Actors: Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Carrie Lorraine
Directors: Stuart Gordon
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Run Time: 77 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Empire Pictures is responsible for the cult classic “Dolls”. The film is a bit aged and has looked better but it has a lot of positives going for it including Director Stuart Gordon, Actress Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond), music by Richard Band and Producer Brian Yuzna and Executive Producer Charles Band. It is not perfect but it is a decent film that holds up for the most part. I love the stop-motion and puppetry special effects in the film and that is what wins me over.
Official Premise: A precocious girl, her nasty parents, two punk-rock losers and a weak-kneed salesman inadvertently become the guests of two ghoulish senior citizens in their dark, haunted mansion. The old couple make and collect dolls that, when not sitting still like good little mannequins, creep around in the night, offing the guests one by one! You may laugh at first, but if they turn on you, you’ll regret it…for the rest of your short life!
The 1080p transfer is good but doesn’t really blow me away. It is definitely a nice improvement over the DVD that I own, so I am happy. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works great with Band’s score. There is also a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 included. In terms of special features, there is some decent content. “Toys of Terror: The Making of “Dolls” is a brand new retrospective featuring interviews with Director Stuart Gordon, Producer Brian Yuzna, Stars Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Ian Patrick Williams, Executive Producer Charles Band, and Special Make-Up Effects Artists Gabe Bartalos, and John Vulich and more!
There are two audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon and writer Ed Naha and also with audio commentary with cast members Stephen Lee, Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy Gordon and Carrie Lorraine. Both tracks are working checking out if you love the film and each one provides a different views, since obviously Gordon’s track is a bit more technical. There is a featurette on the “Storyboard-to-Film Comparison”, which is cool to see how it came to fruition. Lastly there is an Original Theatrical Trailer and Photo Gallery included.
