UPDATE: Please note, following technical testing, only the trailers will play from VHS. The main feature will now play from blu-ray and with subtitles. Let the film shine!

DOLLS (1986) from vintage VHS

• Director: Stuart Gordon
• Cast: Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Carrie Lorraine, Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason
• 1986 | Film: 77mins | USA | Event: 20:45 – 23:10 | [18+]

“They Walk. They Talk. They Kill.”

A dysfunctional family seeks shelter in a mansion during a storm. Daughter Judy discovers that the elderly owners are magical toy makers with a killer collection of dolls…

After the success of RE-ANIMATOR (1985), Empire Pictures supremo Charles Band locked director Stuart Gordon into a multi picture deal. Like its diminutive title characters, DOLLS was squeezed into the pre-production schedule for FROM BEYOND (1986), Gordon’s ambitious, gory, Lovecraftian sleaze-fest.

Filmed on FROM BEYOND’s mansion sets, but released afterwards, DOLLS emerged from the darkness as a miniature masterpiece. With a script by Ed Naha (TROLL) and produced by Brian Yuzna (SOCIETY), DOLLS combines 1930s ‘haunted house’ camp with the miniature killers that would become Charles Band’s hallmark (brought to life with stop-motion FX by David Allen). 

DOLLS will be shown from a vintage, ex-rental VHS tape.

Polite notice: Our Bar Trash VHS titles do not have subtitles or captions and may encounter technical problems during playback (we have backup discs if needed).

Bar Trash is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic, Token Homo. Films served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles/captions (where possible). Tickets £3.