#don mancini chucky interview

[thequeereview]

Exclusive Interview: Chucky creator Don Mancini "our aim is to give gay teenage horror fans characters they can identify with"

Along with delivering deliciously dark humour, gore, mayhem, and a reliably high body count, the terrifically entertaining Chucky the series—now in its third season on USA and SYFY—has been warming the hearts of horror fans with a tender queer romance at the heart of show. Zackary Arthur stars as Jake and Björgvin Arnarson stars as Devon, the teen heroes—and romantic couple—facing off the…

[talesfromthecrypts]

Do you have any recommendations for gay horror?

*Cheshire cat smile* I do yeah. First off I highly suggest the works of gay film directors who worked in horror: James Whale, Joel Schumacher, Clive Barker, Jane Schoenbrun, Don Mancini, etc. Even if there aren't always explicit gay characters there are queer themes in their films and they are worth examining. Ok list time:

The Haunting (1963)

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Shiver of the Vampires (1971)

Daughters of Darkness (1971)

The Velvet Vampire (1971)

The Blood Spattered Bride (1972)

Alucarda (1977)

Cruising (1980)

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981)

The Living Dead Girl (1982)

Tenebre (1982) [The feature film debut of trans actress Eva Robin's]

The Hunger (1983)

Gothic (1986)

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

Poison (1991)

May (2002)

Hellbent (2004)

Seed of Chucky (2004)

All About Evil (2010)

Chillerama - I Was a Teenage Werebear segment (2011)

All Cheerleaders Die (2013)

Stage Fright (2014)

Good Manners (2017)

Thelma (2017)

Knife + Heart (2018)

What Keeps You Alive (2018)

Bit (2019)

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street (2019) [this is a documentary but I'm gonna count it!]

Saint Maud (2019)

Death Drop Gorgeous (2020)

Titane (2021)

Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)

As always, horror comes with triggers and some of these do have big homophobia warnings (Butcher, Baker especially).

BONUS:

Shows: Penny Dreadful, Interview With the Vampire, The Exorcist, Dead Ringers, Chucky, Dragula

[renthony]

You've sorta made me want to watch Chucky, and I don't know how I feel about this. Do you have recommendations for where to start, or what to watch first?

Start with the movies! The TV show is done in such a way that it recaps important events from the films as needed, but in order to experience the full journey, you gotta watch the movies.

The first three movies (Child's Play, Child's Play 2, and Child's Play 3) focus on Andy, the first child that Chucky terrorizes. They're much more serious in tone, and focused on the scares.

The plot is that the serial killer Charles Lee Ray is killed in a police shootout in a toy store, and his soul winds up in a doll given to Andy as a birthday gift.

The fourth movie (Bride of Chucky) and fifth movie (Seed of Chucky) are pure camp. They focus on Chucky and his wife Tiffany, and the story of their relationship. The focus is on getting Chucky and Tiffany's souls back into human bodies after they have both been turned into killer dolls. They also have a child. It's been described as a domestic drama with dolls, and that's not wrong.

The tone is much, much more zany. Some people hate these two movies, and those people are so, so, so wrong. John Waters is in Seed of Chucky. Don Mancini has given interviews saying Seed of Chucky nearly got buried because the studio thought it was "too gay and too funny." It's art.

The sixth movie (Curse of Chucky) and seventh movie (Cult of Chucky) shift the series back into a serious, scary, psychological tone. One is a haunted house movie, one is an asylum horror (which imo is done respectfully and centers the patients--the staff are portrayed as abusive and shitty).

Both of these films focus on the character Nica, whose family has been targeted by Chucky over years. Chucky wants to finish the job, and so he stalks and terrorizes Nica specifically.

A fun fact about this act of the series is that Nica's actor, Fiona Dourif, is the daughter of Chucky's actor, Brad Dourif. They apparently really love working together on this series.

After all of that, watch the TV show. The TV show focuses on a trio of teenagers--Jake, Devon, and Lexy--as they deal with Chucky's latest plans. As for what those plans are, it's a mystery the teens have to solve together. The first season is set in the hometown of Charles Lee Ray, the serial killer who became Chucky. The second season is set in a Catholic school, and the third season is set in the motherfucking White House, which is directly called the most evil building in the world.

The show brings together all the characters from the films, so we get to see Andy and Nica and Tiffany all interact, along with all the rest. Like I said, the show catches you up on vital info from the films, but I cannot fathom starting with the show. The films are amazing.

