Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

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 

Crash & Burn / Robot Wars (with John Torrani)

After the collapse of Empire, Stuart Gordon's ROBOT JOX got a delayed release under a new distributor, and Charles Band was quick to respond with not one but two films that marketed themselves as direct follow-ups to Gordon's mech-battling adventure, even if that wasn't exactly true. 1990's CRASH & BURN is more of a locked-room murder mystery than a mech fighter, and 1993's ROBOT WARS, while definitely delivering on it's title, shares very little plot similarities with JOX, and even recycles some cast members in new roles. We're digging into both of these with returning guest John Torrani, the world's foremost expert on all things ROBOT JOX! 
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: Prison 

Delta Delta Die (with Heather Wixson)

Some sororities raise money through car washes or bake sales, but the girls of Delta Delta Pi make their money with their meat pies... just don't question where the meat is coming from. We're talking about DELTA DELTA DIE, a highly campy 2003 horror comedy that features iconic B-movie scream queens Brinke Stevens and Julie Strain! We're joined by author and journalist Heather Wixson for this fun little slice of Z-grade cheese!
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: Crash & Burn / Robot Wars 

The Dead Hate the Living! (with Dave Parker)

A horde of zombie wreaks havoc on a film set in 2000's THE DEAD HATE THE LIVING!, a witty throwback to classic horror that boasts some great monster designs and a deep genre knowledge! We're joined this week by none other than the film's director and writer, Dave Parker, who gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and shares some great stories about working at Full Moon! 
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: Delta Delta Die! 

Dolls (with Heather Buckley)

Filmmaker, producer, and all-around badass Heather Buckley joins us this week to talk about Stuart Gordon's DOLLS, the last of the films from our beloved Arrow Video Empire of Screams boxed set! This dark fairy tale is a slight change of pace for Gordon's hardcore repertoire, but it's still a movie with its charms and effectively creepy moments. 
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 Hate the Living!