow

Box Office Gross: $33,244,684 (34th Highest Grossing Film of 1988)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics 68%, Audience 61%

Synopsis:  Andy Barclay is a sweet, loving, yet lonely six-year-old boy, who lives at home with his “older than she should looks”, single mother Karen Barclay. Karen is a hard working department store clerk, who by the looks of her apartment is getting paid way too much to act as if she has it so hard.

Using all her money to pay for a nice Chicago apartment has left Karen strapped for cash, unable to buy Andy any decent birthday presents. She opts for some lame “Good Guy” tools instead of an actual Good Guy, Chucky doll. She presents the subpar presents to Andy on his big day and he is clearly bummed. After all, he is obsessed with Good Guy cartoons and anything related to it. Watching reruns, reciting the credo; He even dons the Good Guy ski bibs and lame sneakers in order to pay tribute to the Good Guy brand.

Since Karen blew her wad on Good Guy accessories and furnishings for her place, she is  reduced to demean herself by purchasing a Chucky doll through the Chicago black market. Luckily, there looms a seedy underbelly of upscale Chicago shopping just outside the backdoor of the department store where she works.  Her friend Maggie helps middle the deal for this one of a kind Chucky. One of a kind is right, you see this Chucky doll got possessed by the soul of the infamous Lakeshore Strangler, Charles Lee Ray. Any legitimate killer has to have three names.

Ok, so prior to his purchase, Chucky was  just a doll sitting in a toy store with other equally disturbing, loveable dolls just like him. Pursued by police, Charles Lee Ray busts into the store after he shoots the lock off. He is being pursued by what appears to be the only detective in Chicago, Mike Norris played by Prince Humperdinck. David Lee then seeks some much needed concealment amongst the creepy Chuckies but it’s no use, Detective Norris (no relation to Chuck) always gets his man. The two shoot it out and Billy Ray gets hit. When it becomes clear he is circling the drain he grabs a Chucky doll, bleeds all over it and chants aloud as ominous, Ghostbusters style clouds loom above the toy store. Mekaleka hi meka chinee ho! Shouts John Wayne Gacey and shazaam! His soul vacates his mortal carcass and enters into the already disturbing, ginger haired Chucky doll. The very same doll to be sold back alley style to Andy’s loving mother a few scenes later…

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Theatrical Trailer

Video Extra – The Making of Child’s Play: Chucky