1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Dolls
"They walk. They talk. They kill."
1987 1h 17m EN
😐
6.4
MID
★6.4TMDB · 381
FantasyHorror
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A precocious girl, her nasty parents, two punk-rock losers and a weak-kneed salesman inadvertently become the guests of two ghoulish senior citizens in their dark, haunted mansion.
“They walk. They talk. They kill.”
Cast
Ian Patrick Williams
David Bower
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
Rosemary Bower
Carrie Lorraine
Judy Bower
Guy Rolfe
Gabriel Hartwicke
Hilary Mason
Hilary Hartwicke
Bunty Bailey
Isabel Prange
Cassie Stuart
Enid
Stephen Lee
Ralph Morris
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Stuart Gordon
- Writers
- Ed Naha
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- Italy, United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 2 countries: Italy, United States of America.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Stuart Gordon, shot by Mac Ahlberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Fuzzbee Morse. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Lee Percy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Ian Patrick Williams and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon and Carrie Lorraine carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "They walk. They talk. They kill.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Stuart Gordon directs. Mac Ahlberg behind the camera. Fuzzbee Morse scores. Lee Percy cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy, United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 3International production across 2 countries: Italy, United States of America.
- 4Directed by Stuart Gordon, shot by Mac Ahlberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Original score by Fuzzbee Morse. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 6Editor Lee Percy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7Ian Patrick Williams and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon and Carrie Lorraine carry the top of the cast.
- 8Marketing tagline: "They walk. They talk. They kill.".
- 9IMDB entry: tt0092906 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 10Classified under 10 themes, including "gore", "surrealism", "fireplace", "storm".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Mac Ahlberg
- Original score
- Fuzzbee Morse
- Editing
- Lee Percy
- Production design
- Giovanni Natalucci
- Costume design
- Angee Beckett
- Makeup / hair
- Sabrina Farina
- Runtime
- 77 min · 1h 17m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
- IMDB
- Dolls (1987)
Also by
Stuart Gordon
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- talisencrw★ 8/10
This was a really effective chiller. Nicely intermingles the right amounts of both comedy and magic to create an eerie and surreal atmosphere all of its own, quite the same way as the first 'Phantasm' film does, if that makes any sense. Great ending, too.
- Arrrrrrrach★ 8/10
Atmospheric lil horror film that maintains its menace despite some comedy acting. Typical of Stuart Gordon in that sense I guess. This tells of the importance of childhood wonder, like many other films, but does it via a cautionary-like tale filled with some primitive justice. The dolls look really creepy, as does the mansion that sets the scene for the whole film and the music fits perfectly. The atmosphere really is spot on most of the time. I especially liked the opening credits and how they set the tone. Very cool film.
Production companies
Who made it
- EM
Empire Pictures
US
- TA
Taryn Productions Inc.
Key crew
- ProducerBrian Yuzna
- EditorLee Percy
- Assistant Makeup ArtistSabrina Farina
- HairdresserRita Innocenzi
- Assistant Makeup ArtistRoberto Innocenzi
- HairdresserAlessandra Molinari
- Assistant Makeup ArtistAlfredo Tiberi
- Makeup EffectsJohn Vulich
- Production SupervisorRichard Band
- Executive In Charge Of ProductionRoberto Bessi
- Executive In Charge Of ProductionDennis Stuart Murphy
- Unit ManagerGina Pietralunga
- Unit ManagerStefano Spadoni
- Second Assistant DirectorJudy Monti
- Second Assistant DirectorMarco Valerio Pugini
- First Assistant DirectorMauro Sacripanti
- Assistant DirectorLiz Wartenberg
- Conceptual DesignNeal Adams
- Property MasterElio Altamura
- Construction ManagerAlvaro Belsole
- Assistant Property MasterNicola Bucci
- Set DresserMariangela Capuano
- Assistant Art DirectorLucio Di Domenico
- PainterIvano Gatti
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- gore
- surrealism
- fireplace
- storm
- doll
- toy maker
- candlestick
- traveling
- toymaker
- possessed doll
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1987-05-22· Los Angeles
- Physical1988-10-18R· Vestron Video #5222 [VHS] 77 minutes
- Physical1996-04-18R· Vestron Video #5222 [VHS] 77 minutes
- Physical1991-03-07R· Vestron Video #5222 [VHS] 77 minutes
Also known as
International titles
- The DollUS
