User Reviews

A motley group formed by six people (Patrick Williams,, Cassie Stuart, Carolyn Purdy, Lorraine among others) are stranded during a fierce storm and drawn to mysterious place located in an old mansion. In the shelter meet a kindly old doll-maker (Guy Rolfe) and his spouse (Hilary Mason), owners of the creepy ancient house. One by one they are attacked by hundred of stalking living dolls. The obnoxious and antique little dolls in elegant outfits have killing instincts.

The picture packs suspenseful horror, thrills, chills, graphic violence tongue-in cheek and grisly killings. The real stars are the dolls that are magnificently made by John Carl Buechler as supervisor on Mechanical and Make up Imageries and the master Dave Allen as expert on Stop-motion. Frightening and moving musical score by Richard Band. Produced by Charles Band and Brian Yuzna for their production company called ¨Empire¨ that was posteriorly locked and creating a new called ¨Full Moon¨. Later on, Full moon produced a same type of film, though a little tamer, the ¨Puppetmaster¨ series a ¨ Dolls¨-lookalike . The motion picture is professionally directed by Stuart Gordon who also made the successful ¨Reanimator¨and ¨From Beyond¨. Recommended for gore buffs and terror lovers, though isn't for the squeamish.

It isn't super great mind you, but it is rather interesting from what I remember. A group of people stranded in a rain storm come upon a house and seek refuge there. Like many other movies that have this premise, things are a bit odd, as the house is the home of a man and his wife who are very avid doll makers. You can see where this is going, this is a killer doll story sort of like "The Puppet Master" and "Demonic Toys" only this one is better than those. Though it still has humor in it like those two as well. Still though it is an okay horror movie and it does have one memorable scene that was rather funny...the one where the little girl imagines her stuffed bear getting big and killing her step parents (I don't remember if either parent was her natural one). Also stuck in the house some guy and a couple of hitchhikers (at least I think there was two). As you can tell it has been awhile since I saw it. I do remember it ended okay. Like I said nothing to great, but worth checking out.

This movie is too minor and too short (runs only 75 minutes) to escape the two-star rating category, but it's still recommended to any casual horror fan. Entertaining, well-made and well-written (especially regarding the ultimate fate of all the victims), it's filled with characters that are (intentionally) so dislikable you can't wait to see them killed, and yet the dolls are so vicious that you won't be rooting for them, either. Only problem is that the stop-motion animation is a little clumsy at times, and the dolls' movements aren't always as smooth as they should've been.

The Dolls was truly an enjoyable little horror film which never got the recognition it deserved unlike the evil Chucky from the Childs Play movies. The Dolls were around before Chucky!

It's an entertaining horror film which I won't give many details about because it will spoil it. There's certainly a few little twists in the story and nothing is quite what it seems.

The dolls themselves were quite creepy. Being a male, I've never had a doll obviously but after watching this film I have to wonder how women could ever keep dolls when they were kids. Dolls are so evil looking (some of them anyway).

This was a great film. I won't spoil the ending but wait till you see what fate befalls one of the main characters.

It's barely 70 minutes with a wafer thin story but there are some genuinely creepy moments, a bit of good gore, and a kind of fairly tale weirdness to it that all work well. Simple but effective.

Title: Dolls (1987)

Director: Stuart Gordon

Cast: Carolyne Purdy Gordon, Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason, Stephen Lee and Carrie Lorraine

Review:

Stuart Gordon. The name is synonymous with gruesome acts of myrth, gore, violence and other on screen mayhem. Normally his films are loaded with buckets of blood and gore, yet somehow in the middle of all the gory mayhem he manages to maintain a nice level of drama and character development. Here he decided (along with writer Ed Naha) to go a different rout. Something more along the lines of a fairytale.

The story is about these two rich snobs who go on vacation with their daughter. Along the road they are encountered by a storm that makes their car sink in the mud. So they decide to try and see if they could stay for the night at a nearby old mansion that they see from the road. A few minutes later three other people wonder into the house, Ralph a man who is a child at heart and the two punk rock girls who he gave a lift to. Unbeknownst to them, this is a spooky old mansion that has dolls that come to life. And kill.

