Curse of Chucky | |
---|---|
Directed by | Don Mancini |
Written by | Don Mancini |
Based on | Characters by Don Mancini |
Produced by | David Kirschner |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Michael Marshall |
Edited by | James Coblentz |
Music by | Joseph LoDuca |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Studios Home Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $5 million [1] |
Curse of Chucky is a 2013 American slasher film [2] [3] and the sixth installment of the Child's Play franchise. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini, who created the franchise and wrote the first six films. It stars Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, Maitland McConnell, Chantal Quesnelle, Summer Howell, A Martinez, and Brad Dourif. The film grossed $3.8 million in DVD sales.
Curse of Chucky sees a return to the franchise's source material, bringing back the straightforward horror elements found in the first Child's Play film. The film, which went into production in September 2012, is the first direct-to-video installment of the series. In the U.S., it premiered via VOD on September 24, 2013, followed by a DVD and Blu-ray Disc release on October 8, 2013. The film was also turned into a scare zone for 2013's annual Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Though Curse of Chucky was made with a direct-to-video release in mind, it was also seen theatrically in several countries, like Brazil. The film was followed by Cult of Chucky in 2017.
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed.(November 2022) |
At the isolated home of Sarah Pierce and her paraplegic daughter Nica, a mysterious package arrives in the mail containing Chucky - Sarah throws the doll in the rubbish, unimpressed by the doll. That night, Nica awakens to Sarah's screaming and finds her stabbed to death with a pair of scissors - the death is ruled as a suicide. The next day, Nica is visited by her older sister, Barb, alongside her husband Ian, daughter Alice, their live-in nanny Jill, and Father Frank, a priest, to help support her. Nica and Barb argue over whether to sell the house to afford Alice's private school, meanwhile Alice discovers Chucky and bonds with him.
That night, Nica and Alice cook chili for dinner, but Chucky secretly spikes one of the bowls with rat poison. Father Frank eats the poisoned chili, gets sick, and excuses himself to drive home - later that night, Frank is killed in a traffic collision alongside two other civilians. Meanwhile, as the family watch films from when Sarah was pregnant with Nica, Nica recognizes Charles Lee Ray in the footage. Alice loses track of Chucky and asks Jill to look for her, during which it is revealed that Barb and Jill have an affair.
Nica finds Chucky and returns her to Alice, but she reveals that Chucky has been talking to her about death. Concerned, Nica researches Chucky and finds that he was sent from an evidence depository, and discovers news reports of all his previous murders as well as Andy Barclay's lawsuit against Good Guys - a thunderstorm cuts the phone lines soon afterwards. Meanwhile, as Barb and Jill have a video call from across rooms, Chucky sneaks into Jill's room and spills a bucket of rainwater onto a power socket, fatally electrocuting Jill and cutting the power.
Barb leaves to investigate, but awakens Ian, who reveals he placed a hidden camera in Chucky and knows of their affair. Nica attempts to warn Barb of Chucky's true nature, but she accuses Nica of being in league with Ian and brushes her off. Investigating Chucky in the attic, Barb discovers a kitchen knife hidden in Chucky's shirt and a peeling layer of silicone covering his scars from the fourth film - in response, Chucky reveals himself and kills Barb, gouging her eye out with the knife.
Nica sees Barb's corpse thrown down the stairs, and awakens Ian to warn him - he leaves her in the garage while he searches for Alice, but Chucky sneaks inside and begins revving the car's exhaust, hoping to suffocate her with the fumes. Nica breaks the car window with an axe to stop Chucky, but Ian finds Nica with the axe and believes she is the killer. Nica is unable to take the strain and has a heart attack, passing out - she awakens bound in Ian's room, who inspects Chucky's nanny cam. Ian discovers Chucky's interactions with Alice just as he attacks them, knocking Ian to the ground and hacking his jaw off with the axe.
