Horror Movie Podcast Ep. 156: Puppet Master Franchise Mini-Review Part 2 of 2

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Posted on October 12, 2018 by producer

Halloween is getting closer! And so is the pitter-patter of little murderous feet, coming to get you from Toulon’s workshop! Welcome to HORROR MOVIE PODCAST, Episode 156, where we bring you a lot more “tiny terror” with Part 2 of our Puppet Master Franchise Mini Reviews! For those who are new to HMP, we have done this before with our Halloween Franchise Review, our Friday the 13th Franchise Review, our Scream Franchise Review, our Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise Review, our Child’s Play Franchise Review, our Pumpkinhead Crossover Review and our Phantasm Crossover Review. This time we’ll be covering every single entry in the Puppet Master franchise, but leaning on our guests a little more heavily than we have in the past, so that we can make it through all of these films in a timely manner.

This is episode we’re joined by no-budget Horror filmmaker Mike A. Fitzgerald of Fiendish Films aka Fiendish Fitz, for reviews of Curse of the Puppet Master (1998), Retro Puppet Master (1999), Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003), Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2010), Puppet Master X: Axis Rising (2012), Puppet Master: Axis Termination (2017), and Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018). Plus some bonus discussion about Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys and the RiffTrax version of Retro Puppet Master.

Horror Movie Podcast is a weekly show that’s released every Friday. If you’d like to support our show, please subscribe to our podcast free in iTunes, and leave us a review! And remember, we love getting your voice mails, so call in with more recommendations and comments at this number: (801) 382-8789 Thanks for listening to Horror Movie Podcast! Continue reading →

31 Days of Halloween — Day 15: Hellblock 13 (1999) — by Dr. Shock

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Joshua Ligairi

Dave “Dr. Shock” Becker is a host on Horror Movie Podcast, Universal Monsters Cast and Land of the Creeps horror podcasts. He is also the mastermind behind DVDInfatuation.com. Follow Doc on Twitter @DVDinfatuation and on Letterboxd @DcoShockHMP

Title: HellBlock 13
Country: United States
Year: 1999
Director: Paul Talbot
Screenwriters: Jeff Miller, Michael R. Smith, Paul Talbot

In most anthologies, the wraparound is there simply to ease the transition from one segment to the next. But in Troma’s 1999 horror compilation Hellblock 13, the wraparound is the best part of the whole damn film!

Serial Killer Tara (Debbie Rochon) is on death row, waiting for the Executioner (played by Gunner Hanson) to take her to the electric chair. To pass the time before the switch is thrown, Tara reads the Executioner a few of the short stories she wrote during her incarceration, tales of the macabre that she believes will one day make her as immortal as Poe and Lovecraft.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 14: The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971) — by Dr. Shock

Posted on October 14, 2018 by producer

Title: The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave
Country: United States
Year: 1971
Director: Emilio Miraglia
Screenwriter: Fabio Pittorru, Massimo Felisatti, Emilio Miraglia

This film’s poster is classic: a skeletal-faced woman, wearing only a nightgown, holds aloft the severed head of a man. It’s a gruesome bit of artwork, to be sure, but not even a display as horrific as this will adequately prepare you for what The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, a 1971 Giallo / Gothic horror movie directed by Emilio Miraglia, has to offer.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 13: Hell Night (1981) — by Pastor Matt

Posted on October 13, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review was submitted by listener Pastor Matt, who you can follow on Letterboxd @PastorMattR and Twitter @PastorMattR.

Title: Hell Night
Country: United States
Year: 1981
Director: Tom DeSimone
Screenwriter: Randolph Feldman

Horror fans never forget the first time a flick frightened them. For me, it was Hell Night. I saw it the way God intended all horror fans to be initiated to the genre, late at night, lying in a sleeping bag on a living room floor with a few buddies, stomach full of pizza & pop, watching a cable channel like “Skinemax” sans parental supervision.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 12: La Casa Muda (2010) — by Sal Roma

Posted on October 12, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review was submitted by listener Sal Roma, who you can follow on Twitter @JTalley986 and Letterboxd @Sal_Roma

Title: La Casa Muda
Country: Uruguay
Year: 2010
Director: Gustavo Hernández
Screenwriter: Oscar Estévez

