Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

Eliminators (with Shea Mossefin)

A robot warrior. A scientist. A mercenary. A ninja. What happens if we put them all in the Florida swamps and sent rednecks after them? Let's find out, with the high-octane thrills of ELIMINATORS! Black VVideo's Shea Mossefin returns for this gleeful genre pastiche that seems to be every 80s B-movie in one. 
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: Pet Shop 

The Dead Want Women (with Jerry J. Sampson)

Hollywood gets haunted this week in the surprisingly audacious 2012 direct-to-Redbox feature THE DEAD WANT WOMEN! Starring the ubiquitous B-movie legend Eric Roberts, this film starts off with a bang in Hollywood's roaring 20's to tell it's sleazy tale of fame, sex, and the occult. Writer Jerry J. Sampson joins us this week for this wild romp. 
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: Eliminators 

Puppet Master 4 / Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter (with Nat Brehmer)

We're back in Toulon's territory this week for a pair of PUPPET MASTER sequels that at one point were going to be one theatrically-released film! PUPPET MASTER scholar Nat Brehmer returns to the show as we talk through parts 4 and 5 of Full Moon's flagship, as the puppets transition from baddies to goodies and take on a new threat from the demonic underworld. 
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 Dead Want Women 

Corona Zombies (with Hoff Matthews)

Charles Band wasn't going to let a tiny thing like a massive global pandemic stop him from making movies. Released only one month after the lockdown was initiated, CORONA ZOMBIES was cobbled together from two wildly different films, with wraparound footage of a ditzy blonde and her search for toilet paper brought in to tie it together. It's as chintzy and dumb as it sounds, but it's also a testament to Band's indefatigable work ethic and true exploitation film bona fides. Comedian Hoff Matthews joins us this week as we analyze this odd little comedy that captures a very specific time in amber. 
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 4 / Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter 

Assault of the Killer Bimbos (with Becky Darke)

One of the only female-directed films in the entire Empire/Full Moon canon, Anita Rosenberg's ASSAULT OF THE KILLER BIMBOS is a funny, sunny sexploitation romp that's just a little bit smarter than it has to be. Returning guest Becky Darke joins us to discuss the film's weirdly tragic cast, the relative merits of being a bimbo, and whether or not this film inspired THELMA & LOUISE (sounds far-fetched, but there's a strong argument to be made). 
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: Corona Zombies 

Vicious Lips (with Doug McCambridge)

An all-girl rock band in the future must make it across the galaxy for a high-end gig; sounds like the perfect set-up for a cult movie doesn't it? But Albert Pyun's barely-released VICIOUS LIPS from 1987 has much weirder ideas in store. We dig into the production with returning guest Doug McCambridge, who helps us try to make sense of all the catfighting, big wigs, and bizarre plot developments. 
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: Assault of the Killer Bimbos 

Troll (with Abby Denson)

The oft-overlooked precursor to one of the great bad movies of all time, TROLL was a mid-grade hit for Empire that has cast a surprisingly long shadow. From introducing a few major careers to possibly inspiring one of the most beloved literary characters of all time, this modest GREMLINS knock-off has had more of a cultural footprint than you might expect. We're joined this week by author and artist Abby Denson (@abbydenson on Instagram) for this magical delight. 
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: Vicious Lips 

BONUS: An Interview with Jeff Farley

Over his career spanning nearly 50 years, Jeff Farley has designed makeup and special effects for hundreds of films. From major productions like THE BLOB (1989), ALIEN 3, and DEATH BECOMES HER to tiny Full Moon projects like BLOOD DOLLS, EVIL BONG 2, and GINGERDEAD MAN 3, Farley's done just about everything the effects world has to offer. We spoke with Jeff about his experience, the films that inspired him, and his time with Empire and Full Moon. 

Filmonsters: Frankenstein Reborn and The Werewolf Reborn (with John Gholson)

One of the briefest and strangest sublabels in Full Moon's history, Filmonsters was trying to capitalize on a very specific niche, namely the success of the GOOSEBUMPS TV series and it's subsequent VHS spin-offs. These two family-friendly riffs on classic Universal Monsters were intended to be part of a longer series, but petered out after only two simultaneously-released entries. Actor, writer, and artist John Gholson joins us to discuss this weird footnote and share his love of Frankenstein tales. 
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: Troll

Prison (with Scott Weinberg)

Before he became one of Hollywood's most in-demand blockbuster filmmakers, Renny Harlin was just a brash kid from Finland who proved his chops with a small American horror film called PRISON, starring some nobody named Viggo Mortensen! Returning guest Scott Weinberg joins us as we unearth this neglected gem of a horror flick, featuring an amazing bench of character actors and some memorably gruesome kills! 
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: Filmonsters: Frankenstein Reborn and The Werewolf Reborn