Welcome to October! Where Every Thursday is Halloween! We have a classic lineup of films this season, and I thought I would kick things off with Puppet Master! Why Puppet Master? Because I worry about some of the other films getting yanked for different paywalled services come October 1st. Puppet Master is safe. In case you are wondering, this is the tentative lineup:
- PuppetMaster
- Frankenhooker
- Re-Animator
- TBD
- TBD
As I mentioned, a tremendous amount of film suggestions are leaving free streaming and going behind paywalls as the clock strikes midnight on October 1st. So I am going to keep looking, and reviewing all the suggestions. Honestly it is like this every year. I just don’t want to end up with a dead blank space for a movie on October 1st. Bets, consider yourselves hedged!
On with our first movie of Halloween! This is a classic, that spawned at least 10 not so classics. This particular one was written and directed by David Schmoeller, with assistance from Charles Band. David went on to direct 28 more films, and he is still going! And he’s originally from Texas! He gets points just for that. This is the only Puppet Master film he directed until 2018. Hmmm… Why might that be? I will leave it you you all to discuss.
So what is tonight’s film about? As if you needed to ask. Actually I do imagine a lot of people know of this film but have never seen it. So I turn to jluis1984 today, for a thorough (if trimmed) review:
Charles Band and his company, Full Moon Pictures, are often labeled as makers of the worst b-movies in the history of the horror genre, however, few seem to remember they kept the genre alive and kicking with their inventive and original brand of low-budget horror during the late 80s and early 90s. “Puppet Master” was the first and arguably the best example of Full Moon’s 90s style, a style that included a heavy use of puppetry and stop-motion animation that showed the progression of an idea that he started in his 1987′ production “Dolls” (directed by Stuart Gordon).
During World War II, a secret group of Nazis were sent to Bodega Bay, California, to capture puppet maker Andre Toulon (William Hickey), a mysterious old man who had the secret of giving life to inanimate objects. He commits suicide before being caught and so his secret goes with him to the grave. Until nearly 50 years later, a group of psychics lead by Alex Whitaker (Paul Le Mat) are contacted by Neil Gallagher (Jimmie F. Skaggs), a former colleague who apparently made a big discovery in Bodega Bay before committing suicide under mysterious circumstances.
Directed by the tragically underrated David Schmoeller, “Puppet Master” is a very different films that its sequels. Schmoeller plays with the suspense and atmosphere of classic goth films, and successfully mixes those elements with the more graphic shock and gore that was the rule for horror films of its time. With a great eye for the visuals Schmoeller makes great use of his Gothic locations and the terrific camera-work enhances the carefully crafted suspense. The special effects wizards create very good looking effects for the budget and together create what could be called a “gothic slasher”.
Thank you for that thorough, and long review! I am going to limit my banter based on the length of that. So let’s jump in!
So watch! Or don’t! Next week, another classic, Frankenhooker! Tell me what else you might want to see in the comments below. Also, what are you doing this October? Visiting any Halloween attractions? Doing a ghost hunt? Sitting at home and drinking? Let me know in the comments!
October Bonus Short!
You get a Halloween Bonus today! Hmmm… Is it autobiographical?
I’ve seen “Frankenhooker”.
Diving into “Pupper Master”.
I’m too old to do much for Halloween. Trick or treat is for kids. I liked Halloween parties, but not the costume thing.
Hear, hear.
“Yale University – Present Day”
Now that is scary.
It’s actually one of the nicer parts of New Haven.
Nice tv gif.
I imagine you are saying, “I have control of your tv set. Are you receiving me?”
I am saying
“TAKE ME TO YOUR MARTINI MIX”
I must have seen this right when it hit HBO at a friends house.
Secret Natzis? I’m scared already.
It took a while before anyone noticed that small puppet running around.
How about Wishmaster, if you haven’t already shown it.
Angus Scrimm is in the cast.
Is it on Tubi or such?
Yes, and yes.
Is All Hallows Eve still up? Tubi search doesn’t like me today. Stupid robots.
I expected that to be pulled this morning.
Did external search. Looks still up. How long? You would know better thsn me.
https://tubitv.com/movies/391450/all-hallows-eve
It doesn’t have a countdown on the app version, so maybe it got renewed for October?
