Just before the 2010s, horror fans began being treated to loving retrospective documentaries on horror franchises, with 2010's "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" being the gold standard. That doc's writer, Thommy Hutson, pulls double-duty here as writer and director, and it's difficult not to compare them because they're structured in the same manner -- but the result is almost as a good.
The first film gets the most luxurious treatment, with a full 90 minutes of the running time devoted to it. We're treated to never-before-seen behind-the scenes photos (including the film's deleted opening sequence with Chris Sarandon in drag), a rehearsal video, and a fascinating array of production memos and other materials. From there, we get roughly 45 minutes devoted to each of the sequels.
While they did get many of the surviving cast and crew members to discuss the films, there are quite a few missing people. These include Jenny Agutter, Grace Zabriskie and Greg Germann (part 2), Justin Whalin and Andrew Robinson (part 3), Katherine Heigl (Bride), Billy Boyd, Redman and Hannah Spearritt (Seed), and Maitland McConnell (Curse). I can't exactly fault the filmmakers for not getting everyone on board, but it does make it feel a little less rounded than it could've been.
I do have a few criticisms. They included several commentators who had nothing to do with the films, and don't really add anything of significance. At the end of each segment, everyone says how honored they were to be in a Chucky movie, which becomes annoyingly redundant (they could've saved that for the end). And there's not even a passing mention of the comic series, the reboot, or the spinoff TV show (which could probably sustain its own 5-hour documentary). Pretty minor criticisms, with the exception of the latter. Also, it's also a little offputting how Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner credit director Tom Holland for reshaping the original script and hiring Brad Douriff to portray Chucky, but then they bash him for having the audacity to try to take credit for his contributions. Without Holland, the doll would've had no personality, and in an effort to paint him as a control freak, it sorta makes Mancini look like a bigger one. I can't say the doc benefitted from this nearly 40-year-old squabble, which Holland himself barely acknowledged.
Currently, this doc's only available to stream on Shudder, but I sincerely hope it gets a home media release, because it deserves to be preserved and seen by all of the franchise's fans. Highly recommended for anyone who loves Chucky.