Also, if you're interested in any of the behind-the-scenes info, or you're not sure you can handle the horror aspects, I highly recommend checking out the Kill Count playlist for the full series (watch the ones labelled Recount, they're updated versions and have more info).

[blackphanto]

Chucky predictions

SPOILER WARNING FOR CHUCKY S3E5!

I wanna make Chucky theories so bad, but I can't think of any! This show is so crazy that I can't even predict or speculate on what could happen next. There are some people teasing on twitter though and all they've been doing is making me even more hyped for how this season is going to end. So here are some of my predictions based on everything that's been teased so far.

Jake will enter the spirit realm:

I don't think he's necessarily going to die, but he's so fixated on ending Chucky for good to the point where he refused to run away from it all like Devon suggested. And we've heard the doctor, the only way you get to the spirit realm is by dying, but what if you didn't need to die? I believe that thanks to all the supernatural shit occurring there, the White House will become some sort of passage between the two realms. Jake will cross it to try and destroy Charles' soul, but if he will fail or succeed is still debatable...

Caroline helps Chucky get young again:

If Jake fails in permanently killing Chucky, Caroline will come to the rescue. We know she'll be back, but what role will she play in this mess? When she'll return, all hell already would've broken loose and she'll just make it worse. Her sudden entrance at the White House will cause quite the emotional reunion for Lexi and her. Yet, Caroline didn't come alone. Armed with the Voodoo for Dummies book, sure, but she brought another friend, who's none other than the Good Guy Doll creator played by John Waters. He came with a new doll, a new vessel for Charles and with Caroline's newfound knowledge of Voodooism, she'll get Damaballa's blessings and give Chucky a new body, a new chance to not disappoint the almighty Iowa and if he plays his cards right, he might even become forever young.

Grant will survive:

I don't have any evidence to back this up, I just like him and think it's unfair that Lexy always has to say goodbye to someone she loves each season and I just don't want it to happen again. From a psychology standpoint it just desensitized her and would lead to her not getting attached to anyone else besides Jake & Devon next season, in fear of someone else always having to die because of her. And from a writing perspective it just gets repetitive, predictable and boring. So please Don Mancini don't kill him, also I love Jackson Kelly.

The past will haunt everyone:

Charles Lee Ray isn't the only ghost the Terror Trio will have to deal with in the newly supernatural possessed White House. We've seen the past of the Collins family haunt them time and time again, we've seen Henry talk about ghosts and fearing what they told him almost every single episode. Why would that stop at Joseph or Charles? Wouldn't it be horrible for our trio to be faced with the lives they lost thanks to a doll they couldn't stop? How would Jake react upon seeing his father again, disappointed at him for being gay. And Lexy, the poor girl, facing Junior, the boy she watched die, trying to save her... Not making at least one ghost of the past come back would be a wasted opportunity.

Tiffany will survive, but Jennifer's body might not:

Tiffany's possible death has been brought up in every interview Jennifer Tilly made following the comeback of Chucky season 3. At this point it even became a ‘will they, won't they’ situation. Does Mancini really have the guts to kill off a cult favorite character and actress he loves so much? Or will we just say goodbye to seeing Tilly on screen and welcome only her voice? I mean the trailer kinda made it clear for me that this isn't the end of Tiffany's story, but maybe that of Jennifer's body.

[streets-in-paradise]

The real question is, who is your bigger nemesis? Taiki Waititi or Don Mancini?

That's a really hard question, but i think I despise Waititi more than Mancini.

At least in Mancini's case, Chucky is his creation and there was love involved at some point. The guy cared, he did something good and only the passing of time changed that. One can always keep hoping he will find his roots and some sudden inspiration would put him in the right path. He did it once, with Curse.

Waititi was a lazy, disrespectfull ass destroying the work of others. Since the beggining he hated what he was doing, he was there only for the money and didn't bother at all. In press conferences and publicity for Ragnarok, he even trashed some of the old characters ( specially Jane, who he later hipocritically brought back).He was horrible to Hiddleston and Loki despite keeping him to make sure his huge fanbase would buy tickets. I wasn't in the Loki fandom, yet I could see it on the stuff he used to say about the character.

He metaphorically slapped fans of the old films in the face playing out the destruction of Asgard as a joke sequence instead of the dramatic event it should have been. He even made fun of us, and the fans of his films at the peak of his popularity successfully kicked most of us out of the fandom.

In short terms, Waititi is like a bully laughing while destroying my sandcastle.

Being anti ragnarok in 2018 was hell, it was impossible to be here or anywhere in social media. For us it was " you are taking this too seriously", " you are boring" , " you don't understand the characters and how Taika ' improved ' Thor and Loki". The message was clear: you don't belong in the fandom anymore.

