I don't know if you know or not, but The Duke considers himself something of a fan of the whole Chucky franchise. In fact, The Duke would go so far as to say that the final two instalments, being Bride Of Chucky and Seed Of Chucky, are just about the finest flicks a man could ever wish to encounter, particularly if the man in question is in pursuit of something about two dolls have a sex or two and then a kid appears and in between a whole loada folks get killed. You probably wouldn't even need to be told that the wonderful Jennifer Tilly is involved, or the late, great John Ritter, you'd still go hire them out.
That smile would be on your face long before you ever had to say "Holy shit, it's none other than John Ritter, star of Stay Tuned and Problem Child." You'd be jumping for joy well in advance of the yacking about "Jennifer Tilly! Of Woody Allen's masterpiece Bullets Over Broadway and also the wonderful Bound and The Cat's Meow, about Kirsten Dunst and some stuff with a boat!"
Bride and Seed are masterpieces in the classical sense, is what. Nowadays everyone wants to slap the old masterpiece tag onto any piece of shit that manages to have a character overdose and also stuff about learning things somewhere between the start and the end. Also, it would help if the start and the end weren't necessarily in that order.
Nouvelle-vogue, motherfucker.
Bride Of Chucky and Seed Of Chucky are the real deals, though. They concern themselves with redemption, rehabilitation, the nature of love, the search for ones identity, the elusive nature of sexual fulfillment. It's Bergman with doll-sex, is what. From The Life Of The Maniacal Marionettes.
Also, they're funny as all hell. Witty, snarky, satirical, self-effacing. What the hell more would a man want, barring some Mary Jane Watson? Hardly a damn thing.
The whole series, all five of them, from the (comparatively) straight-faced slaughter of the first Child's Play, to the cheeky butchery and wise-cracking of the second and third, to the post-modern genius of the final two, all of these flicks were penned by none other than Don Mancini. As if this wasn't enough, he even directed Seed.
Imagine The Duke's shock and delight and insomnia, then, when, following The Duke's Incisive Critique Of Seed Of Chucky, I get an electronical email from none other than Don Motherfucking Mancini, saying shit along the lines of "Your site rocks" and "Really, The Duke, even though I wine and dine the cultural elite, it's you right there that I most admire" (possible lies on my part).
What with me being such an enterprising fellow, the next thing Don Mancini knows is he's being asked for an interview via this most convenient of mediums. To his eternal credit, he says shit along the lines of "Go right ahead", and the results are collected and presented for your entertainment and enlightenment right the hell here.
The Duke: How influential were the likes of "Scream" in your decision to adopt a much more ironic, self-referential tone for "Bride Of Chucky"?
Don Mancini: Very influential. In fact, it really was the success of "Scream" in 1997 which prompted Universal to make another "Chucky" film. That said, I had already flirted with said ironic tone in several early screenplays. For example, the first draft of "Child's Play 2," in 1990, included the scene in the evidence depository, where we glimpse Freddy's glove, Jason's hockey mask, Leatherface's chainsaw, and Michael Myers's mask. The scene was never filmed, but I recycled it for "Bride," just in time to take advantage of the post-"Scream" era's vogue for self-referential horror flicks.
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I was so inspired by your interview, I downloaded the movie. Now I just have to watch it.
Brad Dourif is your mark of quality for really bad things happening (even when he is playing a decent guy as the doctor in "Deadwood").
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Jim, i'm glad you were inspired, and i wager the flick itself will inspire you just as much, although in the case of the celluloid, i'll have to hand over at least 82% of the credit for said inspiration.
3 - Greg Smyth
Great interview Duke! A damn fine read as ever...
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
thanks greg, glad you enjoyed it.
5 - indika
are going to make a another chucky movie although chucky is "dead"? Is he really dead or is he coming back? Whats the next movie going to be called?
6 - honey
Hi my name is honey am 12years old and
my favourite movie is seed of chucky.
My favourite actor of seed of Chucky is Brad Dourif(Chucky),Jennirfer Tilly and Tilly (Tiffeny).
i would like to thank Don Mancini for doing this brillent movie i can wait for the next movie to come Chucky goes psycho.
Also i would like to say hi to Jennirfer Tilly,Brad Dourif and Don Mancini xxx
7 - honey
Hi my name is honey am 12years old and
my favourite movie is seed of chucky.
My favourite actor of seed of Chucky is Brad Dourif(Chucky),Jennirfer Tilly and Tilly (Tiffeny).
i would like to thank Don Mancini for doing this brillent movie i can wait for the next movie to come Chucky goes psycho.
Also i would like to say hi to Jennirfer Tilly,Brad Dourif and Don Mancini xxx
8 - Alexsis (alex) neuman
I loved all the Chucky films. "Seed was kinda like watching another installment of "Scary movie", don't ya think? It was funny though. Ya should see my freakin' room. I have Chucky shit every where!! Plus I wrote a screen play for the next Chucky movie. I'd tell ya'll what I call it, but I need to see if I can get ahold of Mancini before I do. Just incase some one magically decides to take the idea. I am telling you, any Chucky lover is gonna love my Child's Play 6 installment. TELL Mancini about me please!All the Child's play films totally rocked!!! Hey Duke do you think Mancini would ever read my screenplay??? O yeah and KICK ASS SITE!!! ROX BIG TIME!!!
9 - kimberly
i love the all the chucky movies there the best horror movies in the world!!! althooo people are tryin to say that seed of chucky was lame it wasn't i loved it and so did my family and friends..jennifer tilly makes the movie awsome thanks jen... n i would like to thank don mancini for creating this chucky movies. i can't wait to see the next chucky movies.. PEACE OUT YO =]
10 - Rebecca Wilson
Hi my name is Rebecca Wilson Im 12 My favourite movie has got to be the the Bride of Chucky I loved it that much I actually wanted to send Don Mancini a Idea of my own but on every website I check I can never find his Address or where he works now please can anyone tell me where theese places are it is really inportant to me my
11 - DJ
Seed of chucky is cool.