There’s a new puppet introduced in “Puppet Master 2”: The Torch. He’s a bullet toothed flame throwing foot soldier of Toulon and he’s a force to be reckoned with. For the so-so “Puppet Master” there’s the even better sequel, a mixture of murder mystery and the paranormal that teams a bunch of paranormal investigators with the puppets whom seek to undo their work at every turn. For this sequel’s faults (Toulon was buried outside the famous hotel, why?) there are a lot of pluses, the one being that the puppets are given much more screen time thus much more screen time that allows them to stomp around the hotel and commit their misdeeds.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
The Rite (2011) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]
2011’s “The Rite” is built around the Hollywood doctrine that any movie, big or small, can be made automatically horrifying if including Anthony Hopkins as one of its stars. Unfortunately that’s not the case for “The Rite” a truly terrible exorcism film that dabbles in the religious hysteria of losing faith and includes about as much exorcist crapola to keep audiences watching with baited breath unsure if they’ll get anything even remotely shocking as what was seen in the William Friedkin classic film from the seventies.
Bridesmaids (2011)
It’s quite rare that in today’s movie market you’ll find a film that appeals to the male and female demographic so vehemently, but “Bridesmaids” manages to accomplish being a film for the men and the women simultaneously. And it took an SNL alum to conquer such an impossible feat. Possibly the funniest movie all year, “Bridesmaids” is that coming of age romance dramedy that never takes itself seriously, but knows when its time to act like an adult. And that’s due to Kristen Wiig’s ability to play the most unlikely movie heroine you can imagine.
Shrunken Heads (1994)
I remember seeing the preview for “Shrunken Heads” back in 1994 during the end of a double feature from the video store and even then I thought the idea was a weird one. A kids movie about disembodied shrunken heads getting revenge on their murderer is unusual. “Shrunken Heads” is a strange god awful movie, but one that affords itself some nostalgic value so while it is a waste of talent and resources, it’s not totally a waste of time. Whether it’s Danny Elfman’s involvement as the sound track artist, or Meg Foster curiously cross dressed as an Italian mobster with a pomp haircut, every single move to this movie is confusing and often times disorienting.
Goobers aka Mystery Monsters! (1997)
It seems Charles Band is in no short supply of excuses to bring small animals and monsters on the screen and “Mystery Monsters” is proof of it. At only fifty two minutes in length, Band’s 1997 (I miss the nineties) family film is much too rushed to even be considered worthy entertainment. Worse yet the film revolves around three magical monsters who seemingly do nothing and serve no purpose. We’re told they have to be minions of evil, but they’re moved around so awkwardly and lazily by the puppeteers it’s tough to imagine they can do much of anything worthwhile.
Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003)
Ah, the search for Toulon’s formula, this is what accounts for plot with “Puppet Master Legacy.” It’s not uncommon for horror films to feature clips from their earlier films, but the Puppet Master series has made it ridiculous by saving money through obvious manners. One is showing the puppets but only in their docile form, and two is padding the film with about as much filler as possible. This filler is clips from the past movies that the director uses to compensate for lack of fresh footage of the puppets. This method would later be included in the rank “Axis of Evil.”
Demonic Toys (1992)
With a screenplay by David S. Goyer, Charles Band’s brand of miniature madness presents the audience with something of an imagination and creativity. It’s “Demonic Toys,” another in a brand of Full Moon tiny terrors that I loved as a child and continue to to this day and for a Full Moon fan like yours truly, “Demonic Toys” has somewhat evaded me over the years. The 1992 horror film is a wicked entry in to Brand’s trademark creativity where director Peter Manoogian manages to make good use of the single setting piece he sets up for the audience.