Nica is able to free herself from her bonds, and struggles with Chucky before being thrown off of the balcony in the main hall - she survives, but is unable to move without her wheelchair. Asking Chucky why he killed her family, he explains that as Charles Lee Ray, he was a friend of the Pierce family and obsessed over Sarah - he murdered Nica's father and kidnapped Sarah, presenting her flowers (which she would later compulsively paint), but was discovered by the police. Believing Sarah led them to him, Charles stabbed her in the stomach, resulting in Nica's paraplegia, and escaped, leading to his death as depicted in the first film.
Nica stalls Chucky by mocking him about his inability to kill Andy Barclay, enabling her to grab Chucky's knife and stab him. Chucky flees the house as Officer Stanton, who discovered Frank's death, arrives in the house - seeing Nica holding the bloody knife in the elevator, she is arrested; Nica is found guilty of the murders in court and remanded to a mental asylum. Later, as Stanton leaves to deliver Chucky to an unknown buyer, he is murdered by Tiffany Valentine (still possessing Jennifer Tilly's body), who takes Chucky and mails him to Alice, who is now living with her grandmother. After smothering the grandmother to death with a plastic bag, Chucky begins his voodoo chant to transfer his soul into Alice's body.
In a post-credits scene, Chucky is mailed to Andy Barclay, now an adult after graduating from military school. As Andy is on the phone to his mother, Chucky cuts his way out of the package, but Andy catches on and blows Chucky apart with a shotgun.
In an August 2008 interview, Don Mancini and David Kirschner spoke of a planned reboot of the Chucky franchise, to be written and directed by Mancini. They described their choice of a remake over a sequel as a response to the will of the fans, who "want to see a scary Chucky movie again... to go back to the straightforward horror rather than the horror comedy." They indicated that Brad Dourif would return as the voice of Chucky. [5]
In a subsequent interview, Mancini described the remake as a darker and scarier retelling of the original film, but one that, while having new twists and turns, would not stray too far from the original concept. [6] At a 2009 horror convention, Dourif confirmed his role in the remake. [7] At a reunion panel at the Mad Monster Party horror and sci-fi convention, the cast and crew from the original film confirmed that both a remake and a spin-off are in development. Writer Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner worked on a sequel then titled Revenge of Chucky. [8]
A sequel entered the production in 2012, entitled Curse of Chucky, and was intended for a direct-to-video release.
The film began production in early September 2012 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, [9] and ended in mid-October.[ citation needed ]
Curse of Chucky had its world premiere on August 2, 2013, at the Fantasia Festival, [10] in Montreal, and its European premiere at the London FrightFest Film Festival on August 22, accompanied by screenings of the original trilogy of Child's Play films. [11] The DVD/Blu-ray was released on October 8, 2013, and domestically grossed $3,821,602 in the first month. [12]
On Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 20 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critics consensus states: "The franchise hex of disappointing sequels is broken by going back to basics in this chilling entry, restoring a sense of playfulness to the Chucky saga." [13] According to Metacritic, the film received "mixed or average reviews" based on an average score of 58 out of 100 from 5 critics. [14]
An early review posted on Bloody Disgusting on August 2, 2013, was very favorable of the film. In it, Brad Miska stated, "Curse of Chucky may just be the best home video sequel since Wrong Turn 2 . It's alarmingly good, which puts pressure on Universal to answer as to why they didn't let Mancini shoot this for theaters." He continued to say, "Chucky fans should rejoice... Curse of Chucky is clearly going to re-ignite the franchise for years to come." [15] Ryan Larson of Shock Till You Drop also wrote a mostly positive review, saying, "the movie does so much right that it's easy to overlook the very few flaws it has. The pacing and writing coincide to create a fun blood-soaked jaunt that never gets boring or dull." He goes on to praise the director, pointing out that "Mancini (pulling double duty as writer as well as director) does a great job at introducing and ushering off characters in a fashion that doesn't bog the film down with a bunch of characters who get three minutes of film time before getting the axe, or butcher knife in this case. The kills are kitschy, but in the best way possible, waxing nostalgic of the slasher films of the late eighties and early nineties." [2]
In Brazil, Chucky inspired two episodes of the "Hidden Camera" (Câmeras Escondidas) show broadcast by the local SBT channel. [16] [17]
At the film's world premiere at the Montreal Fantasia Festival, it received a Gold Award for Best International Feature. [18]
The film also received a nomination for Best DVD or Blu-ray Release at the 40th Saturn Awards.
