Welcome to Day 5 of Tiny Terrors! This week I had decided to cover the films in the way that they were released. And for the first time, I am switching to covering 2 films at a time.
Child's Play set the tone and laid some ground work for what people expected from a film with a killer doll. Child's Play was pretty successful when it was released. The studios could see that horror was still big. Though, it was starting to slow down a little bit. Charles Band created Full Moon Pictures and crafted a deal with Paramount Pictures to release a few horror films on the cheap.
This led to the release of Puppet Master. Puppet Master was written by Kenneth J. Hall and Joseph G. Collodi, directed by David Schmoller, and produced by Charles Band. Puppet Master was a small budget horror title that Band felt would be more successful in the video stores than a theatrical release. And sure enough, his instinct proved to be right.
The film focuses on a group of psychics that attend a wake for their late friend. Unbeknownst to them, there are a group of small puppets living in the hotel that don't take kindly to their presence. Soon, the puppets begin to stalk them one by one. And it all leads to the discovery of a lifetime.
This film over the years has found itself as a cult classic. It does a bit right. The pacing of the film feels good and never like it's lagging behind. The psychic characters are all okay. I mean, they serve their purpose. It's not like they are going to win any awards. They do seem to be having a bit of fun with the schlocky B-material they are given.
However, it feels like the Puppets are the standouts here. They are what everyone is coming to the film for. And they do not disappoint.
We have Blade, Tunneler, Pinhead, Jester and Leech Woman in this first film. They each have something that makes them distinctly unique. Blade is the leader in a sense. He's dressed in black trench coat with the hat, the ghostly grin on his face, one hand is a hook and the other is a blade. He's almost like a noir detective in a sense as he spies upon his prey as well as checking the perimeter in the prologue. Next up is Tunneler. He is very unique as he has a drill attached to his head. But he's dressed as an army soldier. If Blade was the recon specialist, Tunneler is one of the men in the front line. Then we have the muscle, Pinhead. He's a brute force in this lineup as he's very much dressed as a thug with his sweater, pants and fingerless gloves. He also knows how to throw a hell of a punch. Then there's the Jester. Jester is an interesting one as he has revolving faces to emit different expressions. He's a lively one of the bunch as well. His weapon of choice being a mallet as he doesn't necessarily possess brute force or quick on his feet. Finally, we have our leading lady of the Puppets..the siren herself, Leech Woman. She definitely doesn't possess any strength. However, her specialty is more....sensual. She spits out leeches onto her victims with a distinct sensibility about the whole thing.
The kills in the film are all fine. They obviously were on a low budget. However, that adds so much charm to the film. Even adding to the charm of the puppets, the techniques they utilized for them are extraordinary. It's honestly something that is hard to replicate in modern times. So it feels like a bit of a lost art to it.
When the reveal happens, it's something that still feels cheesy. Their friend who had committed suicide was not dead. He was using the Puppets to get back at his friends, one by one. This honestly was the weakest part of the film. And it also led to a few sequences where the film would enter a dream like state.
Overall, this film is a fun ride. It's easy to see why this is considered a cult classic. And it's a nice callback to a much simpler time - the time when video stores walked the earth.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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Thought we were done? Amateur. We were just beginning. Here are my thoughts on Puppet Master II: Toulon's Revenge.
After the success of the first Puppet Master, the studio asked Charles Band for a follow-up. Quickly, Toulon's Revenge was put together. And it does show a bit.
So, watching these two films back to back. It led me to see how much of a formula there was in these two installments. Both of them follow a similar pattern revolving around parapsychologists this time around. And also involving a reanimated Toulon corpse. (Where have we seen that one before?)
The Puppets now have reanimated Toulon using a vial of green formula. Toulon's main motive in the film is to find a way to animate two mannequins. One for himself and the other for his beloved Elsa. Kinda sweet and romantic...if it wasn't for the reanimation process turning Toulon into a raging psychopath.
This plotline is largely the biggest addition to the story from the first one. Again, if it ain't broke - no need to fix it. That's again why the film was able to come together so quickly.
So, the Puppets are hunting down people to collect pieces of their brain. So then, it can be used to create a vial for the mannequins that Toulon is hoping to transfer himself into. Makes perfect sense to me.
Honestly, if you enjoyed the first one. It's almost safe to say that the second will be enjoyed as well. And the addition of Torch is a welcome one. He has a very unique firebug approach to his personality. Even going as far as torching a child off screen. (The comics are highly recommended as we get to see more human qualities to the Puppets as they are transfered to human bodies once again. I mention this because the realization of how old Torch's spirit is fitting.)
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Check back on Friday for Leprechaun 1 and 2.
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