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10 Best Horror Movies With Creepy Toys To Watch With ‘The Jack in the Box: Awakening’
Toys are associated with childhood innocence, and corrupting that innocence makes great horror material. Horror exploits every possible fear, and transforming a harmless child’s plaything into homicidal weapons remains a stalwart favorite. The latest is The Jack in the Box: Awakening, a sequel to the 2019 film that let loose a demonic clown from his box.
In Awakening: “Terminally ill heiress Olga Marsdale acquires a mysterious gothic box containing a captured demon – Jack. The powerful entity within makes a deadly deal with Olga and her devoted son Edgar – deliver six victims to Jack, and Olga will live. They trap several unsuspecting victims for him within the vast crumbling mansion – but can they deliver all six before it’s too late? Or will Amy, the young and innocent woman recently hired to look after the estate turn out to be more than a match for both the family and the Jack?”
Writer/Director/Producer Lawrence Fowler returns for this sequel. Matt McClure, James Swanton, Mollie Hindle, and Nicola Wright star.
The Jack in the Box: Awakening is now available on VOD, Digital, and DVD via Amazon and other major providers and retailers. Ahead of the release, you can unbox and revisit these ten horror movies featuring the genre’s creepiest killer toys.
Poltergeist
Who could ever forget the clown doll that attacked Robbie and dragged him under the bed by his neck? Sure, Robbie made it out alive by conquering his fear of the ghastly grinner, but the intent to murder was still there. Of all the nightmare fuel this seminal classic offered, it was a toy that outshined them all.
Krampus
Michael Dougherty’s holiday horror movie saw a family under siege by the eponymous beast, who unleashed his army upon them. That included everything from elves to killer gingerbread men, but the most dangerous among them seemed to be the man-eating jack-in-the-box, murderous toy robot, and a sharp-toothed teddy bear. The precise type of toys not even the naughtiest of children deserve to receive.
Xtro
Harry Bromley Davenport’s insane sci-fi horror movie includes the kitchen sink of goopy, gory nightmare fuel. Aliens abduct Sam Phillips right in front of young son Tony’s eyes only to return for him three years later, though something’s very strange about dad. Sam begins to alter Tony’s genetics, granting Tony some rather peculiar abilities that include making his toys come to life. It results in killer circus clowns, toy tanks, and even a demise at the hands of toy soldiers come to life in human size.
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
When we think of killer toys in horror, the dolls often dominate the conversation. But there’s much to be said about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser using a seemingly benign puzzle box to summon grotesque pain and suffering inflicted by Cenobites. It’s a summoning tool and grim weapon of Hell masquerading as a simple toy. Some seek it out, but others, like teen Tiffany (Imogen Boorman), fall for its trap out of playful curiosity.
Puppet Master
Puppet Master kickstarted an enduring franchise with no shortage of creative pint-sized puppets. Tourist Trap director David Schmoeller took on killer toys once more, only this time more literally. Puppeteer Andre Toulon devised a means of bringing his puppets to life, becoming a deadly tool for their creator. It leads to disastrous results when a group of psychics find themselves targeted by the killer puppets, each with a unique gift for murder.
Dolls
“Toys are very loyal, and that’s a fact.” From the perspective of little Judy, a sweet little girl with a love of toys, the Gothic mansion belonging to Gabriel and Hilary Hartwicke is a dream come true. Not only are they far kinder than her father and stepmother, but the estate is filled to the brim with dolls, puppets, and toys. However, if you’re a jerk adult, the mansion is a death trap. While this Stuart Gordon-directed fairy tale draws clear lines between the innocent and the morally corrupt deserving of their fate, it’s still creepy to see them meet their doom at the hands of the dolls. Even creepier? What happens to them after the dolls attack.
