Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

Ghoulies / Ghoulies II (with Kevin Lane)

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the bathroom... it's a double dose of the GHOULIES! More than just a GREMLINS knock-off, the original GHOULIES was the breakout hit that allowed Empire Films to thrive, and the sequel let Charlie's father Albert Band jump behind the camera once again for a fun monster movie romp. Horror podcaster Kevin Lane (from the Spill Your Guts podcast) joins us to talk about the smash-hit films that made the entire Full Moon universe possible! 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasters_castlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: PreHysteria! 

Meridian: Kiss of the Beast (with Charles Williamson)

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST meets DEAD RINGERS this week for the sexy-yet-problematic gothic romance MERIDIAN: KISS OF THE BEAST! Starring a young Sherilyn Fenn and Full Moon favorite Charlie Spradling, the movie delivers on lascivious thrills. but does it hold up to modern scrutiny? Special guest Charles Williamson is on-hand to help us sort it out. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasters_castlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Ghoulies / Ghoulies II 

Demonic Toys (with Dan Bookbinder)

It's time for a Jack-Attack! This week, we're watching another seminal entry in Charlie Band's Tiny Terrors with DEMONIC TOYS! Special guest Dan Bookbinder locks himself in an abandoned toy factory with us to discuss Baby Oopsie-Daisy, Mr. Static, Grizzly Teddy, and Jack Attack as they wreak their special brand of havoc. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasters_castlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Meridian: Kiss of the Beast 

BONUS: Sam Irvin Interview!

We're very excited to be joined this week by director/writer/producer/actor Sam Irvin! Sam has directed three movies for Full Moon, including the two OBLIVION films and MAGIC ISLAND for Moonbeam, and he shares his memories from the set while also walking us through his incredibly varied and prestigious career! From turning a Romanian film studio into an Old West town to getting the giggles with Christopher Lee, Sam has a ton of fascinating and entertaining stories. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasters_castlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
 

Lurking Fear

Another of Full Moon's HP Lovecraft adaptations, LURKING FEAR tends to get forgotten in the shadow of the Stuart Gordon trilogy, but this fun genre mash-up has a lot to like. With plenty of genre stars (including Vincent Schiavelli, Jon Finch, Ashley Laurence, and Jeffrey Combs), the story melds a hostage flick with supernatural horror as a skeleton crew of survivors hole up in a cemetery to fight a violent creature stalking the graves. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Douglas McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Demonic Toys 

Puppet Master II / Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge (with Nat Brehmer)

The first two PUPPET MASTER sequels are both major fan-favorites, so we knew we had to bring in an expert to weigh in! This week, we're joined by Nat Brehmer, the author of PUPPET MASTER COMPLETE: A FRANCHISE HISTORY, to talk through two early Full Moon classics. Firstly, PUPPET MASTER II, which follows up on the original with more puppets and more gore while letting SFX master Dave Allen take a turn in the director's chair! Then, we're checking out the surprisingly complex prequel film PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE, which takes us back to World War II in an attempt to re-brand the violent puppets as heroes! 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Douglas McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Lurking Fear 

Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (with Ailish Collins)

One of the only true comedies we're going to cover on this show, CANNIBAL WOMEN IN THE AVOCADO OF DEATH is a feminist parody of APOCALYPSE NOW, featuring direct-to-video bombshell Shannon Tweed and a pre-talk show Bill Maher, with a screenplay by the writer of PRETTY WOMAN! It's an interesting mixed bag of a production, but it is a beloved favorite of our guest, Ailish Collins, who joins us to expound on the film's virtues while helping our host deal with a case of Maher-aversion. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Douglas McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Puppet Master II / Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge 

From Beyond (with Nathan Rabin)

The second in Stuart Gordon's trilogy of HP Lovecraft adaptations, FROM BEYOND is a wild, kinky, gleefully disturbing thrill ride of a movie. We're joined this week by none other than Nathan Rabin, author, culture writer, former editor of the Onion AV Club, and the man who coined the term "Manic Pixie Dream Girl!" Nathan helps us dive deep into Gordon's oeuvre, from his early days as a renegade theater producer to his era of making high-quality horror at budget prices. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Douglas McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death 

Tourist Trap (with Danny Torkel)

A group of teens stumbles upon a roadside attraction full of sentient mannequins in the slow-brewing cult favorite TOURIST TRAP! The earliest film we've discussed so far, TOURIST TRAP was an instrumental early hit for young Charles Band and his future PUPPET MASTER director, David Schmoeller. We're joined this week by podcaster and writer Danny Torkel to talk through this scrappy low-budget slasher! 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Douglas McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: From Beyond 

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (with JR Ralls)

It's Linnea Quigley vs. an evil wish-granting imp in David DeCoteau's goofy 1988 schlockfest SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA! JR Ralls from "Thirty-Twenty-Ten" joins us as we talk bowling in the 80s, USA's "Up All Night," and the long-delayed sequel you never knew you wanted! 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Douglas McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com 
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks
Next week's episode: Tourist Trap