Maybe? Unlike the Terrifier franchise it’s probably not a big money maker. Frankenhooker and Re-Animator are both great picks.
Think it will be up on the 29th? Closest to Halloween and should probably do at least one Halloween movie.
Terrifier is basically a snuff film. Goal is to see how much gore they can put in a semi-mainstream movie that plays in theaters.
How about Monster Island (2004?)
Nice cast, but doesn’t seem horror enough. Maybe play it in November?
She got drilled into a puppet? Uhh…
Puking up leeches… that’s an interesting application of Rule 34.
Not a lot of ads showing during this movie, and they’re all short. I like that.
Huh. Not sure what to make of that ending. I guess the widow is the new puppet master?
I won’t spoil it too much, but Megan doesn’t control them for long and then a NEW group of psychics come to investigate her demise.
Oh.
Well.
I’m out for the night. Thanks RJ!
🤬
I get the design decisions, but I disagree with them when It requires three hands in a confined space ringed with sharp metal edges to line up three holes to fasten a cable retention clip to keep the cable harness out of the mechanism. There’s got to be a more doable way of getting this thing affixed.
I’d make more progress if it didn’t take me a half hour to get a stupid retention clip in place.
Whatever you are working on there is a $350 tool for that.
Like the hub socket for my
Forklift. Hyster only.
This is the correct take.
Nope.
I’ve been doing all of this with a bit driver where I swap between a 2mm hex, 2.5mm hex and T10 Torx bit. One step required a narrow profile 8mm wrench. I also used some hex keys in places because they fit better.
Everything else has been in the box.
I feel like everything is engineered in the shittiest way possible these days. So often things seem to be designed by people who have no concept of what needs to be done. Just a general statement. I have no fucking clue what you’re doing.
Most of the printer is well engineered. there are just a few places where my reaction is “Seriously?” These almost always involve trying to route cable harnesses. The mechanical components were very easy to service.
The question is, are you master of your puppet?
STEVE SMITH USE CAMPERS LIKE PUPPET, SLIDE THEM OVER HIS…
Sounds like you’re working on a Saab.
No, but it is European engineering.
Fat Mediocre Mike is making Black Mediocre Mike proud tonight.
Halftime adjustments, I guess?
Orange slices and McCarthy will get a massage to work out the kinks in his neck.
Most people wouldn’t get the reference. In Green Bay Rodgers was apparently pretty annoyed with his perception of McCarthy being lazy and unfocused. Long form story talked about how he spent time getting massages at the team facility instead of scrubbing the tape for that little edge or some such bullshit.
I hope Rodgers gets McCarthy fired again and the Steelers trot his corpse out there again next year. Max dysfunction and embarrassment is what this franchise needs.
I seen a funny tweet when the Steelers hired Grimace to replace Tomlin.
“It’s like shitting your pants and changing your shirt.”
Not a Halloween movie, but I would recommend Tale of Tales.
3 dark fairy tales told together.
Even my wife liked it.
I’ve wanted to see that one.
Quite good, but definitely not for kids.
OK, not quite out for the night but I will be after posting this. The Cornell students are fucked
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed as special prosecutor in the Cornell University sexual assault investigation, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday, following increasing scrutiny and uproar over how university police and the local district attorney’s office handled the matter two years ago.
Hochul said in a statement that “newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation,” which has in turn “undercut my faith, and the public’s faith.”
She said James, who has been attorney general since 2019, will take over the case of a former Cornell University student who alleged in a lawsuit last month that she was raped, sexually assaulted and plied with drugs by members of Chi Phi fraternity in 2024.
(Yes, other than DEMocracy…) I don’t see how a wannabe AG can directly platform on attacking a specific person using any ‘legal’ manner she can find. I don’t see how that’s not actually a crime. ‘Give me power so I can abuse it against this one person. (Who you also don’t like! teehee!)’
Huh.
Can we get Ms. James barred from court and public office for six lifetimes?
If not – deport her to Liberia
So it’s like the Trayvon Martin* case where they originally decided there was no crime and because of outcry from idiots, it becomes political and they push forward with charges.
*See also Kyle Rittenhouse, Derek Chauvin, and I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting.
That’s not to mention mattress girl, the Duke lacrosse team, and the Rolling Stone case.