The Child's Play franchise has gone through various changes that have helped reflect the changing landscape of the narrative. However, its biggest change also resulted in a sequel that wasn't nearly as beloved as other entries by critics and fans. Seed of Chucky was a comedic journey into the world of parenthood between Chucky and Tiffany. The film follows the murderous pairing as they try to be a parent to their child, Glen/Glenda, both a pacifist that hates violence and a stone-cold killer. That said, the depiction of the story left much to be desired by many.
But while the meta-humor of the film never sat well with fans, the movie had more nods to past horror franchises than any that came before. That included nods to John Carpenter's The Thing and another one of his famous creations, Halloween. But rather than a joke, the homage to Halloween served as a way to acknowledge what came before while establishing how this new killer is vastly different from others that came before.
How Did Seed of Chucky Homage John Carpenter's Halloween?
Chucky and Tiffany's child is complex, to say the least, as the majority of the film established that Glen and Glenda were two entities trapped in one body. Glen was the scared child that hated to disappoint loved ones and couldn't stand the sight of violence. But Glenda made up for that and showed it early in the film during its opening sequence. In the scene, a POV shot of Glenda is shown where she travels through a house and kills the father and mother of the child that had the doll. But when the time came to disappear, Glen reappeared, confused and nervous about what had happened, introducing the strange mystery that would be the foundation for the film.
In Halloween, the film also introduced Michael through a POV shot. But in the movie, he's shown stalking his sister and her boyfriend as they're supposed to watch him on Halloween Night. Once he reenters the house, wearing a clown mask, he makes his way to his sister's room, where she's doing her hair. She's initially startled by him, but before she can act, he quickly stabs her to death. Not long after, he's found on the porch, holding the knife with a blank expression. From that point on, the story explains how his mind never moved past that night.
What Made This Chucky Scene More Than a Halloween Nod?
Part of what made this scene such a huge moment in the Halloween franchise was it served as a genesis of evil for the character. Before that moment, Michael was likely a strange boy with ideas of murder that he never capitalized on. But the moment he did the act, he changed. The young boy that existed before was forever gone, and only evil reminded. He cared not for anyone that came his way and seemed only focused on killing for nothing short of pure curiosity and drive.
Seed of Chucky's homage was clever by showing Glenda's malicious intent, similar to how Halloween showed Michael's blind ruthlessness. The opening scene also revealed the character's intent and likely premeditation as Glenda efficiently killed the adults without hesitation. But what tied the moment together was how Glen returned to control his body and the fear he felt at the sight of Glenda's violence. It may not have been the same genesis of evil as Michael’s, but it was an ingenious origin of a complex character in an otherwise ill-fitting film.