Customer Reviews

The Puppet Master

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A marionette maker dies, but his puppets don't... and they have a vengeful, murderous dark side. This is a classic low budget horror movie that works well. Watch it in 2D here or elsewhere (ASIN: B000A8OJOK ), or get the full series boxed set (ASIN: B000FNYXYQ ).

This (2D version) is the first movie in the Full Moon series of Puppet Master films. (No relation to a Donald Sutherland movie by a similar name.) This movie was good enough to launch a long series of sequels, and is a clever premise.

Included is what is advertised as a 3D version -- don't believe it. Most of it looks like a flat image that was just pushed back in depth slightly, but is still flat. Then there's inside-out, broken, eye-strain / nausea inducing imagery that doesn't conform to any definition of 3D that I'd use. The DVD author simply offsets the video by one or two frames in one eye, and on rare occasion (less than 2 percent of the movie, apparently) this produces something that looks somewhat like 3D. The other 98 percent of the time, it just looks like unwatchable poop.

The original filmmakers did not do this 3D conversion. It does not even look like an earnest attempt.

This is a +4 star horror movie, with a -2 star fake-3D assault to the eyes. Hence the 2 star rating.

If you haven't seen Puppet Master and like low budget horror movies (I do), then this DVD is probably worth purchasing (for the 2D version). -- If you like 3D (I do) or think the 3D might be a fun extra, then this is probably NOT the DVD for you, since the 3D is extremely un-3D and a complete waste of money. Saying that this is bad fake 3D, would be a gross understatement.

Apparently someone out there had the good sense to re-release the box set of the brilliant Full Moon series "Puppetmaster". Fans of the series will recall the previous ill luck that befell the original release back in 2000 when they had to recall the sets due to licensing issues with the now defunct Pioneer. (According to rumor, Full Moon had not gotten approval from Pioneer to sell the series on DVD.)

The box set is comprised of the first seven films in the series, from the first wonderful Puppetmaster to the inferior sequels that came after it. I have to admit- I really didn't like the later movies nearly as much as I did the first three. They have their "charm", I suppose, but overall they're just a little too cheesy for my tastes. There is also an additional disc in the boxset, a collection of trailers for the films. I have to admit that as far as extras go, I was a little underwhelmed. It's been about 20 years since the first film was released- wasn't there anything else they could put in there?

Now for what the series is about. Since Amazon has no description of the actual series, I'm going to give a brief outline of the series. Killer puppets that frequently end up in the hands of the wrong people. Ok, so maybe it's a bit more complex than that, but the beauty of the series lies in how the series' creators were able to take a simple idea & turn it into one of what is arguably one of the most infamous series in horror. Forget Jason & Freddy. If you haven't seen this series or at least the first movie, you can't call yourself a true horror movie buff.

Puppet Master(1989)
Stars: Paul LeMat, Irene Miracle.
Movie: 9/10 Video: 7/10 Audio: 6/10 Extras 5/10

First of all, I had already bought the out-of-print American edition on Amazon when a friend ordered me this copy for my birthday, not knowing I'd already bought a better one, on account of my 2-or-3-year-long search for it. So I accepted, graciously.

Anyway, the video isn't bad, but the color is a little faded compared to the American DVD. And the sound isn't bad, except in a couple spots where the sound effects are louder than the dialogue. This is a different soundmix than the American DVD. My only major complaint is that the print transferred was played a little too quickly, meaning the 88-minute-print runs in 85 minutes. If you can't find this movie anywhere else, then buy this DVD, it's worth it, but if you can get a better copy at a good price, go for that one.

Long ago, a puppet maker named Andre Toulin (William Hickey) has discovered the means of bringing puppets and dolls to life with ancient Egyptian magic techniques and a potion that brings them to life making them into vicious little killers. Years later, a group of psychic investigators (Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Matt Roe and Robin Frates) are called in with each other as they investigate an old hotel only to discover that Toulin's puppets are on the loose and wants their blood.

One of the most well known killer doll flicks, this flick started the "Full Moon" company back in 1989 when Charles Band's company "Empire" was bankrupted, it instantly became a genre favorite among fans. Barbara Crampton ("Re-Animator") does a nice cameo in this movie as a costumer for one of the psychics, the movie was inspired by an early Charles Band production "Dolls" as this became a follow-up of sorts. Alongside the Zuni Doll and Chucky, these puppets are pure evil creatures that deserve to be horror icons.

Now if only MGM or Paramount or Full Moon can re-issue this movie with the rest of the movies on DVD then that would be great.

Also recommended: "Trilogy of Terror", "Child's Play Series", "Dolls", "Magic", "Devil Doll (1964)", "Re-Animator", "Dead of Night (1945)", "Making Contact (a.k.a. Joey)", "Pinocchio's Revenge", "Stephen King's IT", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Tourist Trap", "Black Christmas", "Dolly Dearest", "Poltergeist", "Pumpkinhead", "Cemetery Man", "Carrie", and "Demonic Toys".

