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Dr. Giggles

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Dr. Giggles
Theatrical release poster
Directed byManny Coto
Written by
Produced byStuart M. Besser
Starring
CinematographyRobert Draper
Edited byDebra Neil-Fisher
Music byBrian May
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • October 23, 1992(1992-10-23)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million[2]
Box office$8.4 million[3]

Dr. Gigglesis a 1992 Americanslasher film[4]directed byManny Coto,starringLarry Drakeas Evan Rendell Jr., the eponymous Dr. Giggles, andHolly Marie Combsas Jennifer Campbell. The film co-starsCliff DeYoungandGlenn Quinn.It was released on October 23, 1992.[5]

Plot

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In the town of Moorehigh in 1957, the patients of Dr. Evan Rendell keep disappearing. The townspeople found out the father and son duo had been ripping out the patients' hearts — in an attempt toresurrectthe doctor's dead wife. The townspeople called the police, resulting in Dr. Rendell being shot to death in a police shooting. His son, Evan Jr., disappeared.

In 1992 (thirty-five years later), the adult Evan Jr. (now nicknamed "Dr. Giggles" for his hideousgiggleand insatiable obsession to follow in his father's footsteps) escapes from a mental asylum, killing everyone in his path. In Moorehigh, 19-year-old Jennifer Campbell, her boyfriend Max Anderson, and their friends are planning their summer break. Jennifer, already upset by family trouble, is further distressed from having a heart condition and being forced to wear a heart monitor. Dr. Giggles returns to his childhood home, goes through Evan Sr.'s files, and gathers a list of names. He begins stalking and killing several residents, including Jennifer's friends.

After the party, Jennifer becomes fed up with her heart monitor and dumps it in a fish tank. Jennifer's father finds it and leaves to look for her. Dr. Giggles shows up and kills his girlfriend (Jennifer's prospective stepmother). Jennifer returns to the party and sees Max kissing another girl. Distraught, she runs into the house of mirrors. Dr. Giggles notices Jennifer has the same heart condition as his mother and goes after her. He kills the girl Max was kissing, but Jennifer sees him coming and escapes. Officers Magruder and Reitz find her and take her to the police station.

Officer Magruder explains to Reitz how Evan Jr. escaped. He was on guard duty at the morgue housing the bodies of Dr. Rendell and his wife. Investigating a giggle, he witnessed Evan Jr. cutting his way out of his mother's body with a scalpel. He realized that Rendell had cut open his wife's body, stuffed his son in and sewn it shut. Upon being threatened by Evan Jr., Magruder passed out from shock. When he woke up, Rendell's wife's corpse had been re-sewn, and all traces of the event at the morgue had been wiped clean.

Dr. Giggles makes his way to Jennifer's house and attacks her father. Officer Magruder goes to investigate Jennifer's house and finds her father there, lying in a pool of blood. Dr. Giggles mortally wounds Magruder who, recognizing Evan Jr., shoots and wounds him before dying. Reitz arrives soon after, finding his partner dead and Jennifer's father wounded but alive.

Meanwhile, Dr. Giggles returns to his hideout, performing surgery on himself to remove the bullet. He kidnaps Jennifer and tells her his plan to replace her "broken" heart with one he took from her friends. Reitz and Max arrive. While Reitz distracts Dr. Giggles, Max and Jennifer escape. Dr. Giggles kills Reitz, but his father's house explodes and collapses on him.

At the hospital, Jennifer learns that the events of the evening have damaged her heart, requiring immediate surgery. While she is being prepped, Dr. Giggles reappears and cuts a bloody path through the hospital staff. He chases her to a janitor's closet. Jennifer ambushes and finally kills Dr. Giggles with his own instruments. Dr. Gigglesbreaks the fourth wall,staring at the camera and weakly asking, "Is...there a...doctor in the house?" before he collapses and dies.

Recovering in the hospital, Jennifer is visited by Max and her father.