Dolly Dearest
Following in the tiny footsteps of Chucky, this early ’90s killer doll flick saw a family uproot to Mexico after dad acquires ownership of a doll factory. He doesn’t know that a nearby tomb has been disturbed, letting the malevolent spirit of Sanzia loose. It just so happens to take root in the dolls, with which the factory owner’s daughter becomes obsessed. If you were to apply the zany antics of Cathy’s Curse to Child’s Play‘s general setup, you have Dolly Dearest. It brings the B-movie mayhem and stars Denise Crosby (Pet Sematary), Lupe Ontiveros, and Rip Torn.
Annabelle: Creation
Annabelle was a scene-stealer the moment she was introduced in the opening scare of The Conjuring, but this chilling prequel firmly established the doll as a worthy mainstay. Annabelle: Creation detailed how the doll came to be inhabited by a demon, which set its sight on a group of unsuspecting orphans. The demon’s manipulations of dolls, dollhouses, puppets, and even scarecrows made for a string of potent scares.
Child’s Play
Few killer toys have the unrelenting persistence of Good Guy doll Chucky. From his first introduction, which saw serial killer Charles Lee Ray possess the doll in a toy store shoot out with police, the doll’s set lofty goals for himself that always comes with a body count. He promised to be “our friend till the end from the outset.” He’s never wavered once on that, thanks to Don Mancini. With Chucky, you don’t get just one movie to collect, but an entire franchise and a series. Of course, it’s always best to start from the beginning.
The Jack in the Box
The movie that introduced a very demonic iteration of the classic toy. When a new employee gets hired on at a local museum and dusts off a vintage jack-in-the-box, people start dying. The movie introduces the mythology behind the evil clown, which might be handy heading into the sequel. The Jack in the Box offers a killer toy in the form of an evil clown, triggering a common phobia for many.
The Jack in the Box: Awakening is now available on VOD, Digital, and DVD via Amazon and other major providers and retailers.
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NorthwestFEARFest 2024 Lineup Includes ‘Smile 2’, ‘Hush’, ‘Phantom of the Paradise’ and More
Edmonton’s premiere genre film festival, NorthwestFEARFest, is pulling out all the stops this October with six spine-tingling days and nights of new and classic genre cinema haunting Metro Cinema. Running from October 16 to 22, the lineup is peppered with myriad highlights, including the local premiere of Parker Finn’s Smile 2 and a 50th anniversary screening of Brian De Palma‘s Phantom of the Paradise with special guest Paul Williams!
Festival Director & Programmer Guy Lavallee says audiences are in for Edmonton’s biggest celebration of horror, thriller, dark comedy, and retro genre favourites. “With so much local support for our first 2, I’m pretty stoked to finally be able to announce the full 2024 lineup,” Lavallee announced. “Starting with our phenomenal Opening Night Film, SMILE 2, our whole team is excited about this year’s movies, and I hope local genre enthusiasts will be as pumped as we are.
Lavallee continues, “As a transplanted Winnipegger, I’m also really excited about the special Phantom of the Paradise 50th Anniversary screening we’ve got booked to close out the festival on October 22nd. Academy Award® and Grammy Award®-winning legend and star of Phantom – Paul Williams – will join us for an extended post-screening Q&A to discuss the legacy of this beloved cult classic and its impact on his life and career. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many movie fans, myself included!”
Below, you can peruse the full lineup. Secure your passes now!
SMILE 2 – Directed by Parker Finn | October 16 at 6:45pm
About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events, in this eagerly awaited follow-up to 2022’s sleeper hit.
MEMBERS CLUB – Directed by Marc Coleman | October 16 at 9:30pm
Marc Coleman’s outrageous, splattery, wildly entertaining horror comedy is an unholy meeting of The Full Monty and Green Room, filled with winning performances and big laughs, as only the British can do!
FESTIVALS: FrightFest UK 2024
THE BIRTHDAY Fully restored 20th Anniversary – Directed by Eugenio Mira | October 17 at 7:00pm
Corey Feldman nabbed the role of a lifetime in this truly one-of-a-kind comedic thriller that premiered at Fantastic Fest and Sitges… and then promptly disappeared, presumably forever. Luckily, Drafthouse Films has lovingly restored this odd (but undeniably mesmerizing) cult oddity, featuring an impeccably unconventional performance by Mr. Feldman. See it once. Remember it forever!
