Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks
This is the definitive Full Moon Features podcast! Each week, we’re going to watch a different film from Charles Band’s madcap universe of low-budget horror thrillers, encompassing not only the Full Moon films but also the earlier stable of Empire International Pictures and sub-labels like Moonbeam and Torchlight!
Episodes

Friday Jul 21, 2023
Friday Jul 21, 2023
Howdy, y'all! This week, we're joined by author and podcaster Dylan James Quarles to watch OBLIVION, a wild blend of sci-fi and western tropes that features one of Full Moon's most star-studded casts to date (George Takei! Julie Newmar!). It's a rootin-tooting, space-shootin' good time.
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck
Logo by Douglas McCambridge
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Next week's episode: Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama

Friday Jul 14, 2023
Friday Jul 14, 2023
This week, we're looking at our most recent Full Moon release to date, the 2022 serial PIRANHA WOMEN! Directed by legendary schlockmeister Fred Olen Ray, this film features genetically-modified bombshells with some killer fish DNA that manifests in some... unorthodox body mutations.
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck
Logo by Douglas McCambridge
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Next week's episode: Oblivion

Friday Jul 07, 2023
Friday Jul 07, 2023
This week, we're looking at the seamy underbelly of the Full Moon Empire, the short-lived softcore porn label Torchlight! One of the first efforts (certainly one of the most provocatively named) was TEST TUBE TEENS FROM THE YEAR 2000, aka VIRGIN HUNTERS. Directed by David DeCoteau and starring Morgan Fairchild, this campy skin flick tries to add some sexiness to a goofy TERMINATOR parody.
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck
Logo by Douglas McCambridge
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Next week's episode: Piranha Women

Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
This week, Full Moon relocates to Romania for the first of their hugely popular vampire series, SUPSPECIES! We're going to meet the long-fingered villain Radu and his weird little blood goblin friends as we dig into Ted Nicolao's fun gothic horror flick. We're also going to dig in to the history behind Full Moon's move to it's new Eastern European headquarters, and look back on what would be one of the most taxing productions in the company's history!
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Logo by Doulas McCambridge
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
Next week's episode: Test Tube Teens From the Year 2000

Friday Jun 23, 2023
Friday Jun 23, 2023
This week, we're suiting up to pilot our first Stuart Gordon film, ROBOT JOX! Gordon is one of the most beloved directors in the Empire / Full Moon stable, and this underrated mech-fighting action/sci-fi romp puts his abilities on full display. Joining us for this episode is film industry expert John Torrani, who boasts not only an impressive knowledge of the genre but one of the preeminent collections of ROBOT JOX memorabilia in the world!
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Logo by Douglas McCambridge
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
Next week's episode: Subspecies

Friday Jun 16, 2023
Friday Jun 16, 2023
This week we're looking at one of the most prominent of the latter-day Full Moon Features, the lowbrow stoner comedy EVIL BONG. This film sees four roommates battling the titular paraphernalia, who transports them to a sinister strip club populated by other Full Moon characters. Would you believe, though, that this movie is kinda dumb?
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Logo by Douglas McCambridge
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
Next week's episode: Robot Jox

Friday Jun 09, 2023
Friday Jun 09, 2023
In this episode, we're looking back at the pre-Full Moon days, going back to Charles Band's earlier studio, Empire International Pictures! Empire produced some of the most beloved movies from the entire Band canon, and TRANCERS is definitely among the most loved. This wildly fun 1984 sci-fi thriller stars Tim Thomerson as future cop Jack Deth, who must travel back in time to stop a madman from turning low-intelligence people into killer zombies. Along the way, he teams up with future superstar and Oscar winner Helen Hunt as they tear around mid-90s Los Angeles.
Hosted by Steve Guntli and Jarrod Hornbeck
Logo by Doug McCambridge
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
Next week's episode: Evil Bong

Friday Jun 02, 2023
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Welcome to Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks! On this show, we're going to dig into every movie made by Full Moon Features and it's subsidiary studios, and we could think of no better place to begin than the one that started it all: 1989's PUPPET MASTER! Directed by David Schmoeller from an idea by Full Moon creator Charles Band, this movie introduced the world to Toulon and his cadre of killer puppets, and started one of the longest-running franchises in horror!
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli
Logo by Steve Guntli
Music by Kyle Hornbeck
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks
Next week's episode: Trancers