Only seven years before Pixar would introduce a young boy named Andy and his room full of living toys, Chucky was born. The killer doll, of course, made his debut in 1988’s Child’s Play, voiced to perfection by Brad Dourif. And for more than 30 years, Dourif and writer-turned-director Don Mancini have kept the horror icon alive. But how does Charles Lee Ray’s story start?
In this first episode of our Child’s Play/Chucky mega-series, Bri Azmoudeh of The Geeky Waffle joins the show to discuss that original film. We’ll discuss how it lays the foundation for all the wild twists to come, why Andy Barclay’s (Alex Vincent) arc is so heartbreaking, and where the upcoming USA/Syfy series could build on untapped potential in this first movie.
Child’s Play might be a classic, but in many ways, it’s not the movie some viewers might remember it as. Join us as we dive into it. Want to play?
SYNOPSIS
Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky — which Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) then buys for her young son, Andy (Alex Vincent). When Chucky kills Andy’s baby sitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he’s institutionalized. Now Karen must convince the detective of the murderous doll’s intentions, before Andy becomes Chucky’s next victim.