One of the most zany and downright
entertaining horror flicks of all time, David Schmoeller’s 1989 outing
Puppet Master remains a firm fan favourite and has to date
spawned no less than nine sequels of varying quality.
The low budget cult flick concerns a group
of living, mostly murderous puppets who come to life thanks to the
arcane efforts of a hoary puppeteer named Andre Toulon. A group of
occultists attempt to track down rumours that Toulon has indeed
discovered the secret of life, though get more than they bargained for
in the form of a series of bloodthirsty marionettes. A good time, at
least for viewers, ensues.
Psychics, Nazi spies, Egyptian spells,
suicide, leeches and plenty of blood all add to the film’s distinctly
(and often literally) visceral charms. Newly released on BD and DVD on
local shores by Big Sky Video, this high-def edition features a 16:9
widescreen transfer, 5.1 surround sound and several worthwhile extras in
the form of an audio commentary with producer Charles Band and
presumably pseudonymous filmthreat.com founder Chris Gore, a Making Of
featurette and no less than nine local and international Puppet
Master trailers.
Needless to say this is far and away the
best this cult curio has ever looked or sounded, and an unimaginable
improvement over the grainy full screen VHS and DVD editions which have
flooded the market over the past two decades.
It’s not quite on a par
with Full Moon’s 2010 20th anniversary special edition, which
included the bonus feature Puppet Master: Axis of Evil and a slew
of other goodies, but it’s worthwhile treatment for these pint-sized
horrors and something of a treat for local collectors. Freaky
80s fun at its finest.
