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Word to my homies! They say that Halloween night is the big night come end of October. But if you live in the Los Angeles area, this year you can back that one up 24 hours. Because on Tuesday, October 30, Halloween Eve if you will, the American Cinematheque, in conjunction with Outfest, will be presenting a rare opportunity to see the underrated fifth chapter in the saga of Chucky the killer doll, Seed of Chucky (2004), on the big screen at the Egyptian Theater.
Ah, big deal, I can see it on DVD or cable TV, you might be saying, and you’d be right. But DVD or cable is no substitute for joining up with a theater full of like-minded horror fans who recognize that Seed, in completing the swing from the fairly literal-minded satire of the original Child’s Play to the subversive camp and social commentary that began with Bride of Chucky, has redefined and expanded of one of horror’s most durable, and now flexible, series. Rather than settle for rehashing well-trodden ground in the manner of the endless perpetuation of cookie-cutter Halloween and Friday the 13th sequels, writer-director Don Mancini has fashioned the most recent Chucky movies into a new breed, starting with the self-awareness of Bride and culminating with the radical evisceration of some fairly sacred cows (family values, celebrity vanity, artificial insemination conducted by a formerly inanimate object, et al) that propels Seed. And what makes this screening very special is that Mancini, along with Bride and Seed star Jennifer Tilly (my nominee for Good Sport of the Century), will be there at the Egyptian in person to conduct what promises to be a funny, irreverent and, why, even informative question-and-answer session after the show.
Only locusts, hail or a rain of frogs could possibly make me miss this night at the American Cinematheque, and if you’re in Los Angeles for Halloween and are looking for a way to ring in that most evil of holidays with style, I invite you to come along. And if you want to join the group I’ll be escorting to the show, you are most welcome. Just drop a line in the comments column or send me an e-mail and let me know if you can come. I’m hoping to bring along a sizable cheering section to help make my friend Don’s night a Halloween Eve to remember!
Mark your calendar now! Seed of Chucky, October 30 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, sponsored by the American Cinematheque and Outfest.
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Halloween is the best day of the year (and in my house, the whole week leading up to it). I'd love to join you, too bad for me I'm three thousand miles away.
ReplyDeleteIn the history of film it's hard to beat a coupling of Jennifer Tilly and Chucky. And John Waters too? How can you miss?
Have a good time. I saw Seed of Chucky on DVD and thought it was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Peter. I'm really looking forward to seeing it with an appreciative crowd. Peter, one of my favorite scenes is the use to which Chucky puts the issue of Fangoria magazine! And you're right-- it's very funny, and intentionally so. The trailer really does a good job of conveying what the movie is like.
ReplyDeleteJonathan: You're telling me you can't drop $500 on a plane ticket for this?! :)
Outfest link is broken. What is it?
ReplyDeleteKen: The link has been fixed. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteOUTFEST is the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and they do regular offshoot programming every Wednesday, I believe it is, at the Egyptian in conjunction with the American Cinematheque. With the increased camp element of the last two films of the series, and with the spawn of Chucky and Tiffany emerging in Seed as a sensitive, gender-confused doll (his name is Glen, or is it Glenda?) seeking acceptance from his father and mother while resisting their murderous legacy, Bride and Seed have gathered quite a following in the gay community.
Man, that sounds like a blast. Having just read a love letter to the Egyptian and the AC folks, I am supremely envious of people who live in the area. I expect a full report, for those of us who must experience it vicariously...
ReplyDeleteWhoops. I meant to cite the aforementioned love letter: it was from Kevin Murphy, in his A Year at the Movies.
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