Puppet Master (film)

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Puppet Master
Puppet Master (1989 movie poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Schmoeller
Written byKenneth J. Hall
Joseph G. Collodi
Produced byHope Perello
Charles Band
Starring Paul Le Mat
Jimmie F. Skaggs
Irene Miracle
Robin Frates
Barbara Crampton
William Hickey
Cinematography Sergio Salvati
Edited byThomas Meshelski
Music by Richard Band
Production
company
Distributed by Paramount Home Video
Release date
  • October 12, 1989 (1989-10-12)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$400,000

Puppet Master (also titled The Puppet Master and Puppetmaster) is a 1989 American horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller. The film stars Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Matt Roe and Kathryn O'Reilly as psychics who are plotted against by a former colleague, using puppets animated by an Egyptian spell.

Contents

Originally intended for summer 1989 theatrical release, before being released on home video the following September, Puppet Master was ultimately pushed to a direct-to-video release on October 12, 1989, as Band felt this was likely to be more financially successful than the theatrical market. It was very popular and has since developed a large cult following, and an extensive franchise.

Plot

In 1939, at Bodega Bay Inn, California: an old puppeteer named André Toulon is putting the finishing touches on his newest puppet, Jester, before he brings it to life. Two Nazi spies arrive and head for Toulon's room while Kahn, another living puppet, warns him. Toulon calmly places all the animate puppets in a chest and hides it in a wall panel compartment. As the Nazis break down the door, Toulon dies by suicide.

50 years later, in 1989, four psychics miles apart are all "contacted" by Neil Gallagher, all five of them previously being acquaintances: Professor Alex Whitaker through a nightmare involving Neil and leeches, Dana Hadley via a premonition of her own death, and psychic researchers Frank Forrester and Carissa Stamford through unspecified means. Dana has also uncovered Toulon's "hiding place" and tells the others, arranging a meeting at the Bodega Bay Inn, where Neil resides. Upon arrival, they are surprised to find that not only does Neil have a wife, Megan, but that he has also killed himself, leaving instructions for Megan on the others’ arrival. She leaves them with the body to pay respects and Dana stabs a long pin into Neil's corpse to verify that he is in fact dead.

While getting settled into their rooms, the psychics experience different confusing visions of Neil. That night at dinner, Dana intentionally riles Megan, causing her to leave the table and Pinhead, another animated doll, crawls out of Neil's casket. Alex follows Megan and tells her their history with her husband. Carissa, a psychometrist, can see any object's emotional history by touching it, Dana can tell fortunes and locate items and people, and Alex himself can foresee the future in his dreams. Neil was researching alchemy and with Frank's help discovered that Ancient Egyptians had created a method of reanimating inanimate figurines, a power also discovered by André Toulon, the last true alchemist. But because Neil had not made contact with them in a while, Dana and the rest thought that he had abandoned them and took whatever he was seeking for himself, and they are there to take it and settle the score.

That night, Theresa the housekeeper attends to the fire and is attacked by Pinhead with a poker, fulfilling Dana's fortune for her. Gallagher's body has moved to a chair which Megan finds, causing her to faint; Alex attends to her while the others return the body to the casket. After Blade finds protective spells on Alex and Dana's rooms, he moves on to Carissa and Frank's, who are having very loud sex and disrupting Alex and Dana's sleep. Two more puppets, Tunneler and Leech Woman, enter. Tunneler kills Carissa by drilling into her face when she inspects a noise coming from under the bed and Leech Woman regurgitates leeches onto Frank, who's tied to the bed, draining his blood. Returning from a walk, Dana finds Gallagher's body in her room and she is attacked by Pinhead, who breaks her leg. Pinhead chases her and repeatedly strangles and punches her until she manages to knock him away and crawl to the elevator, only to have her throat slit by Blade, fulfilling her fortune.

Alex suffers more nightmares, eventually woken by Megan, who shows him Toulon's diary and tells him that Neil found Toulon's secret to reanimation. Alex has a vision of Neil and they rush downstairs to escape but find the bodies of Dana, Frank and Carissa sitting around the dining table accompanied by the newly resurrected Neil. He explains that while he did commit suicide, he used Toulon's secrets to become reanimated himself in an effort to become immortal. He reveals that he killed Megan's parents and expresses disgust for the puppets, violently throwing Jester, now satisfied to have human puppets to experiment with. The other puppets witness this and descend on Neil; Tunneler takes out his legs and Blade pins him down while Leech Woman regurgitates a leech into his mouth and Pinhead finally breaks his neck. The next day, Megan sees Alex off and as she ascends the stairs, she brings Dana's stuffed dog Leroy to life.

Cast

Release

Puppet Master was released on VHS by Paramount Home Video on October 12, 1989. [1] The film saw its first DVD release on June 13, 2000, through Full Moon Home Video.

