The Other Exorcist

It’s not that hard to believe that The Exorcist had many rip-offs. In fact, many people say that The Manitou is a rip-off, but how many times can you say that you saw an Exorcist rip-off that involved dolls? I know that I can. However, it isn’t a direct rip-off because it’s the doll that is possessed and through the doll it possesses the young girl. But why do I believe that this is knock-off to the 70s classic? I guess it’s because of how things are played out but before I get into all of that, I must discuss what exactly possesses everybody. What type of demon has been awoken that is attracted to dolls, and you’ll notice that even the demons back-story sounds vaguely similar to that of Pazuzu from The Exorcist.

The devil in this movie is called the Sanzia Devil and much like Pazuzu this devil originated from an old ancient myth. The Sanzia Devil was released from its enclosed tomb during an archeological dig in Mexico. The Mayan Cult known as the Sanzia (which means Satan on Earth) worshipped this demon. This cult would feed warm blood of slaughtered children to this demon, much like how many people believe that in order to appease Satan they would need to engage in human virginal sacrifice. Though, when comparing the Sanzia Devil to Pazuzu it’s a little more difficult because Pazuzu isn’t Satan himself, even though the film assumes that he is. Pazuzu is actually the king of the demons of the wind. So neither Pazuzu nor the Sanzia Demon is Satan himself, but they could be alternatives. It’s also interesting to note that both movies start off in another country while an archeological dig is in progress.

It’s sort of funny that many people compare this movie to Child’s Play because of some similarities. For example, in both movies a parent gives the doll to their child. In Dolly Dearest the father gives the doll to his daughter, who always wanted one. However, in this film the doll begins to possess the mind of the little girl whereas Child’s Play the boy isn’t possessed but is aware the doll is alive. Now, if we compare it to The Exorcist, it’s more similar. Now, in The Exorcist Pazuzu is never shown directly, which means he is never seen as an actual tangible entity but rather as a spirit. Here, the Sanzia Devil uses the Dolly Dearest doll as a vessel so it takes the form as something. In both movies the demon takes control of a young, all-American girl, and the girl begins to display signs of psychotic possession.

While Regan seems to have a more gradual descent into possession, Jessica’s is more immediate but both Regan and Jessica act the same and I’ll even go as far to say that Jessica acts like Damien from The Omen as well. Like Regan, Jessica becomes emotionally erratic, mean, rude and seems to disassociate with her family. They both talk to spirits, thinking that they are real; The Exorcist has Captain Howdy and Dolly Dearest as, obviously, Dolly… but in both instances their parents think they are crazy. When Pazuzu assumed the body of Regan, he showed her mother that she is still alive by having her speak through his voice. In Dolly Dearest, it’s the opposite. Sanzia absorbs Jessica through the doll, so that the doll has the soul of Jessica. In addition to many shots that are similar to those of The Exorcist, there is a scene that is very reminiscent of The Omen. Jessica is taken back to her parent’s home, which is being blessed by priests and she throws a temper tantrum; screaming, scratching and generally flipping a shit. It’s very similar to the scene where Damien flips out when his parents try to take him to church.

I’m sure there are a lot of other times in the movie that are reminiscent of The Exorcist but these were the ones that stood out to me. Even though it seems like the movie ripped off The Exorcist, they tried to make it different and I’d say that they succeeded. Sure, it’s not nearly as good as the 70s film but for a straight-to-VHS movie, it had some great moments and great characters. It’s one of those indie movies that rolls all the classic possession movies into one and turns it down a little… and that’s just fine for me.

A Doll is a Child's Best Friend

Remember the good old days when playing with your toys was the greatest part of the day? When it was you, your favorite doll or action figure and your imagination. The way that you appreciated your toys so much that you were saddened when one of them was broken and was thrown out. Toys were loyal to kids; they possessed special kind of magic that made them bond with us to the very end. It sounds like Toy Story but I am actually talking about Stuart Gordon’s daunting story called Dolls, made 8 years before Toy Story came along. Even though it’s scares are a little cheap, the story is very whimsical and offers something that I haven’t seen in a horror movie before. There is a rather harmonious, magical undertone to this film and proposes something for all us horror fans to muse over.

At its core, Dolls is about a girl who has been really oppressed by her unloving father and her hateful stepmother (it already sounds like a fairy tale). While spending the night in a mansion during a storm, a very nice but creepy old man gives her a hand-made doll to play with… seeing as how a little girl should always have a doll to play with. This is the foundation in which the fairy tale of Dolls is based on. This part of the story is rather beautiful because it’s almost Gordon’s ode to childhood imagination and the innocents of being a little again. The young girl, Judy, has such a vivid imagination that the toys in the mansion begin defending her. In fact, the old man that gives her a doll tells her that imagination is the key to becoming a wise person. He defends Judy against her parents and even goes as far as to be a sort of father figure for her.

Gordon preserves her innocents and I am sure that many of us can identify with her. I’m sure that most of us, especially the creative types, were made fun of for having an overactive imagination and Gordon runs with this experience. The dolls/toys act as Judy’s imagination, stepping out of her mind and defending themselves to those who don’t believe. Considering that toys are usually the medium in which we channel our thoughts, it would make sense that they would be the ones to attack. There is a gruesome scene where Judy sees one of the guests get maimed by the dolls and she just stands there, grossed out, clutching her doll. Her face is filled with childhood ignorance and misunderstanding; as if she is too young to know what just happened.

However, the one person whom I’m sure we can all identify is a middle-aged motorist that also ends up spending the night in the mansion. He is a very lovable but sometimes clumsy man whose father told him about the toys and how they come to life when we sleep. It reminded me of a Mother Goose nursery rhyme. His father said that they also eat special kinds of toy cookies so even if you left food out, they wouldn’t eat it. I’m sure we can all relate when our parents told us stories like these to keep our imaginations flowing. Ralph is much like Judy because he is a child at heart but he told the old toymaker that he stopped believing in the magic. When asked why he said, “he grew old.” I can vouch for him because I too, as I grew older, lost my sense of imagination but as the old man stated from the film: “we’re never to old to have an imagination” let alone believe in the magic that bound us to our toys.

Here is where I believe that the film is challenging us viewers. Perhaps when we were kids we had some of the craziest stories and playtime activities because of what we created in our heads. I remember as a kid I always thought the song Rhapsody in Blue was actually Rap City and Blues. I was always under the impression that the Jeepers Creepers poster was showing a football and not stitched up body. I use to draw, paint, build legos and play ‘save the world’ with my action figures. I would create vast settings out of Legos and Playmobiles and make my action figures do crazy stunts. I wish I could go back in time and still do those things or even now but I can’t because I don’t have the imagination for it. The old man in Dolls was right, when we get older we loose touch with our creative sides but maybe we can change that if we allow ourselves to let our minds free.

I think that is what Gordon wanted us to take from his movie. That our toys, be it action figures or dolls, were our best play friends. They were always there for us when we were sad or bored or when it was rainy. If there was some bit of magic in them I am sure they would find their way back to us. In fact, I still remember my favorite toy that I had. It was a Dr. Allan Grant action figure from the ‘electronic’ Jurassic Park Command Compound playset. That toy was the best toy I ever had. Just think about it, our favorite toys were really there for us… making them our best friends.