Dolls came out around the time in which killer doll movies were extremely hot. Dolls appeared in 1987, one whole year before Childs Play did in 1988. After that in 1989 the Puppet Master series from Full Moon began. Dolls is a worthy addition to this list of killer doll movies because even though it is a low budget production, it doesn't feel like it. Gordon somehow managed to make the film look more expensive then it really was. So kudos for that to Gordon.

Right off the bat this movie got some things right. First off we get a real nice setting, perfect for this sort of horror film. We get a nice storm that never stops. We get the thunder and the lightning through out 90% of the film and we get a huge mansion with dark hallways filled with antiques. To top all that we also get two kooky and weird old folks who are the owners of the mansion and also happen to be doll makers. So as you can see, we get a nice setting for a spooky old fashion film, which in my opinion Dolls is. An old fashion dark fairy tale.

Thats one of the things I liked about this movie. How it emphasized the fact that it was a fairy tale. At one point the old man starts talking about magical nights that go on forever and never stop. That whole conversation right there kind of like gets you in the mood. You know your in for a spooky old time. Since the movie is about toys that come to like and kill, well its only fitting that we see most of the film through the eyes of Judy, the little girl. And since its told from her point of view, its only fitting that the movie is told in the fairy tale atmosphere that I've been talking about.

What we have here is a nice movie to get your little brothers, cousins, nephews etc. all scared with. Id put in the same category as films like Monster Squad, Invaders from Mars, Troll and The Gate. You know, kiddie horror. And that doesn't lessen to the coolness of the movie for me. Since it does manage to be a creepy flick in spite of its child like atmosphere. In fact the movie does manage to squeeze in a gory scene or two in there, just so you don't forget that this is a Stuart Gordon film you are watching.

The special effects are pretty good. Its a mixture between stop motion animation (like the one seen on the Puppet Master movies) and the use of puppets. I think it was very well achieved for a low budget horror flick. The dolls end up looking really creepy, specially in one scene where they all suddenly come to life and turn their heads. That scene was priceless for me.

All in all, this isn't the type of film you'd normally expect from Gordon since it does have a certain innocent charm to it. Its sort of a big departure from his previous films like Re-animator and From Beyond. Those films were drenched in blood and gore. Dolls is not as gory or violent but its creepiness still makes it quite effective. Good thing it is finally out on DVD with a couple of cool extras like a commentary with Stuart Gordon and storyboard to film comparisons. Now if they only released Stuart Gordons other lost film From Beyond (wich I hear MGM is getting ready to release) I could die happy.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I wanted to like this movie because I am a huge fan of the Stuart Gordan and Brian Yuzna and watch this back to back with the rare gem "Dagon". After the brief interesting introduction the film begin to lose it's grasp and bores us with predictability and nerve testing characters. The plot consists of a family of three, two trashy punk thieves, and an over weight 30 year old kid type guy get stranded in a isolated mansion with an odd elderly couple while it storms. There's also psycho living dolls running around with various stabbing objects just waiting to hack our candidates to bits.

That's where I'll begin, is with the characters. Besdies the little girl as the lead (Such a cutie) I had a hard time finding any comic relier or interest in the supporting victims, or characters take your pick. The bickering, abusive parents weren't funny or even attractive. I just wanted to see them die after hearing them bicker in the car. The most despicable characters to grace a screen in the eighties also exist in the movie (Yes, I'm talking about the two "Madonna wannabes") If you want to get super annoyed..just check out those two's acting. Example when they are in the room listening to music...excruciating. The old couple weren't annoying just really boring, the movie doesn't really give them much to do except talk as if they were in a fairy tale. I guess they served their parts well, none the less. The fat guy was also boring and most of his antics failed.

the movie at least is graceful enough to start killing the majority of these people off quickly, but the gore is very poor and not done all that well, kind of is a let down. COME ON...THIS IS A GORDON FILM. The direction is moody and competent all the way through, but the tension is non existent and the pace lags at time. Even though still the movie is only an hour and ten minutes..it still dragged on at times.

The dialog was inept and I found my self reading a book here and there.

This movie is weaker then Puppet Master by far, due to the fact PM gave it's little killers personality. The special effects are decent in this though, for it's time. There's just something likable about it at times, it suited the movie.