Following a release by Wizard Entertainment under The Puppet Master in March 2008, Wizard later released a Blu-ray in July 2010. Full Moon Features simultaneously released a remastered DVD.

In 2014, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released the "Killjoy and Puppet Master: The Complete Collections" alongside the Killjoy series, [2] although both series have since produced additional sequels.

On April 10, 2018, Full Moon issued both a Blu-ray and a limited-edition vintage VHS collection, with the latter having only 3,000 units produced, and the first 300 being signed and numbered by Charles Band. [3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 43% based on seven reviews, with a weighted average rating of 4/10. [4]

TV Guide gave a negative review calling it "a pointless variation on the killer-doll genre". [5]

Dread Central awarded a score of 3/5, commending the atmosphere, soundtrack and set designs, but criticized the acting, weak script and first act. The review concluded their review by writing, "Puppet Master isn't what I would call a great film, but its heart is in the right place, and I've always been a huge fan of the evil doll subgenre of horror, making the film's shortcomings easily forgivable." [6] Wes R. from Oh the Horror.com gave a positive review stating, "Despite its flaws, Puppet Master emerges as one of the more enjoyable of the 'killer toy' type horror films". [7]

Legacy

The success as a cult film inspired a franchise that would span decades to come. Five sequels followed: Puppet Master II (1990), Puppet Master 4 (1993), Puppet Master 5 (1994), Curse of the Puppet Master (1998) and Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003).

The third film, entitled Toulon's Revenge (1991), serves as a prequel, as would Retro Puppet Master (1999). Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2010) began a loose prequel trilogy, followed by Axis Rising (2012) and Axis Termination (2017).

In 2020, a spin-off focusing on the puppet Blade was released, Blade: The Iron Cross . Another, Puppet Master: Doktor Death, was released in 2022, based on a character from Retro.

Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys , a crossover with fellow Full Moon franchise Demonic Toys , premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2004.

In March 2009, it was reported that Band was to remake the original film in 3-D. [8]

Video game

In September 2021, Full Moon announced a partnership with independent game studio 'October Games' to release an official Puppet Master game, which was released to Steam on March 1, 2023.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full Moon Features</span> American motion picture company

Full Moon Features is an American independent motion picture production and distribution company headed by B-movie veteran Charles Band. It is known for the direct-to-video series Puppet Master, Trancers, and Subspecies, as well as the film Castle Freak and the VideoZone featurette through 1989 to 2013.

<i>Puppet Master II</i> 1991 US horror film directed by David W. Allen

Puppet Master II is a 1990 direct-to-video horror film written by David Pabian and directed by Dave Allen. It is the second film in the Puppet Master franchise, the sequel to 1989's Puppet Master, and stars Elizabeth Maclellan, Gregory Webb, Charlie Spradling, Jeff Weston and Nita Talbot as paranormal investigators who are terrorized by the animate creations of an undead puppeteer, played by Steve Welles.

<i>Puppet Master III: Toulons Revenge</i> 1991 American film directed by David DeCoteau

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge is a 1991 direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band, C. Courtney Joyner and David Schmoeller, and directed by David DeCoteau. It is the third film in the Puppet Master franchise, a prequel to 1989's Puppet Master and 1990's Puppet Master II, and stars Guy Rolfe as a puppeteer whose ability to animate lifeless material attracts the attention of the Nazis, whose members are played by Richard Lynch, Ian Abercrombie, and Walter Gotell.

<i>Puppet Master 4</i> 1993 American film

Puppet Master 4 is a 1993 direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band among others, and directed by Jeff Burr. It is the fourth film in the Puppet Master franchise, a sequel to 1991's Puppet Master III, and stars Gordon Currie as a young prodigy who, along with his friends, played by Chandra West, Jason Adams and Teresa Hill, is attacked by demons; the animated puppets of Andre Toulon serve to protect the group, similar to the role they played in the prequel Toulon's Revenge, rather than terrorize, as they had in the first and second films.

<i>Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter</i> 1994 American film

Puppet Master 5 is a 1994 direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band among others, and directed by Jeff Burr. It is the fifth film in the Puppet Master franchise, the sequel to 1993's Puppet Master 4, and stars Gordon Currie as the series' third Puppet Master, and Ian Ogilvy, his colleague, whose attempts to salvage the animated puppets of André Toulon from the Bodega Bay Inn are foiled by a demon.

<i>Curse of the Puppet Master</i> 1998 American film

Curse of the Puppet Master is a 1998 direct-to-video horror film written by Benjamin Carr and directed by David DeCoteau. The sixth film in the Puppet Master franchise, it stars George Peck as scientist Dr. Magrew, who experiments with transforming humans into puppets.

<i>Retro Puppet Master</i> 1999 American film

Retro Puppet Master is a 1999 American direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band, Benjamin Carr and David Schmoeller, and directed by David DeCoteau. It is the seventh film in the Puppet Master franchise, a prequel to 1991's Toulon's Revenge, and stars Greg Sestero as a young André Toulon, Jack Donner as an Egyptian responsible for teaching Toulon how to animate his puppets, and Stephen Blackehart, Robert Radoveanu and Vitalie Bantas as demons who pursue Toulon for his magic.

