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Ventriloquism, haunted doll and puppet movies (1 Viewer)

WaveCrest

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Have done a HTF thread search and can not find any threads about films which have plots involving ventriloquism, ventriloquism dummies, haunted dolls and puppets. Wasn't sure what to call the thread.


Know of the Child's Play film series and the films Dead of Night (1945) (one of the episodes featured a ventrilouquist and his dummy), Dead Silence (2007) and Dolls (1987) (Dolls is available on Region 1 from MGM).


Can anyone recommend any other films?
 

Thomas T

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Magic (1978) with Anthony Hopkins and Ann-Margret borrows heavily from Dead Of Night with Hopkins as a ventriloquist having an emotional breakdown and his "dummy" taking over. Directed by Richard Attenborough from the novel by William Goldman and a very effective Jerry Goldsmith score.
 

Statskeeper

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Devil Doll (1964) - British movie about a ventriloquist/hypnotist who has a seemingly life-like dummy named Hugo. He hypnotizes an heiress and her American journalist boyfriend becomes interested in his story. It was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during the SciFi years, and is available in the American release and a Continental version (more nudity/sexuality, less violence).
 

Matt Hough

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And, of course, there are the two Twilight Zone episodes that involve eerie ventriloquist dummies: "The Dummy" and "Caesar and Me."
 

Charles Smith

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Posting so I won't lose track of the thread. Love this stuff, so thanks for the list. There's a couple of titles I'm not familiar with, and hopefully more will turn up.
 

cineMANIAC

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An obscure Canadian flick, 'Cathy's Curse", features a doll whose eyes light up and gets up and walks. Also, Curtains has a brief scene of a creepy doll in the middle of a road that causes an accident. Dolls always freaked me out as a kid.
 

Eric Vedowski

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I really enjoy this kind of stuff too. Here's a pretty thorough list of movies & tv: http://roberthood.net/blog/index.php/movielists/evil-doll-movie-list/
 

WaveCrest

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Knew there was another familiar one I'd forgot! Checked Amazon UK for it recently, as there is a Region 2 two-disc edition of Magic (which is OOP).


The Great Gabbo (1929)...this is reminding me of the Simpsons episode "Krusty Gets Cancelled".


Devil Doll (1964)....will check out the Mystery Science Theater release.


Possibly might get The Twilight Zone on (Region 2) DVD.


Cathy's Curse (1977) sounds very good, as does Curtains (1983).


Thanks for the replies so far. Thought it might generate some discussion.
 

WaveCrest

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Another one which is so obvious I should have remembered it, the X Files episode "Bunghoney" (formerly "Chinga"), written by Stephen King and a solo case for Scully where she heads off to (if I remember correctly) a fishing town where people have killed themselves and there's a possessed doll. Remember her having lobster meal and the pencils stuck on the ceiling in Mulder's basement FBI office.
 

BrianRi

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Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy were in a number of movies, although I don't know that I'd say those movies were "about ventriloquism".
 

WaveCrest

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Originally Posted by BrianRi

Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy were in a number of movies, although I don't know that I'd say those movies were "about ventriloquism".


Those movies had brief ventriloquism scenes, with them being about something else in general?
 

ahollis

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Originally Posted by Thomas T

Magic (1978) with Anthony Hopkins and Ann-Margret borrows heavily from Dead Of Night with Hopkins as a ventriloquist having an emotional breakdown and his "dummy" taking over. Directed by Richard Attenborough from the novel by William Goldman and a very effective Jerry Goldsmith score.

This was picture always gave me the creeps. I do enjoy it around Halloween every year. I have a phobia about ventriloquism dummies as some people have about clowns. They are just creepy, always just sitting there and staring at you with those dead eyes.
 

ahollis

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Originally Posted by BrianRi

Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy were in a number of movies, although I don't know that I'd say those movies were "about ventriloquism".


Charlie McCarthy was the only dummy that I can sit and watch. He does not seem threatening to me. It must be that conical. One of the recent WAC release of Lucy films, has Charlie as one of the leading actors and I always enjoy him putting down W. C. Fields.
 

MikeDE

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Add Dummy with Adrian Brody and a little horror movie called Triloquist to the list. The Goosebumps series released a couple of the "living dummy" episodes a few years ago. As a professional ventriloquist I enjoy these, but most of my fellow performers abhor them, except for the Bergen films and Paul Winchell in Stop, Look, and Laugh.
 

WaveCrest

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Originally Posted by ahollis


This was picture always gave me the creeps. I do enjoy it around Halloween every year. I have a phobia about ventriloquism dummies as some people have about clowns. They are just creepy, always just sitting there and staring at you with those dead eyes.



Have a phobia of clowns and ventriloquism dummies as well. It's the eyes and the faces.


The 2-disc edition of Magic (1978) is still available I think.
 

WaveCrest

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An episode of UK drama series Heartbeat, called "Class Act" (Series 11, Episode 22 - source: TV.com) included a sub-plot involving the dummy of a deceased ventriloquist. David Stockwell, one of the show's regulars, took on the role of a ventriloquist.
 

WaveCrest

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Originally Posted by MikeDE

Add Dummy with Adrian Brody and a little horror movie called Triloquist to the list. The Goosebumps series released a couple of the "living dummy" episodes a few years ago. As a professional ventriloquist I enjoy these, but most of my fellow performers abhor them, except for the Bergen films and Paul Winchell in Stop, Look, and Laugh.


Triloquist (2008) is a bargain on Amazon.com at the moment. Have had a look at the "editorial review" on the Amazon.com listing page for a Region 1 release (it's a synopsis). That ventriloquist dummy looks creepy on the front cover.


EDIT: Triloquist is being shown in the UK on Horror channel next week.
 

Matt Hough

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Oh, there is that masterful episode on Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "The Glass Eye" in which Jessica Tandy falls in love with a ventriloquist The Great Calody. I think this episode won an Emmy for direction. I just this second remembered it.
 

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