Anatomy of a Scare- Child’s Play
Poor Aunt Maggie, she learned first hand that taking a seven story swan dive into the back of a truck was not good for one’s health. The most tragic element about her death, though, is that it never would have happened if she wasn’t such a good friend.
You see, it was Maggie who led Andy’s mother to the homeless man selling the possessed Good Guy doll. And when Andy’s mom had to work late, it was Maggie who gladly volunteered to babysit. The moral of the story? Don’t do anything for your friends, it’ll wind up costing you more than you bargained for in the end.
As a consolation to her tragic death, Maggie can at least claim the title of being Chucky’s first kill in “Child’s Play” and really, it was quite a spectacular one. Such a sudden and shocking death deserves special recognition, which is why we’re breaking it down in this week’s “Anatomy of a Scare.”
To start, let’s watch the kill in it’s entirety. Go ahead and click the Youtube video below and then head past it for a dissection of what makes this scene so scary.
We all know that Chucky takes this hammer and whacks Maggie across the head with it, which sends her flying out the window. However, did you know that the original intentions of the filmmakers was to make it seem like Andy was the killer all along? You can still see remnants of this idea in play when Andy becomes the primary suspect in Maggie’s murder. The original script kept the guessing game going longer, though, and made it more ambiguous as to who the real killer was.
People like to criticize the movie by asking “Who would be afraid of a small doll?” Well, actually, there are a number of people who would be terrified by the scenario the movie presents. There’s a cross section going on here of people who are afraid of “midgets” (which is ironically given the huge name of achondroplasiaphobia) and people who are afraid of dolls (known as pediophobia). And if you think that there aren’t a tremendous amount of people who are afraid of dolls, just Google “creepy dolls” and you might find that you’re one of the many out there who suffer from pediophobia.
The “bait and switch” scare tactic is a classic trope of horror movies. You build up tension and focus it in some foreboding direction, only to have the danger come at you from somewhere else. In this instance, Maggie thinks she hears a noise coming from behind the plants. Cue the ominous music as she slowly reaches out for the plants only to discover that there’s nothing there. Then, without warning, the real attack comes from behind.
We’ve all seen this done many times in horror films, but you know where it’s most effective? In a haunted house attraction. Universal Studios loves to utilize the art of deception in their mazes. It’s natural to want to prepare yourself for some big scare, so once you enter a room you start scanning around to see which direction the scare actor is going to come at you. Knowing this, Universal likes to create a bit of misdirection by using an actor or effect to draw your attention away from where the real scare is going to come from. It’s a simple tactic, but it’s so brilliant in it’s subtlety.
The scare that you’re expecting is never as good as the one you’re not expecting. Though, these days, filmgoers are a bit more savvy when it comes to these kind of horror film tactics, so they’re probably not as effective as they used to be.
Because everyone loves a little bit of black humor. It’s a good way to diffuse tension with a little laugh and give a wink and a nod to those that know what’s coming. For those not in the know, it lulls them into a false sense of security before unleashing the final attack.
The best part about Maggie taking a hit to the dome is that she does a perfect “no-sell.” What I mean is that she looks at Chucky, who is a second away from nailing her with a hammer, and she doesn’t react. She doesn’t have time to scream or give a “What hell?” look. It’s just sudden and brutal violence. The audience barely gets enough time to register that something’s wrong before the hammer comes out of nowhere and hits her. It is all framed to make the audience as helpless as Maggie and that’s pretty unsettling.
There’s a pretty good chance Maggie would’ve survived the blunt force trauma delivered upon her by Chucky, but a seven story fall out an apartment window is a whole other story. The slow motion fall down is probably the scariest moment. It further victimizes Maggie by making her death play out over an excruciatingly long time.
Also, you know that belief about people blacking out before they hit the ground? That’s not entirely true. Maggie would have to be at a much higher altitude for that to happen. No, instead she got to enjoy the whole ride down. And that’s why this whole scene is pretty damn scary.