Cast

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Production

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On 11 August 1992, theDaily Varietyreported thatLargo Entertainmentsigned an exclusive first-look deal withDark Horse Comicsto develop and produce films based on Dark Horse's franchises.[1]Dr. Giggleswas the first film produced as part of this venture.[1]

Graeme Whifler's initial script, known under the titleMr. Giggles,was considerably different from the final film.[6]According to Whifler, due to the producers strong desire for a horror franchise numerous changes were made on the script all of which Whifler felt resulted in an inferior film.[6]Whifler would later revisit the original script forMr. Gigglesand adapt it himself as writer and director for the 2005 filmNeighborhood Watch.[6]

Bad CompanysingerPaul Rodgerscovered the song "Bad Case of Lovin' You"for the soundtrack.[7]

Release

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Dr Giggleswas the first film distributed by Universal Pictures through its distribution deal with Largo.[1]Universal would handle domestic distribution and release the film in all territories except for Japan and Italy, where the film would be released by theVictor Co. of Japan Ltd.and Penta Films respectively.[1]The film premiered in Los Angeles and New York on 23 October 1992.[1]

The original release was on October 23, 1992 and the re-release on December 12, 2009 atNew Beverly CinemainLos Angeles.[8][9]Following writing and directingDr.Giggles,Coto created some more original stories about the character for a then upcoming comic-book series from Dark Horse.[10]

Critical response

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On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Dr. Gigglesholds an approval rating of 23% based on 31 reviews and an average rating of 3.7/10. Its consensus reads, "Larry Drake's deranged performance as the titular doctor is just about all that distinguishesDr. Gigglesfrom its slasher brethren. "[4]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[11]

Varietycalled it a "wildly uneven horror film" and said that the film focuses too much on cheap laughs.[12]Vincent Canbyalso criticized the script in his review forThe New York Times,stating, "The screenplay is stitched together from variations on cliches used by or about the medical community."[13]The Washington Postwrote, "Manny Coto turns to co-writer Graeme Whifler time and again for punchlines in a desperate attempt to revive a script that begins in critical condition and ends up DOA."[14]Sight & Soundwrote that the film's satire "gives way to a few nicely nasty moments" but that the film never tops the visual flair of the opening credits.[15]

References

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  1. ^abcdef"Dr. Giggles".American Film Institute.RetrievedJuly 2,2019.
  2. ^Kutzera, Dale; Biodrowski, Steve (September 1996)."Dr. Giggles".Cinefantastique.Fourth Castle Micromedia.RetrievedFebruary 17,2023.
  3. ^"Dr. Giggles".boxofficemojo.RetrievedDecember 29,2020.
  4. ^ab"Dr. Giggles (1992) – Rotten Tomatoes".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedAugust 18,2023.
  5. ^The New York Times
  6. ^abc"Writer turned the original Dr. Giggles script into a different movie".JoBlo.November 2, 2018.RetrievedAugust 28,2024.
  7. ^Foywonder (December 7, 2013)."B-Sides: We've Got a Bad Case of Dr. Giggles".dreadcentral.RetrievedFebruary 12,2019.
  8. ^"BC Brings 'Dr. Giggles' Back To The Big Screen".December 12, 2009.
  9. ^"See Dr. Giggles at LA's New Beverly with the Good Doctor Himself!".December 12, 2009.
  10. ^Johnson, Kim Howard. "Profile: Manny Coto".GoreZone(1992 Special). No. 25. p. 64.
  11. ^"CinemaScore".cinemascore.
  12. ^Cohn, Lawrence (October 25, 1992)."Dr. Giggles".Variety.RetrievedNovember 29,2012.
  13. ^Canby, Vincent(October 24, 1992)."Dr. Giggles".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 29,2012.
  14. ^Harrington, Richard (October 26, 1992)."'Dr. Giggles'".The Washington Post.RetrievedNovember 29,2012.
  15. ^Kermode, Mark; Dean, Peter (November 1, 1993). "Video Reviews".Sight & Sound.3(11). London:British Film Institute:59.
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