MOVIE REVIEW

The long-running horror series reaches its bloody, boring nadir.

By Kevin Thomas, Times Staff Writer

In the chintzy-looking gore-bore "Seed of Chucky," Jennifer Tilly, playing herself, defines hell as ending up on a celebrity feud show in a worm-eating contest with Anna Nicole Smith. Compared to this movie that fate doesn't sound half-bad.

It opens in Hollywood, where production is underway on "Chucky Goes Psycho," with Tilly voicing Chucky's wife, Tiffany (which she did in the 1998 "Bride of Chucky"). Meanwhile, in England, a ventriloquist's dummy that seems to have a life of its own concludes that it is the spawn of Chucky (voice of Brad Dourif) and Tiffany (again Tilly) and winds up bringing alive the animatronic dolls his parents have become. A torrent of blood and slaughter swiftly follows.

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Because the dummy, which has eyes like a Keane painting, is sexless, it ends up named Glen/Glenda, a tip of the hat to Ed Wood's 1953 "Glen or Glenda," which is a masterpiece in comparison to this cheesy dreck. Tilly survives myriad indignities, the slaying of most everyone around her and impregnation by Chucky, giving birth after about an eight-hour pregnancy to a boy and a girl — named Glen and Glenda, natch. There's a half-hearted stab, pardon the expression, toward a struggle between good and evil embodied by the conflicted Glen/Glenda.

John Waters is amusing as an intrepid paparazzo, as is hip-hop star Redman, cast as a director willing to be seduced by Tilly, who is eager to play the Virgin Mary in his upcoming epic. Alas, they meet hideous fates shortly after their initial appearances. Series creator Don Mancini, in his directorial debut, seriously needs to consider giving it a rest.

*

'Seed of Chucky'

MPAA rating: R for strong horror violence/gore, sexual content and language

Times guidelines: Extreme violence, strong language, some sensuality

Jennifer Tilly...Herself/

Voice of Tiffany

Brad Dourif...Voice of Chucky

Billy Boyd...Voice of Glen/Glenda

Redman...Himself

Hannah Spearritt... Joan

John Waters...Pete Peters

A Rogue Pictures presentation. Writer-director Don Mancini. Producers David Kirschner, Corey Sienega. Executive producer Guy J. Louthan. Cinematographer Vernon Layton. Editor Chris Dickens. Music Pino Donaggio. Animatronic characters and effects Tony Gardner. Costumes Oana Paunescu. Production designers Peter James Russell, Cristian Niculescu. Visual consultant Richard Holland. Art director Judy Farr. Art directors (Romania) Serban Porupca, Sorin Popescu. Set decorator (Romania) Dan Toader. Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes.

In general release.