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Dolls in Horror

Dolls and clowns.
That’s what I find VERY scary.
There’s a fascinating history about the hows and whys dolls scare people. Some believe that because they look so human, that we can’t balance this with fact. The fact is that dolls are plastic toys, originally made for little girls to practice their social niceties on. Not to mention the fact that dolls do NOT age well. While humans get better with age, dolls tend to get creepier and creepier looking–hair breaks and falls out, skin loses color, eyes stop working, etc.

I’ve posted many times about my third grade experience watching Poltergeist, and how that stupid clown scared the shit out of me. But what about dolls? In 1987, a little horror movie called DOLLS, was released. If you’ve never heard of this little gem, I’ve posted the trailer below. Now I dare you to tell me this isn’t scary!

DOLLS
A group of motorists, including young Judy Bower (Carrie Lorraine), her horrible father (Ian Patrick Williams), her evil queen of a stepmother (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon) and a meek businessman named Ralph (Stephen Lee), become stranded at a spooky mansion during a nighttime thunderstorm. The house’s strange owners (Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason) offer overnight lodgings, but with the dastardly intentions of making their visitors the playthings of their murderous toy dolls.

Want a few more scary doll movies?

MAY
Young misfit May (Angela Bettis) endured a difficult childhood because of her lazy eye. And though contact lenses have helped May adjust as a young adult, her deep-seated awkwardness remains a problem. Adam (Jeremy Sisto), a young man obsessed with fixing wrecked cars, takes a shine to May’s oddball ways. But May’s strangeness ultimately drives him away, leaving her open to the advances of her co-worker Polly (Anna Faris). When Polly dumps her too, May’s emotional instability turns violent.

CHILD’S PLAY
Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky — which Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) then buys for her young son, Andy (Alex Vincent). When Chucky kills Andy’s baby sitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he’s institutionalized. Now Karen must convince the detective of the murderous doll’s intentions, before Andy becomes Chucky’s next victim.

DEAD SILENCE
After his wife meets a grisly end, Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) returns to their creepy hometown of Ravens Fair to unravel the mystery of her murder. Once there, he discovers the legend of Mary Shaw (Joan Heney), a murdered ventriloquist whose eerie presence still looms over the town. As he desperately digs for answers, Jamie encounters the curse that took his wife’s life and threatens his own.

THE BOY
A young American named Greta (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny for an 8-year-old boy in a remote English village. To her surprise, Greta learns that the child of her new employers is a life-size doll. They care for the doll as if it was human, which helps the couple to cope with the death of their own son 20 years earlier. When Greta violates a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring her worst fears to life, leading her to believe that the doll is alive.

ANNABELLE
John Form (Ward Horton) thinks he’s found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis) : a vintage doll in a beautiful white dress. However, the couple’s delight doesn’t last long: One terrible night, devil worshippers invade their home and launch a violent attack against the couple. When the cultists try to summon a demon, they smear a bloody rune on the nursery wall and drip blood on Mia’s doll, thereby turning the former object of beauty into a conduit for ultimate evil.

Source for summaries: http://www.imbd.com

  • Kathy Palm
    October 11, 2016

    Annabelle is one of my very favorite creepy dolls!
    But, I had a nightmare where dolls came to life and dragged me down the stairs…so that is my worst fear. And why I don’t like them.

  • seebrianwrite
    October 11, 2016

    DOLLS is one of my all-time favorite movies. Directed by Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond). It was produced by Charles Band, who went on to create the Puppet Master franchise.

  • Jee Ann @ The Book Tales
    October 12, 2016

    I smell something in the air… It’s – it’s – it’s thrills and chills! I love your list. I am definitely looking for these movies for a Halloween movie marathon šŸ˜€

  • Krystal Jane
    October 12, 2016

    I remember having a very “wtf” conversation with a cousin after watching May. LOL! Great list! Child’s Play is one of my favorite horror series. I had delayed nightmares with Chucky. Nothing after the first two movies, but after movie three, I dreamed that Chucky crashed gym class and starting chopping people to pieces. ?

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