Only see this movie for a cheap and (QUICK) little thrill, it will happen so fast you won't really remember much about it. Except for the "killer" teddy bear bit at the beginning.

Stuart Gordon isn't a bad film maker because of this either. Obviously.

*1/2 out of ****

Wow, I remember watching this movie as a kid...it has to be one of my all time favorites. If you're looking for a great scary-doll movie, before the whole "Chucky" thing came about, this is for you. It's fun with great effects (for the time mind you) and blends together the right amount of gore and laughs...a must see in my book!

the whole situation/plot is ludicrous. the acting is also bad but the magical/killer doll theme is funny. recommended for a slight scare and a laugh or two. it is worse than child's play 1 and 2 but in no means a copy. it is better than child's play 3 and the remainder of the series. this interested me because of the killer doll picture on the cover which always freaks me out. you will like this a lot if you are accepting the bad parts and you like killer doll flicks.

in the story a bunch of different people become stranded and stay in a mansion that is owned by two seniors that are doll makers. but they hold a secret about the dolls. the victims serve surprisingly different fates. its like a haunted fairy tale.

Rated R for Horror Violence and Some Language

Six people are stranded at a mansion in the English countryside — David Bower and Rosemary Bower (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, wife of Stuart Gordon), two totally selfish and uncaring parents, and their daughter Judy. Plus, we have nice guy Ralph and two British punk rock hitchhikers, Isabel (played by Bunty Bailey, who starred in two landmark music videos for the band A-Ha) and Enid.

The mansion is owned by Gabriel and Hilary Hartwicke (Hilary Mason, the blind psychic from Don't Look Now), toy makers who fill their home with their creations. As Judy had to give up her old teddy bear by her evil stepmother, they give her a new doll, Mr. Punch.

We soon discover that the dolls are alive and love to destroy humans — the eviler the better. The two girls try to steal antiques and get their faces smashed in and shot by toy soldiers before becoming dolls themselves. Rosemary is attacked by the dolls, then leaps out a window to her death. Her body is brought back to the house, leading David to believe Ralph is a killer.

Meanwhile, Judy reveals to Ralph that the dolls are alive and talks them into saving his life. David attacks, knocking out his daughter and the man he blames for his wife's death, but the dolls save them. Mr. Punch battles David but is destroyed.

The old owners of the house reveal themselves and explain that the house tests people. Either they pass — like Ralph and Judy. Or they fail, like everyone else, and are turned into dolls. It just depends on who believes in the power of childhood. David now becomes Judy's new doll, Judy picks Ralph to be her new dad and she leaves for home.

Meanwhile, we see all the evil folks as dolls on the shelf as new people get stuck outside the house and the cycle begins again.

Dolls is a Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Castle Freak) film and feels like a test run for the Demonic Toys movies. There are some moments of great invention, like the giant evil teddy bear and the eyeballs popping out of the punk girl. It was a theatrical release that actually didn't do well, but found new life on video — where a young version of my wife found it and rented it just about every day.

Read more at https://bandsaboutmovies.com/2017/09/25/dolls-1987/

I first saw this as a kid and it was instantly one of my favorite movies. even to this day it is still very good. The acting direction and script is very good, not to mention the score. The scenes with the dolls attacking are top notch. My only problem with the film years later is it is too short. And you would think they would have made a sequel to it by now. they made a million puppetmasters. Dolls was 10 times far better then puppetmaster you would have thought they'd make a sequel. I give it a 10 out of 10. Recommended.

Stuart Gordon must have been bored with HP Lovecraft films by 1987, and so he directed this bizarre little film. Dolls is kind of like a modern fairytale, as we have a house full of wonders, a young kid at the centre and, of course, a wicked stepmother. Gordon manages to keep the tale firmly within the bounds of horror thanks to some nice gore and plenty of actually quite frightening scenes, but the film has the distinct backbone of a kids' film, and that is what gives Dolls its unique edge. My favourite aspect of the movie is the way that Gordon uses his location, as the house at the centre of tale is every bit as important as the maniacal dolls themselves and Gordon ensures that the atmosphere is always fitting to the action. The plot follows a young girl named Judy, her dad and her stepmother after they are forced to stop at a strange old house, inhabited by a couple of strange old people, during a storm. They are joined by an amiable man and two hitchhikers that he has picked up, and all the guests find that they are in for a night of mayhem as the dolls that the old man makes are alive!

