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On November 1st, 1963, long before Chucky picked up his first blade, a little black and white doll sent shivers down spines across the nation. Her name was Talking Tina and modern killer dolls owe a debt to this trail blazer. She was loosely based on the then popular
CHATTY CATHY doll, in fact, her voice was done by the same vocal talent, the legendary JUNE FORAY
(Nagaina!). Deceptively pristine Tina comes to live in the home of little Christie Streator, but finds some of the occupants there less than savory.
TELLY SAVALAS is Christie's stepfather and he is an ogre-like tyrant with more issues than
FANGORIA. The paranoid pop views the doll's presence in his home as a passive aggressive knife twist reminder from his wife concerning his sterility. Tina has little patience for Telly's psychological problems and volleys each aggressive move he makes toward her back two-fold. In a voice only he can hear, Tina reports her disdain like a diabolical mood ring with curls. Feelings escalate and "I don't think I like you," becomes "I'm going to kill you." Telly tries in vain to destroy the toy terror, but all attempts only produce giggling and further threats. Who's the victor in this battle for supreme control over the household? Let's just say it's Tina who has the last word.Â
INDELIBLE SCENE(S)
- Tina winks at the dinner table
- Tina is an early player in the "phone threat" school of stalking
- Telly beats SAW to the "torture porn" arena, turning the family garage into a HOSTEL-like S&M chamber
- Tina's final advice to mom at the foot of the stairs
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