The film was followed by Cult of Chucky in 2017 and the TV series Chucky in 2021.
Bradford Claude Dourif is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Chucky in the Child's Play franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings film series and his Oscar nominated role as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
Child's Play 3 is a 1991 American slasher film and the third installment in the Child's Play film series. The film is written by Don Mancini and directed by Jack Bender. Brad Dourif once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previous films while new cast members include Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves and Jeremy Sylvers. It was executive-produced by David Kirschner, who produced the first two Child's Play films. Although released only nine months after Child's Play 2, the story takes place eight years following the events of that film, and one month before the events of Bride of Chucky. The film follows a now 16 year old Andy Barclay enrolling at a military school. Chucky follows Andy to the school until he finds a younger kid, Tyler, to place his soul into, and now Andy has to prevent Chucky from harming Tyler and anybody else.
Child's Play is a 1988 American supernatural slasher film directed by Tom Holland, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Don Mancini and John Lafia, and a story by Mancini. The film stars Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon with Brad Dourif as Chucky. Its plot follows a widowed mother who gives a doll to her son, unaware that the doll is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.
Child's Play 2 is a 1990 American supernatural slasher film and the direct sequel to Child's Play, written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia, one of the co-writers of the first film. It is the second installment in the Child's Play franchise and set two years after the first film; the plot follows Charles Lee Ray continuing his pursuit for Andy Barclay, who was placed in foster care, and transferring his soul into him after being resurrected. Alex Vincent and Brad Dourif reprised their roles while Christine Elise, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham and Grace Zabriskie joined the cast.
George Donald Mancini is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the Child's Play franchise.
Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray is the main antagonist of the Child's Play horror franchise. Chucky is portrayed as a vicious serial killer who, as he bleeds out from a gunshot wound, transfers his soul into a "Good Guy" doll and continuously tries to transfer it to a human body. The character has become one of the most recognizable horror icons and has been referenced numerous times in popular culture. In 1999, the Chucky character was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the film Bride of Chucky. He was created by writer Don Mancini and is portrayed by Brad Dourif in both live action and voice over. For the 2019 remake of the same name, Mark Hamill voiced an artificial intelligence (AI) version of Chucky as a tragic villain, having previously voiced the Charles Lee Ray version of the character in an episode of Robot Chicken.
Child's Play is an American slasher media franchise created by Don Mancini. The films mainly focus on Chucky, a notorious serial killer who frequently escapes death by performing a voodoo ritual to transfer his soul into a "Good Guy" doll. The original film, Child's Play, was released on November 9, 1988. The film has spawned six sequels, a television series, a remake, comic books, a video game, and tie-in merchandise. The first, second, and fourth films were box office successes with all of the films earning over $182 million worldwide. Including revenues from sales of videos, DVDs, VOD and merchandise, the franchise has generated over $250 million. It also won a Saturn Award for Best Horror Franchise.
Fiona Christianne Dourif is an American actress and producer. She is known for her role as Bart Curlish in BBC America's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and as the young Diane Jones in Dustin Lance Black's When We Rise. She has appeared in Showtime's Shameless, and in a recurring role on NBC's The Blacklist, and starred as Nica Pierce in the 2013 horror film Curse of Chucky, its sequel Cult of Chucky, and the television series Chucky, all of which are part of the Child's Play franchise; she appears in these works alongside her father, Brad Dourif, who portrays the series' main antagonist, Chucky; in Chucky, Dourif herself also portrays her father's character Chucky, both as his younger self, and as his character possessing hers. In 2018, she was cast as Good Leader Tavis in the USA Network series The Purge.