The special effects are one of the standout elements of this movie, and the way that the dolls move gives the film it's most creepy edge. A film about killer dolls really shouldn't work; but it does, and that's mostly thanks to the special effects department. The film has a very short running time, and it's not surprising given the amount of time and effort it must have took to get those dolls to move! The fact that the central plot idea is never really explained loses the film credibility, as a really good idea could have been implanted there; making the whole piece better. The central theme of the movie - that of 'not losing your inner child' - is well used, but more than a little bit silly; and the ending especially piles the sentiment on too much for my liking. Furthermore, I don't think it's a particularly credible idea. There is some good humour, however, and Gordon does well in creating a sense of urgency; which almost offsets the sentiment at the end. Overall, I can't say that this film is entirely successful; but it's a unique movie and Stuart Gordon should be praised for having the balls to take it on. Besides, the transformation scene towards the end is worth the admission alone!

I was very entertained by this film but keep in mind that I watch very strange cult and horror flicks almost exclusively. That said, Dolls did leave me pondering exactly what audience this film was intended for. Far too gory and suggestive for kids, the story is curiously fairy-tale like and full of the kinds of characters and "humor" one would expect from a Nickelodeon special. It really has the odd ball effect of coming off like a children's movie intent on causing permanent psychological trauma for the kiddies. In other words, kinda awesome for certain kinds of adults. Apart from the paradoxical tone and content of the film, the visuals are a treat! Creepy doll heads galore! Porcelain that turns to flesh, wet glass eyes that dart about in their heads, animated by forces unknown! Oh, the teddy bear scene at the beginning! I don't want to spoil it but that teddy bear scene is something else! Worth checking out!

A father, a daughter, a stepmother -- three components of a classic fairy tale -- stop at a creepy house where an old dollmaker and his wife offer them shelter. Certainly you and I, experienced film watchers, would run screaming into the night. The principals in this movie, apparently, have never seen a horror movie, and so they stay, and of course the dolls are haunted.

Guy Rolfe is the dollmaker, and he plays it like a genial Peter Cushing; Hillary Mason, as his wife, doesn't have much to do, but does it very well. There's little in this movie that is particularly novel, but it's all carried out competently vy director Stuart Gordon, a specialist in Lovecraftian horror. It relies more on growing terror than the usual jump scares.

If Sam Raimi had channeled the Brothers Grimm to write a story about dolls in the present day, this is about what they would've come up with. By turns charming, eerie and cringe-inducing, it allowed director Stuart Gordon to rein in the outrageousness he got to indulge in with "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond". There are shocks, there is gore and there is that pitch-black sense of humor, but everything is tempered by the wonderfully pleasant presences of Carrie Lorraine and Stephen Lee, as the only two decent souls in the midst of one of the most unpleasant casts of rotters I've seen in my recent if faulty memory; all of whom come to equally unpleasant, if not deserving ends. Just like in fairy tales...

The Bands and Gordon must've been avid fans of the old William Castle spooker "Mr. Sardonicus," because they find casting perfection in Guy Rolfe as the kindly old dollmaker, who sort of extends the role (and his career) in the "Puppet Master" series. Distinguished character actor Hilary Mason plays off him well, and the two have a wonderfully morbid benevolence about them; like Gomez and Morticia Adams in their twilight years.

Working the other end of the spectrum are Ian Patrick Williams and the always excellent Carolyn Purdy-Gordon as the little girl's abusive and shallow father and "wicked" stepmother. Rounding it off are Bunty Bailey and Cassie Stuart as the brassy, blowsy punkettes who learn all about the virtues of etiquette...the hard way.

Anybody who thinks Chucky is state-of-the-art when it comes to walking, talking, murderous toys needs to check out the effects created by Giancarlo Del Brocco and John and Vivian Brunner. A lot of stop-motion combined with mechanics, (courtesy of the legendary David Allen) but you gotta appreciate the subtleties. Got creeps? Less is definitely more.

A nifty little rental if you can get hold of it.

A Film that Knows Exactly What it is.

