No film series has given this writer more sleepless nights than Don Mancini's CHILD'S PLAY series (particularly parts 1 - 3). Why did my parents let me watch these films when I was a little kid? We're talking 3 or 4-years-old that I vividly remember seeing these films, and having nightmares about that voodoo possessed red-headed doll.

This doll had me petrified to go down to the basement in my childhood home, fearing that he'd pop out of the washing machine to get me. It didn't stop there. His influence was felt all over my childhood nightmares, even if it wasn't directly Chucky that I was running from in my dreams.

For whatever reason, I was particularly creeped out by Yoda as a child. You know, the benevolent Jedi master in Star Wars. I had one reoccurring nightmare where I was being chased by this cactus plant creature, that was a strange amalgamation of Yoda and Chucky, that had picked off my family one-by-one using poisonous spines. At the end of the ordeal, just as the anthropomorphic succulent was about to spit one of these noxious barbs my way, I'd always be saved by a cat or a dog that'd hop out of a bush and eat it.

With that said, I can't thank my parents enough; for this level of carelessness fostered my love of the horror genre, and the Child's Play movies.

Throughout the years, Chucky has established himself as a slasher legend and queer icon; with his reign of terror stretching from the big screen in seven feature films, to the small screen with the Chucky TV series. The Chuck even got a Wi-Fi upgrade in the surprisingly decent 2019 technophobic reboot. 

This Halloween, you can find my favourite Good Guy back on the big screen at The Prince Charles Cinema, as Tom Holland's original 1988 classic, Child's Play returns to our #HorrOctober programme on Sunday 22nd October. Wanna Play? 🔪 Book Here!