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Late to the Party – ‘Child’s Play 3’ (1991) – iHorror
It’s time to look back at Child’s Play 3 and give Chucky his due.
Chucky scared my entire generation. When we were kids we were scared shitless by the thought of our toys coming to life. Kids today have Ted and Toy Story to cuddle up with. We got Puppet Master and Child’s Play. We were carved out of stone – we grew up with Freddy, Jason and Chucky! An unholy trinity of slasher killers who just wanted to make life a living Hell for any one of us. We couldn’t go camping, go to sleep or even trust our toys! It was awesome! We were surrounded by horrors and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
For many today Chucky is a dark-comedy star, someone who’s been used to parody romantic dramas as well as domestic ones. For those of us who grew up with Child’s Play through Child’s Play 3,Chucky was a demonic force to be reckoned with.
Chucky broke a major taboo though. I’d argue more so than Freddy or Jason. For Jason to get us, we had to at least travel to Crystal Lake. So we were safe from him. As for Freddy, well it seemed as though we could be safe from him too, as long as we slept with a Bible under our beds. Don’t question our logic. It kept us safe. But Chucky? That little bastard somehow managed to sneak his way right into our bedrooms! He was lowlife enough to cuddle right up next to us under the covers. Then, right after we accidentally fell asleep, the business end of his knife would slide coldly and quick right across our little throats. Because of Chucky, children suddenly didn’t feel safe alone with their toys. Brilliant! He got us. He truly managed to mesmerize and terrorize all of us.
I swear to this day of all the horror memorabilia I own the only thing I still can’t bring myself to buy is a Chucky doll. Call me a wuss, but that’s the kind of impact he had over a lot of us.
Chucky has experienced somewhat of a revival lately and interestingly enough this doesn’t mark his first one. Not too long ago, back when Bride of Chucky was released, we saw a renewed vigor in a franchise that was teetering on the edge of neglectful mediocrity. However BoC introduced a new generation to the chills and kills of our favorite murdering doll, not to mention, it breathed some much needed life into Chucky’s lungs. The Chuck was back and seemed badder than ever. The film not only gleaned the rewards of brand new fans, but also won over the affection of old-school horror fans – like me – as well.
Things were moving right along for the Child’s Play series. Then (for many fans) it felt as if Seed of Chucky went and stuck a knife right between Chucky’s glossy eyes, thus killing the newly rejuvenated franchise.
However, Chucky proved he can’t be so easily killed and slashed his way right back into our hearts with the immediate hit Curse of Chucky. The exploits of Charles Lee Ray have continued over to the recent Cult of Chucky with promises of future entries still to come. Not to mention – and just in time for Halloween! – all seven movies were just released in a handsome Blu-ray set, which you can order here.
So with all the popularity buzzing around Chucky I decided to kick it old school. That’s right, we’re going back to 1991 to look at Child’s Play 3 for this edition of Late to the Party. This was the only film in the franchise I had not watched until just now. So after all these years – and in light of his more recent successes – how well does Child’s Play 3 hold up?
Child’s Play 3 isn’t regularly hailed as anyone’s favorite in the series, and if we’re honest, it does suffer from the dreaded gimmicks curse. It’s a curse that has doomed many horror franchises. The gimmick in this movie is: “Chucky goes to military camp.” But hey, it’s not so bad all things considering. There have been way worse gimmicks. It’s still better than “Ghoulies go to college.” Or when Freddy wound up in a fetus in Nightmare Part V. And at least Chucky hasn’t had his little plastic ass shot into space…yet.
Child’s Play 3 does have a killer opening though! We’re treated to a abandoned factory littered with the dismembered parts of several mutilated Good Guy dolls. They lay scattered across moldy shelves like the discarded massacre victims, locked in a mausoleum of modern-day consumer negligence – the dire cost of high demand. Among the broken pieces there sits a clump of melted grotesquerie – the fatal remains of Chucky, a token of the previous movie’s victory over evil. But we know evil can’t stay dead for long, and Chucky is brought back by the flowing blood of his mutilated mold. The tainted blood spills into the mixing pot, bringing the new proto-type Good Guy to demonic life. Charles Lee Ray is given a new start to strangle throats and lay open veins.
This time around Andy (Justin Whalin) – the hero of the previous two movies – is sent to military camp in hopes to break his troubling record, a record of violence and mischief that follows him as close as a sinister shadow.