There is a wonderful simplicity to this film. It's short & sweet. Feels kind of like an episode of the outer limits or twilight zone with some added slasher flourishes for good measure. It feels a bit like a fairy tale with the moral being: don't be a dick to kids. Def worth checking out if you like this kind of thing.

well, let me put it this way...i would recommend this movie for two groups of people: for those die hard horror fans (such like me) or for people who got scared while watching the crow (you wouldn't believe it, but my former German teacher claimed, the crow was a horror movie).

the beginning is good, i thought its gonna be, if not creepy, at least gory ( i had in mind that this was an 80 s flick)...well, i was pretty surprised,not in a good way. no gore, no scares...all in all, i wouldn't recommend it, believe me...you can find something better to do with your 75 minutes.

well, at least it wasn't the worst movie i have ever seen, so ill just give it a 4 out of 10.

Under-appreciated gem from director Stuart Gordon and screenwriter Ed Naha, who in a previous incarnation wrote film review books such as 'Horrors - From Screen To Scream'. Ed may have learned a thing or two from the turkeys he encountered in his reviewing days because his script for "Dolls" is rich in homage and character. The film borrows its structure from "The Old Dark House" and realizes its ambitions with a cast and crew of highly talented individuals.

Gordon, who directed the entertaining "Re-animator" and perverse "From Beyond" brings a deliciously eerie and playful tone to this novel story of a group of adults who are sentenced to death for losing the child-like aspects of their personalities. The "dolls" of the title are the executioners and they love their bloody work, which is depicted in fine, crimson detail.

The special effects sequences featuring the dolls are realized with stop motion animation and puppetry. For the most part, they are extraordinarily convincing. A scene in which various doll characters huddle together to discreetly discuss the fate of a human character is priceless.

Mac Ahlberg's cinematography is moody and beautiful, perfectly capturing a toyland ambiance within a house of horror; and Lee Percy, who cut the Americanization of the "Baby Cart" films, "Shogun Assassin", delivers another tight, intuitive piece of work here.

Hats must come off to Gordon for the casting of Mr. Sardonicus himself, Guy Rolfe, as Gabriel Hartwicke, the eccentric, twisted toymaker and owner of the film's pivotal location where the nasty events transpire.

Producer Charles Band has made dozens of horror films, but none are as classy as the three above that he made with the talented Stuart Gordon.

I find many horror films to emphasize young, hot "actors" and gore more than any real story or talent. Even though this is an older, cheesy movie with some dated effects, it's still enjoyable. Most of the actors range from bad to mediocre, except for the kindly old couple, but it's got charm to it, and a message: don't let life turn you into a wicked adult, keep in touch with the childlike part of yourself or you'll reap what you sow. Unlike another review here, I thought the methodology of the story and the "magic" was sufficiently explained, they just didn't hold your hand to reach the conclusion. I like that. All in all, worth watching if you're into some 80s camp.

A bunch of people are stranded in a remote house in England during a rainstorm. They are bitchy Rosemary (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon), her husband (Ian Patrick Williams) and their annoying little girl Judy (Carrie Lorraine). There's also a slightly overweight guy (Stephen Lee- who's supposed to be funny) and two female punk rockers. The house they're stranded in belongs to an elderly couple (Guly Rolfe, Hilary Mason) and has TONS of dolls in it. Thing is the dolls are alive...and have very nasty tempers...

I thought I might enjoy this--director Stuart Gordon had made "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond" right before this--two GREAT horror films. This isn't even half as good as them. It has a creepy setting but lame dialogue (and humor), clumsy exposition and takes forever to get to the horror. But the last half hour has some VERY gory deaths (the R rating is well deserved) and some truly astounding stop-motion animation to show the dolls moving...and killing. Those sequences are definite highlights--but they're only a small portion of the film--a VERY small portion. Some pretty good acting helps the slower spots--Purdy-Gordon is excellent in her role and Rolfe and Mason wisely underplay their roles. Unfortunately Lorraine has got to be one of the most annoying little actresses out there--mo wonder this was her last movie. But, more often than not, I was bored...until the last half hour.

This barely got issued in 1987 and was a total bomb. It really is easy to see why. I give it a 5.