Dolls: Collector's Edition (1987)

Details: By Loron Hays; 14 November 2014

{jatabs type="content" position="top" height="auto" skipAnim="true" mouseType="click" animType="animFade"}

[tab title="Movie Review"]

Dolls: Collector's Edition (1987) - Blu-ray Review

{googleAds}

Inspired by writer/director/producer and all around film icon Roger Corman, Stuart Gordon – the director of From Beyond and Re-Animator – decided to film another script while he still had the use of a large Italian studio space. Dolls, about a group of possessed toys whose criminal inhabitants kill and maim without prejudice, is the resulting movie. Made in between his two “classics”, one would expect Dolls to live up to their legacy.

This “in between” film does and it doesn’t live up to the reputation of his body of work. To be fair, there are a lot of balls in the air throughout Gordon’s Dolls. Just look at the elements at play and see how they bounce around and against each other. It’s not as ambitious as his other projects but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There are fantasy elements associated with The Brothers Grimm and serious bits of Gothicism sprinkled throughout the setting of Dolls. Add in some creepy-ass dolls and toys all swaddled in a folklore that is more genteel (complete with a moral lesson) than it is frightening and you have a lot to consider regarding the film’s overall atmosphere. Gordon balances the scares and the laughs well enough, even if the film does tilt more toward humor. All this leads me to believe that much of Dolls is meant to be a parody of sorts on what audiences had come to expect from the genre.

With Universal Pictures and the four classic horror films James Whale directed in mind, Gordon introduces us to his film by focusing on Gabriel Hartwicke (Guy Rolfe), the man who turns those who cannot appreciate his child-like attitude toward children and toys and life into living, indentured dolls. Shut off from the world, he resides in a very dark house with his wife, Hilary (Hilary Mason), and their large collection of dolls. When this insanely private couple offers shelter from a violent storm to a travelling family – emotionally distant dad (Ian Patrick Williams), super stingy stepmother (Carolyn Purdy Gordon), and their little girl (Carrie Lorraine) – things get violently interesting.

One by the one the guests – which also includes a businessman and two punk rock chicks – are attacked by these possessed dolls. Turns out, the Harwickes are trying to teach their overnight guests a lesson. Those who understand the lesson wake up in the morning. All others become the dolls that roam the house looking for someone to punish. Written by Ed Naha, Dolls has more in common with a really good episode of “The Twilight Zone” then it does with Stuart Gordon’s other works.

Not as manic or as violent as his following was expecting, Dolls disappeared rather quickly after its theatrical release in 1987. Gordon keeps things somewhat grounded for this modern-minded fairy tale so there was little to go mad about to other people. It’s a low-budget affair but the movie is obviously crafted with love by Gordon, who allows the camera to linger on the dolls and collections that line the walls of the Harwicke House.

Dolls is an underappreciated film that is all set for rediscovery by the Horror Hounds at Scream Factory.

[/tab]

[tab title="Film Details"]

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 77 mins
Director: Stuart Gordon
Writer: Ed Naha
Cast: Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Carrie Lorraine
Genre: Horror | Fantasy
Tagline: They walk. They talk. They kill.
Memorable Movie Quote: "And they remember you, Ralph. Toys are very loyal, and that is a fact."
Distributor: Empire Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: May 22, 1987
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 11, 2014
Synopsis: A group of people stop by a mansion during a storm and discover two magical toy makers, and their haunted collection of dolls.

[/tab]

[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Dolls: Collector's Edition (1987) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - November 11, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit); English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Scream Factory’s new Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of the film is perfect, if you are a fan. The 1080p, 1.78:1 image presentation is mostly flawless, if you can excuse a few seconds worth of dust particles and possible print damage here and there. Most of the film takes place in the dark, which gives the transfer a chance to show off the black levels, as well as the details even in a lack of solid lighting. The 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo track is a fair representation of the original audio exhibition, while giving us an uncompressed and crystal clear experience for the first time on blu-ray.

Supplements:

Commentary:

There are two commentaries: one with Director Stuart Gordon and Writer Ed Naha and another with cast members Stephen Lee, Ian Patrick Wiliams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon And Carrie Lorraine. Each track has its own value.

Special Features:

Scream Factory once again comes through with two new commentaries and a new featurette highlighting the making of the film. The featurette is an all-new retrospective featuring interviews with Director Stuart Gordon, Producer Brian Yuzna, Stars Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Ian Patrick Williams, Executive Producer Charles Band And More. Fans of the mayhem these Dolls create should be delighted.