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Puppet Master

Play trailer Poster for Puppet Master R 1989 1h 30m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Assailed by nightmarish visions, Alex Whitaker (Paul Le Mat) and his fellow psychics descend on the Bodega Bay Inn. There, they discover that their compatriot Neil (Jimmie F. Scaggs) has apparently committed suicide. But, as the gruesome visions continue, they sense that there's still something sinister afoot. When they find themselves hunted by a band of homicidal marionettes created by twisted puppeteer Andre Toulon (William Hickey), they discover they're right.
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Puppet Master

Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
C.H. Newell Father Son Holy Gore With some weird, awesome puppets, a nice finale, and an interesting theme hovering over it all, Puppetmaster's a unique piece of the late '80s. Rated: 3/5 May 1, 2019 Full Review Heather Wixson Dread Central While the movie has terrific atmosphere and set designs, it's the iconic posse of killer puppets that have cemented Puppet Master in horror history as a campy cult classic. Rated: 3/5 Jan 4, 2012 Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed The performances are strong and visuals quite eloquent... Jul 15, 2011 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Sep 25, 2005 Full Review Jules Brenner Cinema Signals Rated: 1/5 Feb 25, 2005 Full Review Walter Chaw Film Freak Central Rated: 2/5 Jul 20, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Daniel C. M If it wasn't for the sheer staleness and how boring this movie is, i would have rated WAY higher. The kills and story are very nice, but of course, the puppets steal the show as always, both pratically and in-universe; the stop-motion here is crazy good, and they managed to define every puppet's distinct personality without them ever needing to speak or convey facial expressions. It's such a shame this is like, a 30 minute story AT BEST, inflated to a 90 minute runtime; completly unnecessary and boring scenes plague this movie. Still, if you want to get into the franchise, you should give this one a watch. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/08/24 Full Review Tyler B Little minions working togeather to complete their kills makes the "demon doll genere" a cool one. No wonder it spawned a franchise that's still making hits a decade later. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/27/24 Full Review JUAN D NOSSA o filme é muito divertido os bonecos tem uns efeitos bem legais esse é o meu favorito Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/06/24 Full Review Audience Member The first installment in a line of many sequels from Full Moon Pictures Director David Schmoeller helms the first installment focusing on a group of living marionettes thanks to creator Charles Band Taking place at the Bodega Inn Hotel in 1939 a puppet maker played by the late William Hickey has created puppets that move on their own Flash to present day some new guests have checked in One of them Alex starts having psychic visions along with other psychics about one of their compatriots committing suicide But they soon discover more carnage as the tiny puppets make their way around; they include Blade, Ms. Leech, Jester, Pinhead, Tunneler, Shredder, and Gengi There’s terrific puppeteer work from the mini monsters themselves although it takes a while for them to show up It’s not particularly scary and the bigger stuff doesn’t happen until the very end A bit rough around the edges and the execution has a lot to be desired Yet this did lead to many sequels and spin-offs being a cult classic Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/12/24 Full Review Audience Member As my first horror movie I liked how it made such an impact for my love of horror but the puppet cast in the first film was good enough. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/09/24 Full Review SuperSmashBros U Watched because of Dead Meat, do not regret it. CULT. CLASSIC. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Puppet Master

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Movie Info

Synopsis Assailed by nightmarish visions, Alex Whitaker (Paul Le Mat) and his fellow psychics descend on the Bodega Bay Inn. There, they discover that their compatriot Neil (Jimmie F. Scaggs) has apparently committed suicide. But, as the gruesome visions continue, they sense that there's still something sinister afoot. When they find themselves hunted by a band of homicidal marionettes created by twisted puppeteer Andre Toulon (William Hickey), they discover they're right.
Director
David Schmoeller
Producer
Hope Perello
Screenwriter
David Schmoeller
Production Co
Empire Pictures, Full Moon Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Ultra-Stereo, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)
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