Show fans do try to gatekeep Chucky in a very similar way, but escaping them is easier. I left the Thor fandom because of Ragnarok, only recently reconnecting because after the Thor 4 fiasco the Waititi fans are silently ashamed. Chucky has sucked since season 2 and i'm still standing,

Waititi used to feed the toxicity of those fans with his edgy claims trashing the first films, he validated them. Mancini doesn't, you don't see him saying " Andy is boring and old" in Interviews.

On the contrary, with the old fans he does something else that I like to call vender humo (selling smoke). In interviews, he would praise the hell out of the legacies to make us watch, then give us nothing. Toxic show fans can feel validated by his inaction to some extent, but not by his saids about the old characters.

It's different, despite very frustrating. I can get mad at him for dissapointing me, but the closest he has gone to awakening the Waititi level of hate in me was the show treatment of Nica.

If I had a gun with two bullets and I was in a room with Taika Waititi and Don Mancini, i would shoot Waititi twice.

[mediamixs]

Doc Of Chucky: the analysis of an icon

Doc of Chucky is an upcoming documentary that delves into the Child's Play franchise, focusing on the iconic character Chucky. Directed by Thommy Hutson, known for his work on other horror documentaries like Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, this film promises to be a comprehensive exploration of the series' history and impact on horror culture.

Key Details

Release Date: The documentary will premiere exclusively on Shudder on November 1, 2024.

Length: Spanning nearly 290 minutes, it is one of the longest documentaries dedicated to a horror franchise, potentially being released in multiple parts for viewer convenience.

Content: The film features a wealth of material, including:

Interviews with key figures such as Don Mancini, Brad Dourif, and Jennifer Tilly.

Clips, photos, and archival documents that chronicle the evolution of the franchise from its inception in 1988 to its current status.

Significance

Doc of Chucky aims to be the definitive account of the Child's Play films, exploring not just the narrative and production aspects but also the cultural significance of Chucky as a horror icon. The documentary reflects on how the character has influenced the genre and garnered a dedicated fanbase over decades.

Featured Contributors

The documentary includes insights from various contributors:

Don Mancini: Creator of the Child's Play series.

Brad Dourif: Voice of Chucky.

Jennifer Tilly: Actress known for her role as Tiffany.

Other notable figures include Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, and John Waters, among others.

Conclusion

With its extensive runtime and rich content, Doc of Chucky is poised to be a significant addition to horror documentary filmmaking. It not only celebrates the legacy of Chucky but also serves as a testament to the enduring appeal of the Child's Play franchise in popular culture.

[brokehorrorfan]

Scream Factory has revealed the specs for its Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray releases. Originally due out on July 25, they'll now drop on August 29.

Shout Factory has an exclusive set with all four films, four exclusive slipcovers by Devon Whitehead, eight 18x24 posters (original theatrical art plus Whitehead’s new art), prism sticker, five movie cards by Beyond Horror Design (limited to 500), and five enamel pins designed by Matthew Skiff (limited to 500). Pictured below, it’s $223.98.

1998’s Bride of Chucky is directed by Ronny Yu (Freddy vs Jason) and written by Don Mancini (Child’s Play). Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, and John Ritter star.

2004’s Seed of Chucky is written and directed by Don Mancini. Jennifer Tilly, Redman, Hannah Spearritt, John Waters, Billy Boyd, and Brad Dourif star.

2013’s Curse of Chucky is written and directed by Don Mancini. Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, Maitland McConnell, Chantal Quesnelle, Summer Howell, A Martinez, and Brad Dourif star.

2017’s Cult of Chucky is written and directed by Don Mancini. Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriault, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Jennifer Tilly, and Brad Dourif star.

Bride and Seed have received new 4K scans of the original camera negatives, while Curse and Cult have been newly mastered in 4K. R-rated and unrated cuts of Seed, Curse, and Cult are included. Special features are listed below.

Bride of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Dolby Vision (HDR 10 Compatible)

Audio commentary by director Ronny Yu

Audio commentary by actors Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif and writer Don Mancini

Bride of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by director Ronny Yu

Audio commentary by actors Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif and writer Don Mancini

Bride of Chucky: Spotlight on Location

The Making of Brude of Chucky

Additional screens from the TV version

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

For ten years, the tortured soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray has been imprisoned inside a child’s doll. Chucky (Brad Dourif) is reborn when his old flame, Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), rescues his battered doll parts from a police impound. But Chucky wants his favorite playmate cut down to size, so he transforms his blushing bride into a stunning little terror. Chucky and Tiffany can’t wait to start their own homicidal honeymoon. When this demonic duo hits the road and hooks up with a pair of unsuspecting newlyweds, they leave a trail of murder and mayhem behind them.

