Case Study: Child's Play

Institutional information: Child's Play is a horror movie that was directed by Tom Holland in 1988. Child's Play was one of the first movies to be released from MGM/UA because the rights for the series were sold to Universal Studios in 1990. Child's Play was filmed in Chicago and was produced on a budget of $9,000,000. It was released to 1377 cinemas on November 9th 1988. On box office the film grossed to $33,244,684 and gained a worldwide total of $44,196,684.
The film was revolved around a rumor that it was based on a real life doll called 'My Buddy doll' but AMC claimed that the creator modeled the doll of the Cabbage Patch Kid. In addition the name 'Charles Lee Ray' was made from real life serial killers for example Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray.
A lot of controversy was revolving around this movie. A moral Panic was created due to the fact that a protest from a large crowd was happening in front of MGM because they believed the film would incite violence amongst children. Child's play was a start to a series and a franchise. Child's Play 3 was told that it encouraged two murders of James Bulger and Suzanne Capper. Gang leaders forced Suzanne to listen to recordings of 'I'm Chucky wanna play?'. The killers of Suzanne were affected by the Media affect. Another Moral panic revolved around this film which people believed that the Chucky doll was hiding in their bathroom and was getting ready to kill them, this moral panic affected children at the age of 5 to 6 years.


Narrative: The plot of Child's Play is that a voodoo serial killer called Charles Lee Ray possesses a 'Good Guy doll' also known as a Chucky doll by transferring his soul while being in a police shootout. A child called Andy buys the doll and Charles Lee Ray tries to transfer his soul into the little boy called Andy during this process of trying to catch Andy, the doll killed and ferociously harmed a lot of civilians. He has had small encounters with Andy and Andy tries to tell people who are aound him that a doll is trying to kill him but no one believes him and decides to put him in a mental institution.

Audience: Certificate 18. However a lot children under 10 have watched it at the time it first came out. The socio economic group is E-C which includes unemployed, prisoners and students, they will by interested in this because it gives them excitement plus prisoners may be more intrigued due to the fact that it involves some sort of crime.


Genre: Horror movie

Controversy: A lot of controversy was revolving around this movie. A moral Panic was created due to the fact that a protest from a large crowd was happening in front of MGM because they believed the film would incite violence amongst children. Child's play was a start to a series and a franchise. Child's Play 3 was told that it encouraged two murders of James Bulger and Suzanne Capper. Gang leaders forced Suzanne to listen to recordings of 'I'm Chucky wanna play?'. The killers of Suzanne were affected by the Media affect. Another Moral panic revolved around this film which people believed that the Chucky doll was hiding in their bathroom and was getting ready to kill them, this moral panic affected children at the age of 5 to 6 years.