<i>Puppet Master: The Legacy</i> 2003 American film

Puppet Master: The Legacy is a 2003 direct-to-DVD horror film written by C. Courtney Joyner and David Schmoeller, and directed by Charles Band. It is the eighth installment in the Puppet Master franchise, the sequel to 1994's Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter, and stars Jacob Witkin as an elderly Peter Hertz and Kate Orsini as a mercenary hired to confront Hertz for information regarding the magic puppeteer André Toulon used to animate his puppets.

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Puppet Master is an American horror film series which focuses on a group of anthropomorphic puppets animated by an Egyptian spell, each equipped with its own unique and dangerous device and are represented as heroes, antiheroes and antagonists. The franchise was created by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall. The series consists of 15 films, 11 mainline, one crossover film, a reboot and two spin-offs.

<i>Puppet Master: Axis of Evil</i> 2010 American film

Puppet Master: Axis of Evil is a 2010 American action horror film directed by David DeCoteau, it is the ninth official entry into the Puppet Master series of horror films.

<i>Puppet Master</i> (Eternity Comics) Limited comic book series based on the films

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David Schmoeller is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is notable for directing several full-length theatrical horror films including Tourist Trap (1979), The Seduction (1982), Crawlspace (1986), Catacombs (1988), Puppet Master (1989), and Netherworld (1992). In May, 2012, Schmoeller was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Fantaspoa Film Festival in Porto Alegre, Brazil where his new feature film, 2 Little Monsters (2012) was screened along with his other notable films.

<i>Puppet Master X: Axis Rising</i> 2012 American horror film

Puppet Master X: Axis Rising is a 2012 American action horror film and is the tenth entry in the Puppet Master film series. Produced and directed by Charles Band, it is a direct sequel to 2010's Puppet Master: Axis of Evil and introduces new puppets named Blitzkrieg, Bombshell, Kamikaze, and Weremacht, who fight alongside the Nazis. Puppet Master X: Axis Rising was released on October 9, 2012 by Full Moon Features.

<i>Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys</i> 2004 American TV series or program

Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys is a 2004 American horror-comedy film based on the characters of Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall and David S. Goyer. The film is written by C. Courtney Joyner and directed by Ted Nicolaou.

<i>Puppet Master: Axis Termination</i> 2017 American film

Puppet Master: Axis Termination is a 2017 film directed by Charles Band. It is the twelfth film of the Puppet Master series. The film continues where Puppet Master X: Axis Rising left off. It is the third and final installment of the Axis Trilogy.

<i>Puppet Master</i> (Action Lab Comics)

Puppet Master is a comic book series written by Shawn Gabborin and published monthly by Action Lab Comics. It is the continuing story of the puppets created by André Toulon.

<i>Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich</i> 2018 American film

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is a 2018 American horror comedy film directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund, and written by S. Craig Zahler. The film is the thirteenth entry in the Puppet Master franchise, and is the first film produced by Fangoria under their "Fangoria Presents" label, following their acquisition by Cinestate. It is a reboot of the series, and stars Thomas Lennon, Jenny Pellicer, Nelson Franklin, Barbara Crampton, and Udo Kier. It was released on August 17, 2018, by RLJE Films. As of February 2019, the film has grossed over $600,000 through video sales.

<i>Puppet Master: The Game</i> 2023 video game

Puppet Master: The Game is a 2023 free-to-play early access survival horror game based on the Puppet Master franchise. It was developed by October Games and published by Full Moon Features and October Games. It features co-operative gameplay and player versus player (PvP) combat. Puppet Master: The Game was released in early access for Steam on March 1, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Amazon.com: Puppet Master [VHS]: Paul Le Mat, William Hickey, Irene Miracle, Jimmie F. Skaggs, Robin Frates, Matt Roe, Kathryn O'Reilly, Mews Small, Barbara Crampton, David Boyd, Peter Frankland, Andrew Kimbrough, Sergio Salvati, David Schmoeller, Charles Band, Hope Perello, J.S. Cardone, Kenneth J. Hall: Movies & TV. ASIN   6301431316.
  2. ↑ "Puppetmaster (1989) - David Schmoeller". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Vintage VHS Collection: Puppet Master NOW AVAILABLE". Horror Society.com. Blacktooth. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  4. ↑ "Puppet Master (1989) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Puppet Master Trailer, Reviews and Schedule for Puppet Master". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Puppet Master (Blu-ray) - Dread Central". Dread Central.com. thehorrorchick. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  7. ↑ R., Wes. "Horror Reviews - Puppet Master (1989)". Oh the Horror.com. Wes R. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Charles Band to Remake 'Puppetmaster' in 3-D". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 2009-03-23.
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