Child's Play (1988)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Tom Holland

Writers (WGA):

Don Mancini (story)
Don Mancini (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You'll wish it was only make-believe.

Plot:

Young Andy Barclay gets the doll he wanted. However, he did not know it was alive!

Plot Keywords:

Gothic | Chucky The Killer Doll | Cult Favorite | Child's Point Of View | Child In Peril

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Catherine Hicks	...	Karen Barclay
Chris Sarandon	...	Mike Norris
Alex Vincent	...	Andy Barclay
Brad Dourif	...	Charles Lee Ray
Dinah Manoff	...	Maggie Peterson
Tommy Swerdlow	...	Jack Santos
Jack Colvin	...	Dr. Ardmore
Neil Giuntoli	...	Eddie Caputo
Juan Ramírez	...	Peddler
Alan Wilder	...	Mr. Criswell
Richard Baird	...	News Reporter at Toy Store
Raymond Oliver	...	Dr. Death
Aaron Osborne	...	Orderly
Tyler Hard	...	Mona
Ted Liss	...	George
Roslyn Alexander	...	Lucy
Bo Kane	...	Male TV Newscaster (as Robert Kane)
Leila Lee Olsen	...	Female TV Newscaster (as Leila Hee Olsen)
Ed Gale	...	Chucky Stunt Double
Lena Sack	...	Bellevue Patient
Tommy Gerard	...	Bellevue Patient
Michael Chavez	...	Bellevue Patient
Jamie Gray	...	Bellevue Patient
Erin Munz	...	Bellevue Patient
Jana Twomey	...	Bellevue Patient
Suaundra Black	...	Bellevue Patient
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Patrick Carter	...	Kid in Animated Commercial (voice)
John Franklin	...	Walkabout Chucky (voice)
Edan Gross	...	Friendly / Kid in Animated Commercial (voice)

Directed by
Tom Holland

Writing credits (WGA)
Don Mancini		(story)
Don Mancini		(screenplay) and
John Lafia		(screenplay) and
Tom Holland		(screenplay)

Produced by
Elliot Geisinger	....	co-executive producer
David Kirschner	....	producer
Laura Moskowitz	....	associate producer
Barrie M. Osborne	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joe Renzetti

Cinematography by
Bill Butler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Roy E. Peterson
Edward Warschilka

Casting by
Sharon Bialy
Richard Pagano

Production Design by
Daniel A. Lomino

Set Decoration by
Cloudia

Costume Design by
April Ferry

Makeup Department
Michael Hancock	....	makeup artist
Marina Pedraza	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Latham Brown	....	unit production manager
Carl Olsen	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bud Davis	....	second unit director
George Fortmuller	....	second assistant director
James Giovannetti Jr.	....	first assistant director: second unit
Michael Green	....	first assistant director
Stefanie Moore	....	second assistant director: second unit
Linnea Ebba Wicklund	....	second assistant director

Art Department
William Arnold	....	set designer (as William David Arnold)
Gary Baugh	....	set designer
William Dambra	....	property master: Chicago
Edward England	....	construction coordinator: Chicago
James F. Orendorff	....	construction coordinator
Arthur Shippee	....	property master
Timothy W. Tiedje	....	set dresser
James E. Tocci	....	set designer
David Gianneschi	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Robert E. Knight	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Riordan	....	supervising sound editor
Douglas Vaughan	....	boom operator
James E. Webb	....	sound mixer
Marty Church	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Clayton Collins	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Don Summer	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Dan Yale	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Howard Berger	....	shop supervisor: chucky construction crew
Richard O. Helmer	....	special effects supervisor
Rick Lalonde	....	lab technician: chucky construction crew
Ron Pipes	....	hair: chucky construction crew
Zandra Platzek	....	hair: chucky construction crew
James D. Schwalm	....	special effects
Carl Sorensen	....	lab technician: chucky construction crew
Christopher Swift	....	lab technician: chucky construction crew
Kevin Yagher	....	designer and executor: "Chucky" doll
Mark C. Yagher	....	shop assistant: chucky construction crew
James Kagel	....	lead sculptor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Donen	....	visual effects supervisor
Joseph Yanuzzi	....	visual effects editor

Stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunts
Joie Chitwood Jr.	....	car stunts: Mike (as Joie Chitwood)
Bob K. Cummings	....	stunts (as Robert Cummings)
Bud Davis	....	stunt coordinator
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunt driver
James Fierro	....	stunts
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts
Ed Gale	....	stunt double: Chucky
Joe Gilbride	....	stunts
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts
Stacy Logan	....	stunts
Carl Paoli	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts
Dennis Scott	....	stunts
Joie Chitwood Jr.	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Art Bartels	....	key grip: Chicago
James Blanford	....	director of photography: second unit
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
Peter J. Donoghue	....	rigging gaffer: Chicago
George Hill	....	key grip
To Lee	....	second assistant camera
John Lubin	....	best boy: Chicago
Wayne Mort	....	dolly grip
Mike Moyer	....	chief lighting technician
Don Smetzer	....	still photographer: Chicago (as Donald Smetzer)
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer
Robert Ulland	....	Steadicam operator: Chicago
John Morton Walker	....	first assistant camera
Paolo Cascio	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Johnny Walker	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jane Alderman	....	casting: Chicago
Shelley Andreas	....	casting: Chicago

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mort Schwartz	....	costume supervisor
Lois DeArmond	....	costume illustrator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Bob Noland	....	color timer
Kevin Nolting	....	assistant editor
Carlyn Montes De Oca	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)
Scott K. Wallace	....	additional film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
David Chackler	....	music supervisor
Brad Dechter	....	orchestrator
Arlon Ober	....	orchestrator
Ted Whitfield	....	music editor

Transportation Department
James Davis	....	transportation coordinator
George DiLeonardi	....	transportation coordinator: Chicago

Other crew
Howard Berger	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
Susan J. Bonno-Buckner	....	first assistant accountant
Billy Bryan	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
John Ross Bush	....	location manager
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
Allen Coulter	....	mechanical crew
Allen Coulter	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
Pete Emmet	....	unit publicist
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Karen Golden	....	script supervisor
Judy Groffman	....	production associate
Steven James	....	mechanical crew
Steven James	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
David Kirschner	....	creator: Chucky doll
Frank Charles Lutkus III	....	mechanical crew
Frank Charles Lutkus III	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
Michael J. Malone	....	location manager
David Arthur Nelson	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
Sioux Richards	....	script supervisor: second unit
Loren Soman	....	mechanical crew
Loren Soman	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
Marc Tyler	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
N. Brock Winkless IV	....	mechanical crew
N. Brock Winkless IV	....	puppeteer: "Chucky"
Kevin Yagher	....	doll designer: "Chucky" doll
Carol Kim	....	assistant to executive producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• United Artists

Distributors

• United Artists (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Apogee Productions

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  opticals
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  sound re-recording
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Ruby-Spears Productions  animated sequence
• The Cast Supper  catering

Also Known As:

Batteries Not Included (USA) (working title)
Blood Brother (USA) (working title)
Blood Buddy (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Finland:K-15 (re-rated) | Finland:(Banned) (1988) | Ireland:18 | UK:15 (cut) (1989) | UK:15 (uncut) (2005) | Spain:13 | Spain:18 (DVD version) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Ireland:18 (original rating) | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Norway:(Banned) (1989-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Brewster Building Apartments - 2800 N. Pine Grove Avenue, Lake View, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

All of Brad Dourif's voice over work for Chucky was recorded in advance so they could match up Chucky's mouth with the words. Because of this, Brad Dourif rarely ever appeared on set during the "doll" scenes. Instead, recordings of his voice would be played back for Alex Vincent to go by.

Goofs:

Continuity: The drink Andy makes changes color.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mike Norris: I got the strangler! Wabash and Van Buren.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "NewsRadio: Daydream (#3.7)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

IS IT REALLY LOVE

No Baby Doll Eyes Here

Director Tom Holland does quite a good job scaring us with this cliche-ridden, unoriginal story of a serial killer transferring his soul to a toy store doll. The doll is incredibly eerie with its red hair and deep eyes, and goes by the name of Chucky saying things like, "My name's Chucky...wanna play?" Although much of the plot is very predictable(especially the ending), the execution of the plot is first-rate. Add to this some earnest acting from CatherineHicks, Chris Sarandon, and especially Alex Vincent playing a six-year old, and you have a pretty entertaining feature. The special effects are also first-rate, and the doll seems to actually be alive. Brad Douriff adds his voice to the demented Chucky, and his voice is evil personified. Dinah Manoff has a small role, but it is an important role which she plays very well. The atmosphere is definitely set on suspense and it is a rollercoaster of a ride as we see the doll slowly become human and seek out his only murderous hope for salvation. Good scares!