Bride of Chucky is a 1998 American black comedy slasher film written by Don Mancini and directed by Ronny Yu. The fourth installment in the Child's Play franchise, it stars Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, and Nick Stabile. Unlike the first three films, Bride of Chucky takes a markedly humorous turn towards self-referential parody. It also departs from the Andy Barclay storyline of the first three films, focusing mainly on series villain Chucky, a doll possessed by a serial killer, and his former lover and accomplice Tiffany, whose soul is also transferred into a doll.
Seed of Chucky is a 2004 black comedy slasher film, the fifth installment of the Child's Play series, and sequel to 1998's Bride of Chucky as well as the first film to be distributed by another company since the original Child's Play. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini, who created the series and has written all of the films, and stars Jennifer Tilly, Redman, Hannah Spearritt, John Waters, Billy Boyd and Brad Dourif. With this entry, Mancini made his directorial debut. The film is set six years after Bride of Chucky and follows a young doll named Glen, the son of Chucky and Tiffany, resurrecting his parents, causing chaos.
Nica Pierce is a fictional character in the Child's Play franchise. She was created by Don Mancini and is portrayed by Fiona Dourif. She is the protagonist in two of the seven films, first appearing in Curse of Chucky (2013) and subsequently in Cult of Chucky (2017). She is also featured in the USA Network and Syfy produced Chucky television series.
Cult of Chucky is a 2017 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Don Mancini. The seventh installment of the Child's Play franchise, following the 2013 film Curse of Chucky, it stars Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriault, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Elisabeth Rosen, Grace Lynn Kung, Marina Stephenson Kerr, Zak Santiago, Ali Tataryn, Jennifer Tilly, Christine Elise, and Brad Dourif. Cult of Chucky began production in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in January 2017 and premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival on August 24 the same year. As with the previous film, it was released direct-to-video by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment via Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on October 3.
Kyle is a fictional character in the Child's Play franchise, created by Don Mancini and portrayed by actress Christine Elise. She appeared in Child's Play 2,Cult of Chucky, and the Chucky television series. Kyle is a main character in the Child's Play novels and comic book adaptations.
Child's Play is a 2019 horror film directed by Lars Klevberg from a screenplay written by Tyler Burton Smith. Serving both as a remake of the 1988 eponymous film and a reboot of the Child's Play franchise, the film stars Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, and Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky. It follows a family terrorized by a high-tech doll who develops self-awareness and becomes subsequently hostile and murderous.
Chucky is an American horror comedy television series created by Don Mancini and is the eighth main installment of the Child's Play franchise. It serves as a sequel to Cult of Chucky, the seventh film in the franchise, and stars Brad Dourif reprising his role as the voice of the title character, alongside Zackary Arthur, Björgvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Teo Briones, and Devon Sawa. The cast also includes Fiona Dourif, Alex Vincent, Christine Elise, Jennifer Tilly, and Billy Boyd reprising their roles from previous films.
The first season of the American horror series Chucky, created by Don Mancini, premiered on Syfy and USA Network on October 12, 2021, and concluded on November 30, 2021. The season consists of 8 episodes. The series is based on the Child's Play film franchise.
The second season of the American horror series Chucky, created by Don Mancini, was broadcast simultaneously on Syfy and USA Network between October 5 and November 23, 2022, comprising eight episodes. Based on the Child's Play film franchise, the series serves as a sequel to Cult of Chucky, and stars Brad Dourif reprising his role as the voice of the titular character, alongside Zackary Arthur, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and Björgvin Arnarson in the ensemble cast.
The third season of the American horror series Chucky, created by Don Mancini, premiered on Syfy and USA Network on October 4, 2023. The season will consist of 8 episodes. Based on the Child's Play film franchise, the series serves as a sequel to Cult of Chucky, and stars Brad Dourif reprising his role as the titular character, alongside Zackary Arthur, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Björgvin Arnarson, and Devon Sawa in the ensemble cast.
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