It’s the Booze Talkin’; We welcome the return of Puppet Master!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

How many of you remember Full Moon Entertainment? I sure as hell do. While several of the fine feature films they released weren’t all that inspired, there were certainly a few charming tales of terror to excite genre fans. Some of you may recall THE LURKING FEAR, CASTLE FREAK, ROBOT WARS or perhaps MANDROID. They may be cheesy, but they kept putting these suckers out. Probably the most successful series of films from Full Moon would be PUPPET MASTER. If you’ve never had the pleasure, imagine a bunch of f*cked up dolls that spit out leeches, burn folks alive with a powerful torch or drill right through some sorry soul's skull. Yes, this kooky franchise is one that I remember quite fondly.

The first PUPPET MASTER was written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, with directorial duties going to David Schmoeller. The 1989 low budget shocker featured Paul Le Mat, William Hickey and the incomparable Barbara Crampton in a cameo, and it was wacky horror fun. I’m not talking Academy Award winning good – not even close – but there was something entertaining about the nasty little puppets who liked to play with their human victims. At one time considered for theatrical release, Charles Band felt that they may do better with straight-to-video instead… he may have had the right idea. This weird little flick did well enough that it warranted a part two, and so on and so on.

Since that first flash of deadly dolls, we’ve had Puppet Master II: His Unholy Creation (1991), Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge (1991), Puppet Master 4: The Demon (1993), Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter (1994), Curse of the Puppet Master (1999), Retro Puppet Master (1999), Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003), Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys (2004), Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2010), Puppet Master X: Axis Rising (2010), Puppet Master X: Axis Rising (2012) and this year we have Puppet Master: Axis Termination which is directed by Charles Band.  That’s a whole lot of Puppet Master, and good or bad, I could never resist the familiar faces of Blade, Cyclops, Six Shooter, Doctor Death, Pinhead, Leech Woman, Decapitron and so many more. That’s a killer collection.

Considering that the series is nearly thirty years old, it has found a cult following that still loves the goofy nature of the movies. So much so that we are about to witness another couple of installments. More puppet mayhem? Hell yes! A new Puppet Master flick does sound like good gory fun! Not only do we have Puppet Master: Axis Termination coming soon, we can also expect a reboot of sorts directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund and written by S. Craig Zahler (BONE TOMAHAWK). That's right, PUPPET MASTER returns for THE LITTLEST REICH – perhaps due in theatres (?) in 2018. Barbara Crampton – who had a cameo in the first film – is back along with an intriguing group of actors including Thomas Lennon, Udo Kier, Michael Paré, Jenny Pellicer, Nelson Franklin, Alex Beh, Tina Parker, Skeeta Jenkins, and Charlyne Yi. And from the look of it, we’ve got a bloody good time.

With the upcoming reboot or perhaps it is more of a sequel, THE LITTLEST REICH may wind up being nothing special – the same can be said for Axis Termination – yet I personally can’t wait. For me, there was something special about the crude stop motion animation that really appealed to this viewer. So what can we expect from the upcoming releases? The lovely Ms. Barbara Crampton sent out a tweet recently letting us know that there is a ton of the red stuff involved. To prove her point she even added that “My entire body is bloody.” Not only do I have a ton of respect for the actress, she has been very busy doing some quality horror films like YOU’RE NEXT, WE ARE STILL HERE and a little movie that I had a small part in called BLOOD BROTHERS. Man, I love how she still embraces horror!

Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, but bring on the killer dolls of Puppet Master! This long running series certainly isn’t the top of the line in horror history, but they possess a dark and clever heart that I appreciate. My favorite may be Puppet Master II, but I have a little faith in Axis Termination – with Band once again directing as he previously took on The Legacy and Axis Rising. However, I really look forward to seeing what Laguna and Wiklund are able to bring to the table. It would be terrific to see the new films take the horror element a bit more seriously than they have in the past. Can THE LITTLEST REICH please old school fans and revitalize the series? Well, if CURSE OF CHUCKY managed to bring that devilish Good Guy doll back in a fun and exciting way, maybe Blade and crew will also receive a warm welcome from audiences. Here is hoping our little friends aren’t just playing around this time.