FESTIVALS: 2024 Fantastic Fest
HUSH – The SHUSH CUT – Directed by Mike Flanagan | October 18 at 7:00pm
Mike Flanagan’s brilliant 2016 thriller has been reimagined in black & white, with an all-new audio mix stripping the film of the original score, further immersing audiences in an incredible sensory experience!
FESTIVALS: BeyondFest 2024
MOM – Directed by Adam O’Brien | October 19 at 12:00pm
Canada’s own Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek) delivers one of the year’s best performances, in this terrifying story of a new mom trying to cope with a sinister entity that’s invaded the family home. This is one of the most nerve-wracking and disturbing films of 2024, one that will stick with audiences long after the credits have rolled! NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE!
THE SEVERED SUN – Directed by Dean Puckett | October 19 at 2:15pm
The great Toby Stephensis utterly chilling in this atmospheric chiller set in an isolated rural church community / cult. For fans of folk horror, this knockout is an absolute must-see.
FESTIVALS: Fantastic Fest 2024
THE SOUL EATER – Directed by Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury | October 19 at 4:30pm
When a series of gruesome deaths start plaguing a small mountain village, an old legend about a malevolent creature resurfaces in this latest chiller from dynamic French filmmaking duo Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury. Part police procedural, part folk horror, part supernatural thriller, the pieces of this puzzle add up to one of the most captivating, compelling, and suspenseful films of 2024.
FESTIVALS: 2024 Fantasia Film Festival, 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam
DEAD MAIL – Directed by Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy | October 19 at 7:00pm
An ominous help note finds its way to a 1980s post office, connecting a dead letter investigator to a kidnapped keyboard technician, in this brilliant throwback thriller that wowed audiences at this year’s SXSW and Toronto International Film Festivals.
FESTIVALS: SXSW 2024, TIFF Midnight Madness 2024
CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING – Directed by Sander Maran | October 19 at 9:30pm
An absolutely bonkers action-horror-musical-comedy B-movie epic from Estonia. This love letter to crowd-pleasing exploitation cinema is equal parts Monty Python and early Peter Jackson (think Meet the Feebles or Dead Alive).
FESTIVALS: 2024 Fantasia Film Festival, Fantastic Fest
HEAVIER TRIP – Directed by Juuso Laatio, Jukka Vidgren | October 20 at 2:00pm + 4:15pm
This long-awaited follow-up to the beloved 2018 cult hit sees the return of Finland’s heaviest band, Impaled Rektum, as they must escape prison to help save the family business. Filled with just as much humour, heart, and heavy metal as the original, this crowd-pleasing delight will screen as a double-bill with 2018’s HEAVY TRIP!
FESTIVALS: Fantastic Fest 2024
SCARED SHITLESS – Directed by Vivieno Caldinelli | October 20 at 6:30pm
This outrageously entertaining Canadian creature feature, featuring stellar effects work from the great Steven Konstanski (Psycho Goreman, The Void), is a film best seen with a big, boisterous, crowd!
FESTIVALS: 2024 Fantasia Film Festival, FrightFest UK
In addition to the 50th Anniversary PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE screening, NorthwestFEARFest is excited to present a number of retrospective screenings, including:
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET – 40th Anniversary | October 17 at 9:15pm
FRIDAY THE 13th: THE FINAL CHAPTER – 40th Anniversary | October 18 at 9:15pm
CRITTERS – Gateway to Horror screening | October 20 at 12:00pm
KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE – 35th Anniversary | October 20 at 8:45pm
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE – 50th Anniversary with Special Guest Paul Williams | October 22 at 7:00pm
NorthwestFEARFest 2024 will feature over 30 films, including Feature and Short Films, all screening exclusively at Metro Cinema. All-Access Passes & individual tickets are on sale now at https://www.northwestfest.ca/nwfearfest. NWFF 2024 takes place from October 16-22.
Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter & Instagram @NWFEARFEST – and just keep repeating…”It’s Only a Movie…It’s Only a Movie…”
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