#4 - Cult of Chucky (2017)

Something a bit newer this time, even from this year, though the Chucky series of horror movies goes well back into the 80's.  Frankly, I've always been creeped out by dolls.  Even the barbies my cousin used to play with when we were kids used to look weird to me.  All smooth and plastic and lifeless, and yet so imitation-lifelike.  It's like playing with a corpse or something.  Very weird.  (shudder)

Cult of Chucky (2017) is the latest entry in the Chucky/Child's Play series of movies.  A little backstory, Charles Lee Ray was a serial murderer known as the "Voodoo Killer" or some such, cornered in a toy store by the authorities, who used Voodoo to send his evil spirit into a Chucky doll, a line of dolls that were hugely popular with children at the time (according to the myth created by the movie).  In the first movie (Child's Play, 1988), Charles lee Ray only had a certain amount of time to exit the body of the doll and take over a real human body, before his soul would be eternally merged with that of the doll, but the little boy whose soul he was after managed to nix that plan before Chucky could finish the voodoo ritual.  Ever since then, the murderous spirit of Charles Lee Ray has been trapped in the Chucky dolls, and is now only interested in mayhem and revenge.  This time, Chucky is looking to tie up loose ends with one of his previous victims, Nica Pierce, now transferred to a medium-security mental institution, where Chucky can finally get to her.

For a crappy B-series of horror movies, the Chucky movies aren't too bad.  This one is set in a state-of-the-art mental institution way the hell out in a snow-blasted plain, far away from a city, that looks freakin awesome as a setting.  Brad Dourif returns as the voice of Chucky, Fiona Dourif (Brad's daughter, I guess?) returns as Nica Pierce, Jennifer Tilly returns as Tiffany Valentine, Charles' girlfriend from some of the previous movies, and they even got Alex Vincent to return as Andy Barclay, the original protagonist from the first child's play movie.  I guess once you get typecast as the victim of a killer doll, it's hard to find roles that stretch your acting talents.  Still, everyone does an okay job.  I wouldn't say the movie was spectacular, but it was a little creepy, there was lots of blood, and I've seen worse horror movies.  Shit, just the setting alone was kind of cool.  No nudity to speak of but a few of the actresses were decent-looking.  No real reason to watch it twice, but I might be waiting for a squel, if they make another one.  After half a dozen chucky movies already, why not?  Cult of Chucky is on Netflix, if you want to watch it for yourself.

I caught "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World" last night.  At first I thought it might be interesting.  A guy who just failed at a suicide attempt moves in with his sister and niece, and there's a meteor shower, and I was hoping there might be some cool aliens or some whacky comedic hijinks going on.  Nope.  An angel comes to earth to tell "Kevin" that he's one of 36 virtuous people or some such nonsense, but the other 35 disappeared somehow, and he's the last one.  Somehow, he's supposed to save the world by doing good deeds and "anointing" 35 other people.  Too religious and too ridiculous a plot for my taste, and it wasn't even funny enough to bear watching.  Last time I tried anointing someone, I got slapped with a restraining order.  Why is it okay for this guy?  Shit, I can pretend I have an angel helping me, too!  Not going to bother watching this one again.  Looks dumb.  It's on Tuesdays on some channel, I can't recall which one, if you feel like checking it out for yourself.

That's all for tonight, been a busy day and I still have stuff left to do.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  Catch you guys with another review tomorrow night!