a review of the film:
Saw “Dolly” directed by Rod Blackhurst in my favorite theater, a very special Regal Cinema. It was definitely worth the watch! Let me preface this by saying although I appreciate film criticism, I am by no means a film critic. With that out of the way, I will go ahead and give this film three stars out of five. If I was only using four stars, I would still give it three stars out of four. It made use of some very talented actors, including a committed lead performance by Fabianne Therese as Macy.
This is a film I would recommend to the “gore hound” horror fan. You see, there’s two types of horror fans: The “gore hound” and the “elevated horror” fan.
Anyway, this film is interesting enough for me to recommend a watch. It is up there with 1987’s “Street Trash” as a movie that will make you want to take a shower and receive a tetanus shot afterwards. There is a lot of interesting production design and very creative set pieces. Sean William Scott plays a key role as well! I appreciate the oddball nature of this film and the Grindhouse vibes. Is Grindhouse supposed to be capitalized? I refuse to ask A.I.
I think if we up the budget and kill count in the next entry we may have us a new horror icon, the titular “Dolly.” There is a slight element of fantasy to this film that I find very appealing. Is the Dolly character a reference to the poster for the 1987 film “Dolls?” I’m sure there was some subconscious inspiration. The Doll missing an eye image is classic 80’s gothic iconography, appearing in book covers and films. It even made an appearance at a Spirit Halloween one year. I was so taken aback with 80’s nostalgia that I purchased the mask. It had chestnut hair that was, interestingly enough, eaten by moths years later.
I think Dolly could maybe have a crossover movie with Art The Clown. Dolly seems pretty relentless.
If you are a fan of The Texas Chainshaw Massacre, either one, definitely give this a go. The reason I say that is the production design and sets are awesome. They evoke the art and design work of Robert A. Burns, who worked on both The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and 1979’s Tourist Trap, two very rewatchable horror films.
I admit I had to look at my feet a few times during some of the gross out stuff. That means I’ll give it a second watch. Watching this film was definitely a journey. I enjoy encountering a director of horror who I haven’t watched before. I appreciate that this got a theatrical release as well. If only it could be released on VHS (there will probably be some sort of VHS release in the future.)