Seed of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Theatrical cut

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Audio commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and actress Jennifer Tilly

Seed of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Theatrical & unrated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Audio commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and actress Jennifer Tilly

Interview with special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner (new)

Interview with actor John Waters (new)

Deleted scene with optional commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and actress Debbie Lee Carrington

Heeeeer’s Chucky

Family Hell-day Slide Show

Conceiving the Seed of Chucky

Till on The Tonight Show

FuZion Up Close with The Seed of Chucky stars

Storyboard to Final Feature Comparison

Teaser Trailer

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Everyone’s favorite killer doll returns and the Chucky legacy continues with the introduction of a new family member! This time around, Chucky (Brad Dourif) and his homicidal honey, Tiffany, are brought back to life by their orphan offspring, Glen. Then, the horror goes Hollywood as Chucky unleashes his own brand of murderous mayhem!

Curse of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Unrated cut

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini, special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner, and actress Fiona Dourif

Curse of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Unrated and R-rated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini, special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner, and actress Fiona Dourif

Interview with actor Alex Vincent (new)

Interview with actress Danielle Bisutti (new)

Interview with special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner (new)

Playing with Dolls: The Making of Curse of Chucky

Living Doll: Bringing Chucky to Life

Voodoo Doll: The Chucky Legacy

Storyboard Comparisons

Deleted Scenes

Gag Reel

Trailer

TV Spot

He’s back! From the filmmakers that brought you Chucky comes the terrifying return of the pint-sized doll possessed by the spirit of a notorious serial killer. When a mysterious package arrives at the house of Nica (Fiona Dourif, True Blood), she doesn’t give it much thought. However, after her mother’s mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to the mounting bloodshed and chaos. The return of America’s favorite toy, voiced again by Brad Dourif, is full of blood-splattered thrills and chills!

Cult of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Unrated and R-rated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Cult of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Unrated and R-rated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Interview with actor Alex Vincent (new) Interview with actress Danielle Bisutti (new) Interview with special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner (new)

A look inside actor Alex Vincent's recording studio (new)

Inside the Insanity of Cult of Chucky

Good Guy Gone Bad: The incarnations of Chucky

The Dollhouse

Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Don Mancini

Trailers

TV Spot

Confined to an asylum for the criminally insane for the past four years, Nica (Fiona Dourif) is wrongly convinced that she, not Chucky, murdered her entire family. But after her psychiatrist introduces a new group therapy tool – a “Good Guy” doll – a string of grisly deaths plague the asylum and Nica starts to wonder if maybe she isn’t crazy after all. Andy (Alex Vincent), Chucky’s now-grown-up nemesis from the original Child’s Play, races to Nica’s aid. But to save her he’ll have to get past Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), Chucky’s long-ago bride, who will do anything, no matter how deadly or depraved, to help her beloved devil doll.

Pre-order Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky.

[nicascurls]

I'm convinced Alex Vincent should be in the writers' room for Chucky.

I'm procrastinating doing work as usual and have ended up watching Chucky cast interviews and panels. In doing so I have learnt that Alex actually improvised the lines at the end of Curse of Chucky. Don basically gave him a briefing and said it would be a call from his mother and that was it. So the whole birthday dinner and 'How's Mike doing?' was all Alex as far as I'm aware.

I was then watching a panel from 2016? I think. And they all got asked where their characters would be and Catherine Hicks (Karen) and Fiona got excited when they realise both their characters got taken to mental hospitals and Alex just goes "you guys might run into each other."

Seriously, that would have been so cool!

I had to include the whole discussion cause I think it's great. Especially Catherine saying, "May I question Mancini's brilliance?" She's one of us! XD

[moonstone27ls]

Chucky season 3...

Opinions so far.....

Small spoiler warning....

Warning......

Thats about it, cause its only 2 going on 3 eps...

.......

Sooo he's at the White House. On the obvious focus its a pretty average. Not that its bad. I like the little boy Henry and his brother Grant. Grant's a bit basic but he gets some moments where it shows he cares. I just feel INCREDIBLY sorry for Henry cause considering the family lost a child (not sure if Joseph's an older/younger or twin sibling).... its so painfully obvious that Chucky's manipulating a vulnerable, grieving kid.