A group of psychics get together in a spooky hotel to attend the funeral of their dead leader, only to find a group of puppets killing each member off. The first in the series clearly made no bones about who the stars of the movie are - the puppets (a trend that followed in each sequal). Mediocre plot, and very hard to follow at times (another trend that followed in each sequal). Fairly chilling (members find the stiff to be hanging out in varying parts of the house, far off from his casket), but nothing really to be found in the scare dept.. Puppets featured are Pinhead, a big strong puppet with a tinyhead, Blade, with a hook for one hand and knife for the other, Leech Woman, who vomits leeches, Jester, a courthand gone bad, and Tunneler, who a drill on the top of his head. The said puppets make the film watchable, and, hey, thats all your watchin it for anyway. Silly at times, cheesy at others, but it's a B movie, its supposed to be! Make some popcorn, order a pizza, and pop this one in for a night of camp fun.

Title speaks for itself. This is a box set of the first seven Puppet Master films and a disc of trailers. Cases and inserts are cheap (you'd think they were bootlegs), but this is official product and the audio/video quality of the films aren't bad. Serviceable presentation of a cult series.

Too bad it's OOP again. Seems like this series of movies goes out of print faster than it does to make one of these films. Don't pay more than three figures for a used copy because I'm sure it will be back in print soon enough.

As Sid's OctoberGreatSuccess is more then half way through we decided to turn the evenings focus on to an old cult classic from 1989. This lackluster gem takes Sid back to a time with many favorable memories always adding in a little charm to a film that's really not all that great. For the stuffy film watcher Puppet Master's extreme low budget will come across as a joke and will be passed by with ease. For us it's one of the reasons we enjoyed it so much. We find a lot of enjoyment in the art of B and that's the reason Puppet Master is a four star event. Yeah the quality is the [...] times but that's exactly how we remember it anyway.

We start off many years ago in a hotel where puppet creator Andre Toulon awaits Nazi capture. He had come across an ancient Egyptian formula to create life, which he chose to use on his puppets, getting the Nazi's attention. Being that they could use his knowledge they go to get him, but he offs himself before they have the chance. Now flash forward 50 years with a group of horribly acted psychics who come across the old hotel and do a little investigating. What they don't realize is the puppets have been awakened and are ready to start picking them off one at a time. Our favorite out of the four would have to be Pinhead who has the strength of a true gym meatstick. He gained our respect by proving he could contest the Tall Man in the "backhand of the year" department when he puts the smack down on one of the female psychics. Good good, great stuff.

So for the film that put Full Moon on the map and kept Charles Band from a long career of dumpster diving, we have to say we did enjoy. The first half hour does move very slowly but heats up nicely once the puppets make their angry appearance. Now we know some killer puppets films like Magic and Child's Play came before but this one is a true pioneer to the more b side of the concept. Really there isn't much better then a bunch of half pint puppets chasing people around, much like a certain elf chasing a mullet sporting actress around with a pink turkey baster. You know what we mean? Well even if you don't it doesn't matter because the three cools cats know, they always know.

Okay, now the 3D isn't very good, but the 2D version is in fact two minutes LONGER than the original version from Full Moon, despite listing the runtime as 75 minutes. The transfer isn't as good as the Full Moon version, so this is really just good as a companion piece to the original version.

Indeed, this is the one that started it all and is arguably the best along with "Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge"! While the acting is so-so and the picture quality isn't the best, this is actually director, David Schmoeller's best since the 70s horror flick, "Tourist Trap"! Of course, the stop motion effects are top notch and prove to be ten times more effective than some of these crappy horror movies nowadays that rely too much on CGI! In addition, the blood/gore effects are nicely done and could almost rival that of Tom Savini (the gore effects wizard behind such hits as "Friday the 13th" and the original "Dawn of the Dead"!) and the puppets are VERY original and fun to watch! First, there's Tunneler (A favorite of mine), a puppet with a drill on his head, Pin Head, a very masculine puppet with a very small head whose only weapon is his fists, the Leech Woman, a sexy black haired puppet who pukes up leeches upon her victims, Jester, the face changing puppet, and Blade (another favorite) a trench coat wearing puppet armed with a switch blade and a hook!

The story begins with Andre Toulon (William Hickey), a puppeteer who escaped Nazi-infested Germany during WWII. However, when his whereabouts are discovered, Toulon commits suicide, leaving his wooden puppets behind! Many years pass, and a group of psychics are called to the Ortega Inn, which is now owned by young and beautiful, Megan Gallagher (Robin Frates). Little do they know that Toulon's old puppets have somehow been brought back to life and with the order to kill! One by one, each of the psychics fall prey to some of the most horrifying death sequences you'll ever witness! (the Leech Woman still freaks me out even today) Now, it's up to Megan and survivor psychic, Alex Whitaker (Paul Le Mat) to investigate the strange happenings before it's too late!

One of the BEST horror movies of all time, "Puppet Master" (1989) is a very well-made 'B movie, which was followed by "Puppet Master II" (1990), "Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge" (1991), "Puppet Master 4: When Bad Puppets Turn Good" (1993), "Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter" (1995), "Curse of the Puppet Master" (1998), and "Retro Puppet Master" (1999). But as I stated earlier, the best in the series would have to be this and the third one! Also worth a look: "Puppet Master 2"!

dvd- this movie didnt improve much over the vhs version. on the movie back, it said 'widesrceen' and the movie didnt have that option and the picture was a little vhs-like in like 2 spots.

movie- this as a movie is a great and fun film. it was funny to see small puppets come to life and kill people. its about a guy who uses voodoo to give his own hand-made puppets life and kill. i really dont know what to say about this movie but get it it is a great horror flick. if you already have the vhs version dont bother wit the dvd but if you dont have it at all get the dvd i guess.