Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

Episode 159: The Killer Eye/Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt (with Katie Rife)

This week, we're checking out the double feature of KILLER EYE and KILLER EYE: HALLOWEEN HAUNT, and for at least one of our intrepid hosts, we may have hit the bottom of the barrel. Luckily, we're joined by film critic extraordinaire Katie Rife, who helps us wade through the bizarrely indifferent muck of these two sexploitation films. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Magic in the Mirror/Magic In The Mirror: Fowl Play

Episode 158: Teen Sorcery (with Becky Darke)

We're back talking about latter-day Moonbeam movies, when Canadian/Romanian concern Canarom took over the brand, and this time we're focusing on some teens conducting some sorcery in, appropriately enough, TEEN SORCERY! Becky Darke is officially anointed a Freaky on her third appearance as we talk 90s fashions, CGI dragons and of course Ernest Borgnine.
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: The Killer Eye/Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt

Episode 157: Dark Walker (with Brian W. Smith)

An ancient evil wreaks havoc on a smalltown amusement park in Danny Draven's 2003 indie DARK WALKER! Made for just about $15,000, the movie has the scrappy mentality of a fun side project with friends, but how does it hold up? We'll get into it with returning guest Brian W. Smith! 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Teen Sorcery

BONUS: Episode 156: Ragdoll (with Movie Dumpster)

The boys at the Movie Dumpster podcast have very graciously agreed to let us run an episode from their show on which Jarrod and Steve guested to discuss RAGDOLL! This 1999 film kicked off the Alchemy/Big City Pictures sublabel, and before now we had only discussed it on the MD feed. Now, it's here for your listening enjoyment! Please be sure to check out the amazing Movie Dumpster podcast and their YouTube channel at @MovieDumpster, and thanks again to Joe and Sean for having us on! 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Darkwalker

Episode 155: Final Stab (with Richard Newby)

David DeCoteau takes on SCREAM with the rare Full Moon slasher film FINAL STAB! Borrowing elements from pop slashers of the time, as well as older movies like APRIL FOOLS DAY, this flick pits a bunch of savvy twentysomethings against a masked killer. We're joined once again by the great Richard Newby, who helps us try to unravel and make sense of the film's many twists. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Dark Walker

Episode 154: The Vault (with Xero Gravity)

NYC horror icon and FANGORIA cover model Xero Gravity is back to help us crack open THE VAULT, a 2001 haunted house thriller from Big City Pictures! We have a fascinating discussion about the overuse of slavery images in black-led horror films, and chart the rise and fall of Alchemy/Big City Pictures as the sublabel moves to shut down forever. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Final Stab

Episode 153: Teenage Space Vampires (with Avery Coffey)

Space vampires invade a small Romanian... sorry, Californian town, and Moonbeam struggles to find its footing in the Kushner-Locke era, in TEENAGE SPACE VAMPIRES from 1998! We're joined this week by New York horror icon Avery Coffey, who helps us break down the baffling production decisions and impossibly terrible sound editing of this odd little tween flick.  
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: The Vault

Episode 152: Puppet Master: The Legacy / Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys (with Nat Brehmer)

The PUPPET MASTER series hits an inflection point this week as we cover the 2003 compilation film PUPPET MASTER: THE LEGACY and the 2004 made-for-Sci Fi-channel crossover PUPPET MASTER VS. DEMONIC TOYS! PM expert and author Nat Brehmer returns once again to lend his expertise to two of the most anomalous entries in the series to date as the franchise tries to reclaim its identity. Plus, tons of talk about Corey Feldman!
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Teenage Space Vampires 

Episode 151: Valet Girls (with Erin Dawn)

Park it, mister! This week, Erin Dawn of the Manic Movie Monday podcast returns to help us tackle the sweetly sleazy, deeply 80's showbiz satire VALET GIRLS! By all appearances a dumb T&A comedy, this movie managed to surprise us by having a lot more going on under the hood than it's lowbrow premise suggests, and we had a ball digging into it. 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Puppet Master Legacy/Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys

Episode 150: Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong (with Mary Beth McAndrews)

For our 150th episode extravaganza, we're bringing together two of Full Moon's signature characters for the crossover event of our lifetime: GINGERDEAD MAN VS. EVIL BONG! Writer and filmmaker Mary Beth McAndrews joins us for this crusty and stoney horror comedy that dares you to ask the question: huh? 
Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli 
Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck 
Logo by Doug McCambridge 
Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com
Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks 
YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 
Next week's episode: Valet Girls