Surprised but also not that the what... CIA dude has already started covering up Chucky's kills cause I guess he sees it better for America. I dunno if he's right or not. Again not entirely surprised, but still 8B.

I admit I'm curious as to WHY Chucky's there. But its only 2 eps, gotta wait and see.

I'm mostly writing cause I saw preview for ep 3. And I will state it again Don Mancini if you kill off Andy I will NEVER, EVER forgive you. Unless I get like an article or interview if Andy's actor admits he's tired. I could overlook it. But again if thats not the case, I'll be pissed.

The TV show is solely focused on the new trio. And its not that I don't like them. But I'm old and I have a soft spot for the original characters obviously. Not to mention, unless your a mainstream actor, its hard to be appreciated for your work. I can live if Andy gets hurt/or if he just retires after surviving almost being murdered. Fine I can.

Just for the love of god, Mancini don't kill off Andy or Kyle. Or even Nica.

Thats about it, gonna wait till next week to see what happens before I give opinions on Tiff, Nica or Caroline.

[novumtimes]

epic documentary unveils a poster starts streaming on Shudder in November

Doc of Chucky, an almost 5 hour look at the Child’s Play franchise, unveils a poster ahead of its November Shudder debut Thommy Hutson has had a hand in the making of multiple documentaries about popular horror films: the 90 minute documentaries His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th and Scream: The Inside Story, the 2 hour documentary More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead and its shorter companion pieces They Won’t Stay Dead: A Look at the Return of the Living Dead Part II and Love Beyond the Grave: A Look at the Return of the Living Dead III. He was a producer on the 4 hour documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy and the 6 and a half+ hour documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th. Now he has turned his attention to the Child’s Play / Chucky franchise, resulting in the 295 minute (that’s 4 hours and 55 minutes) documentary Doc of Chucky! Doc of Chucky will be released through the Shudder streaming service on November 1st, and a poster for the film has now made its way online. You can check it out at the bottom of this article. Directed by Hutson, the documentary has the following synopsis: The ultimate account of the Child’s Play film franchise and Chucky, a horror villain for the ages. With contributions from cast, crew, critics, historians, and experts, as well as clips, photographs, archival documents, behind-the-scenes footage, and more, experience the making-of story that proves you can’t keep a good guy down in a series of films that have created an icon. It features interviews with Don Mancini, Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, John Waters, Fiona Dourif, Perrey Reeves, Gerrit Graham, David Kirschner, and more. The original Child’s Play was released in 1988 and has spawned a franchise that includes six sequels – Child’s Play 2 (1990), Child’s Play 3 (1991), Bride of Chucky (1998), Seed of Chucky (2004), Curse of Chucky (2013), Cult of Chucky (2017) – a 2019 remake, and three seasons of a TV series that ran on USA Network, Syfy, and the Peacock streaming service. The Chucky TV show was recently cancelled, but the cast is holding on to hope that it will find a new home for season 4. A new feature sequel is also in the works. Are you a Child’s Play fan, and will you be watching Doc of Chucky? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and take a look at this poster while you’re scrolling down: Source link via The Novum Times

[thequeereview]

Exclusive Interview: CHUCKY stars Björgvin Arnarson, Zackary Arthur & Alyvia Alyn Lind on the "beautiful" queer love story at the heart of hit comedy horror series

Ahead of the thrilling season 3 finale of creator Don Mancini’s deliciously dark hit comedy horror series Chucky debuting on USA and Syfy on Wednesday, May 1st at 10/9c, Björgvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and Zackary Arthur, who play the show’s trio of of teen heroes—Devon (Arnarson), Lexy (Lind), and Jake—speak exclusively with The Queer Review‘s editor James Kleinmann. CHUCKY stars Zackary…

[iamjcalvarez]

iFeature | Inside CHUCKY Season 3 with DON MANCINI

A Behind The Scenes Interview Creator and Executive Producer of the Original Series CHUCKY on USA SyFy Network DON MANCINI has been pulling the strings of this horror icon proving decades later that assembly is still required keeping fans on the edge of their seats!  CHUCKY — “Murder at 1600” Episode 301 — Pictured: Chucky — (Photo by: SYFY) Navigating the treacherous curves of franchise success…

[renthony]

Watching all the Chucky movies has had me constantly going, "okay, seriously, is Don Mancini Catholic? Did he get the Trauma? There is so much Dies Irae happening here. This feels so goddamn Catholic."

Right now I'm watching an interview with him about season 2 of the show, and lo and behold, he sure did grow up Catholic! I was right! The Catholic Baggage is baked into this whole damn thing! HA!