Dolls
Short description
During a violent storm, a group of strangers seeks refuge in a remote country house owned by an elderly couple who create dolls. The guests include a father, his young daughter, and a stepmother who dislikes the child, along with a clumsy man and two punk women. As the night progresses, the visitors discover that the house is filled with figurines that are capable of coming to life and attacking those they dislike.
This fantasy horror film was directed by Stuart Gordon and written by Ed Naha. Released in 1987, it is the third film in Gordon's directorial timeline, following Re-Animator and From Beyond. The movie was a joint production between the United States and Italy, involving Empire Pictures and Taryn Productions Inc. The cast features Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, and Carrie Lorraine as the Bower family, while Guy Rolfe and Hilary Mason play the homeowners.
The film has received generally positive reactions from viewers, holding a rating of 6.3 on IMDb from 14,000 votes and 6.4 on TMDB from 380 votes. However, these audience scores are higher than the rating from film critics, who gave the movie a 5.5 based on 15 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film featured actual dolls and puppets, as well as animation and animatronics.
- The film was shot in Italy because it was cheaper and allowed them to ignore the requirements of the Screen Actors Guild.
- The most difficult scenes to film were those where the dolls attacked the characters, as the puppeteers' hands and strings would end up in the frame. Cinematographer Mac Albergu and editor Lee Percy had to resort to all sorts of tricks to keep the hands and strings out of the shot.
- When porcelain breaks, destroying the dolls, a hazy effect was created using cigarette smoke.
- Originally, the plot stipulated that if a doll broke, it would be empty inside. Director Stuart Gordon disliked this concept and insisted on giving the dolls skeletons under their porcelain.
- The house was built on a studio lot that once belonged to producer and director Dino De Laurentiis. Inside, it created the full impression of a real two-story house, where one could move from room to room. Outside, remnants of props from De Laurentiis's previous films, including the famous “Barbarella” (1968), were scattered around, which served as a source of inspiration when creating some of the dolls.
- The fully shot film spent an entire year in post-production.
- Carrie Lorraine was terrified of the monstrous teddy bear, which became a source of endless jokes among the crew and cast. Sometimes they would even hide around corners and growl at the unsuspecting Lorraine as she walked by.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
