By Travis Johnson
Yet another highlight has been added to the 2017 Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF), which runs from September 14 – 17 at Marrickville’s Factory Theatre: a one-off, special midnight screening of Cult of Chucky, ahead of its home release on October 18. And it’s free.
Yes, Cult of Chucky, the latest in the increasingly deranged killer doll franchise inaugurated way back in 1988 with Tom Holland’s controversial (it was a different time) Child’s Play. The series follows the exploits of killer “Good Guy” doll Chucky, inhabited by the spirit of serial killer Charles Lee Ray (genre great Brad Dourif). Along the way, Chucky has acquired a bride (Jennifer Tilly,), a child (Billy Boyd), and now a fanatical following, it seems. Let’s go to the synopsis:
“Everyone’s famous murderous doll is back with a vengeance in Cult of Chucky, now modeled in glorious CG and ready to settle some old scores – the bloodiest way possible. With a wicked wit, some of the year’s most inventive kill sequences and a body count that just keeps stacking up; Cult of Chucky is a fiendish treat, not only for lovers of the original series but for all horror movie maniacs.”
Festival director Stefan Popescu says, “As a teen, Chucky scared me as much as Freddy Krueger, Mike Myers and Leatherface… except he’s just a doll. Don Mancini is a genius to be able to make an inanimate object a terrifying killer with just, essentially, puppetry. Chucky is a horror icon and we’re very pleased to bring Cult of Chucky to the Sydney film community for free! It is going to be one hell of a fun screening.”
It’s all happening at 11.45pm on Saturday, September 16, but seats are limited, so hit up the SUFF official site to book now.
