Dolls

Stuart Gordon, who gave us Re-Animator, here offers a tamer horror tale (though there are moments...). In a nutshell: a party of three (mean father, mean stepmother, unfortunate good-hearted daughter) blow a tire on a deserted road late one evening, and take temporary lodgings in the house of an elderly toymaker and his wife. They are soon joined by a bumbling good-hearted--like the little girl--oaf, who has picked up a pair of punk hitchhikers (two girls who immediately case the house for valuables). This is the wonderful thing about good horror films--they have a moral certitude. Immediately, you know who's going to die, and why (plus you don't have to feel sad, because they deserved it). With practice, you can even guess the order and whether it will be a quick or drawn-out death, based, of course, on the magnitude of the crime. And the dolls are tough cookies (Even the youngest of the dolls could kick Barbie's butt with one hand tied behind its back.) Black humor, nifty special effects, and Gordon's solid direction, make Dolls a ghoulish fairy tale winner. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Sept. 20, 2005—MGM, 78 min., R, $14.95—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1987's Dolls sports a nice transfer with Dolby Digital surround sound. Available in both widescreen and full screen versions on the same disc, DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one by director Stuart Gordon and writer Ed Naha; the other by costars Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Stephen Lee, Carrie Lorraine, and Ian Patrick Williams), three storyboard-to-film comparisons (8 min.), a photo gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a winning little horror film.]