Chucky finds some way to mail himself to Andy’s camp, but quickly fixes his eyes on young Tyler (Jeremy Sylves). Planning to transfer his rotting soul into the new boy, Chucky befriends little Tyler and unleashes his murderous antics along the way.
Child’s Play 3 is a well-made goofy movie, one you can watch just for the fun of it. It was given a decent budget and boasts some beautiful shots throughout. Both the beginning and ending are my favorite chapters. The middle section is – eh – good enough for what we get.
I would recommend this one, especially for a good Halloween viewing! The final conflict takes place in a local fair’s haunted house, giving it a good old-fashioned creepy vibe. The final battle happens atop a mountain of skulls with Chucky at the peak doing what he does best! It’s awesome!
So brush off the old Child’s Play 3 cassette, grab your popcorn and kill those lights.
This has been Manic Exorcism, once again, wishing you my friends a happy Halloween season!
https://youtu.be/s9GNZdjMCAM
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Movies
New Body Horror Film ‘The Substance’ Releases Teaser
We haven’t seen Demi Moore in a movie since The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent back in 2022. She has been busy though, she had a part in Ryan Murphy’s latest Feud chapter and now she is contemplating altering her body to make it more youthful in the body horror film The Substance.
Apparently, according to the official synopsis, there is a newly developed beauty regimen that “generates another you. A new, younger, more beautiful, more perfect you. And there’s only one rule: You share time. One week for you. One week for the new you. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy. Right? If you respect the balance… what could possibly go wrong?”
A still from the film (used in out header) suggests that this new technology requires a lot more than dabbing it under your eyes or administering a sticky mask. The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was bought by Mubi. No US release date has been announced.
The Substance reminds us of another FDA nightmare, The Stuff (1985) in which a commercially marketed whipped treat turns people into zombies. That film is a dark comedy about consumerism and gluttony. While Deadline reports that The Substance is humourous as well as gory, they don’t say how rooted it is in satire.
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News
Airbnb Scareprank Pits Influencers Against ‘The Strangers’
The Strangers: Chapter 1 was released this week. This is the first part of Renny Harlin’s trilogy which appears to be a retelling of the 2008 original. Early reviews are passable, but many have said it is not as scary as the original and hope this first installment is just a taste of what is to come.
However, social media influencers got the scare of their lives after they were invited to an Airbnb for a special screening. As they watched the film masked home invaders visited them and their reactions were recorded.
The stunt was put together by actor/executive producer Madelaine Petsch and producer Courtney Solomon. You can watch how it played out below.
Soloman was recently interviewed by iHorror and attempted to clear up some questions about how this trilogy fits into the Strangers universe:
“The one thing that seems to register confusion amongst the OG ‘The Strangers‘ fans is that we remade the movie, or that it’s a prequel. Not really. What we did is we took the DNA of the original setup, and wanted to use that because you really can’t do better for a setup, we’re using that as the jumping-off point. Our characters are different. Our scares and our beats are very different. It’s all setting up a bigger story. You’re following these characters, and you will really get to know the protagonist and antagonist, and as they go through, it’s like they almost know each other.”
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News
New ‘Insidious’ Movie Scheduled For August 2025 Release Date
Get ready for another chapter in the Insidious universe. Variety confirms today that another movie is in the works and it could be in theaters as early as August 2025.
Unfortunately, the cast has not been revealed, nor how this entry will fit into the series overall. That means series regulars Patrick Wilson, Leigh Whannel and Lin Shaye haven’t been confirmed as returning actors.
Variety also stated that this isn’t the spinoff Thread: An Insidious Tale, starring Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani that Deadline announced in 2023. They also point out if this newly announced title releases before Thread, it would be the sixth chapter in the franchise.
Insidious has been a hot property for Blumhouse. Initially created by James Wan, the movies have done very well at the box office. Although the last one, Red Door got mixed reviews, it managed to rake in $189 million worldwide, a hefty haul considering the film only cost $16 million to make.
Jason Blum is cited as saying after Red Door the series would take an extended break, “It may not be a forever rest, but it’s certainly going to be a very long rest. … There’s not a plan — as there has been with every prior ‘Insidious’ movie — there’s no current plan in place for number six.”
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