La Casa Muda or better known under its English title, The Silent House, is without question the most recognizable Uruguayan horror film ever made. In fact, it’s one of maybe … three (?) ever made. To give some idea of how much attention this little film began to garnered, the U.S. immediately swooped to start production of the English language remake. La Casa Muda was first screened for the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and the U.S. remake, known just as Silent House, was first screened for the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011. That’s an insane turnaround and I honestly don’t know if there’s ever been a faster original to remake in the history of horror. To best enjoy La Casa Muda, I believe you need to go into the film with as few spoilers as possible, prompting me to try to avoid discussing spoilers as well as I can.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 11: At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul (1964) — by Sal Roma

Posted on October 11, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review* was submitted by listener Sal Roma, who you can follow on Twitter @JTalley986 and Letterboxd @Sal_Roma

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS

Title: At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul
Country: Brazil
Year: 1964
Director: José Mojica Marins
Screenwriter: José Mojica Marins

In a small Brazilian village, a reprehensible gravedigger, Coffin Joe, spends his days terrorizing his neighbors with mocking their faith and attacking all those who dare to stand up to him. Reeling from the fact that his wife will never be able to bear him a child, Coffin Joe looks to continue his legacy. All that is standing in Coffin Joe’s way is finding the perfect unfortunate candidate in his village.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 10: Cape Fear (1991) — by Gore-or Movie Fan

Posted on October 10, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review* was submitted by listener Timo Kosonen, who you can follow on Letterboxd @S5C2H and Twitter @RunningTimoK.

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN MINOR PLOT SPOILERS

Title: Cape Fear
Country: United States
Year: 1991
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: Wesley Strick (Based on earlier screenplay by James R. Webb)

Although it’s debated as to whether or not it is a horror film, Cape Fear is considered by many to be one of the scariest films of all time and it will stand as one of the greatest serial killer movies of all time as well.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 9: Verónica (2018) — by Timo Kosonen

Posted on October 9, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review* was submitted by listener Timo Kosonen, who you can follow on Letterboxd @S5C2H and Twitter @RunningTimoK.

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN PLOT SPOILERS

Title: Verónica
Country: Spain
Year: 2018
Director: Paco Plaza
Screenwriters: Fernando Navarro, Paco Plaza

Verónica is the newest film from the director Paco Plaza, known from the highly acclaimed REC, which took the world by surprise. This time Plaza tackles the classic possession genre and the result is an interesting film with a sinister—and simultaneously sad—atmosphere. Although the film’s backbone is generic, it is still a well-made possession movie that utilizes the “based on a true story” trope quite effectively.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 8: Hell Fest (2018) — by Trey Whetstone

Posted on October 8, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review* was submitted by listener Trey Whetstone, who you can follow on Twitter @TReyW_73

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN MINOR PLOT SPOILERS

Title: Hell Fest
Country: United States
Year: 2018
Director: Gregory Plotkin
Screenwriters: Seth M. Sherwood, Blair Butler, Akela Cooper

Let’s face it. There just aren’t that many horror movies set around the Halloween season. So when one comes around I can’t help but to be drawn to it. Enter Hell Fest. I’ve been anticipating Hell Fest for a long time now. Ever since I heard the premise I was pretty much sold on it and for me, at least, it didn’t disappoint.

The film follows a group of college students as they embark on a journey to Hell Fest, a traveling halloween themed amusement park. As they continue throughout the park they begin to notice a man in a mask following them. They shrug it off as just a part of the experience at first, but the stalker becomes more and more aggressive as the night goes on in this latest entry of the slasher genre.
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31 Days of Halloween — Day 7: Green Room (2016) — by Sal Roma

Posted on October 7, 2018 by producer

Editor’s note: The hosts of Horror Movie Podcast are always impressed by the knowledge and insights of our listenership in the emails and voicemails that we receive, as well as in the comments here at HorrorMoviePodcast.com. Once again, we’ve asked our listeners to participate in our 31 Days of Halloween by contributing written reviews. This review* was submitted by listener Sal Roma, who you can follow on Twitter @JTalley986 and Letterboxd @Sal_Roma

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS

Title: Green Room
Country: United States
Year: 2016
Director/Screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier

In recent years, director Jeremy Saulnier has gained a following as he expands his fanbase due to recent highly regarded movies such as today’s review of Green Room and his previous film, Blue Ruin. Saulnier continues to grow his discipleship with his most recent film Hold the Dark, now on Netflix. For me, though, I will always think back to his first feature length film—Murder Party. As result, when his name started to be talked about more frequently amongst movie fans, I was instantly interested in any of his films due to being such a fan of his quirky Halloween tale of Murder Party. Add in the fact that Green Room starred Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Imogen Poots, and Patrick Stewart, how could I not buy into the early Green Room hype shortly before its release?
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