Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

Get ready to get SCARED! Also known as CUT THROAT, this deeply obscure slasher was a pickup for Full Moon, and features some of the oddest material we've covered so far, but also some of the most ambitious filmmaking. We're excited to be joined by Fangoria superstar BJ Colangelo about this truly weird little movie.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by D...

This week, we're discussing MURDERBOT, a 2023 Jim Wynorski film about a killer robot gone awry. But since MURDERBOT is only 46 minutes long, we decided to also talk about another Jim Wynorski film about killer robots gone awry, the 1986 cult classic CHOPPING MALL!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gm...

Well, that was fucked up.  This week, we're talking about probably the most extreme movie in our entire catalog: DEADLY END, a 2008 obscurity that blends David Lynch with John Waters for a visceral, disgusting, hugely memorable experience. We're joined by the man who helped us unearth this video nasty, Fangoria legend and horror historian Michael Gingold!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntl...

It's the END OF THE WORLD as we know it, but we feel fine, because we have returning guests Marc Gottlieb and Amber Kloss on this week! Marc and Amber help us try to make sense of this drab 1977 production, which features the PM/CF debut of horror icon Christopher Lee!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: puppetmasterscastlefrea...

As a special treat this week, Jarrod sits down with writer/director Anita Rosenberg, the woman who helmed the cult favorite ASSAULT OF THE KILLER BIMBOS!  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 episod...

Torchlight Films takes a bow with the silly and sexy 1997 skin flick LURID TALES: THE CASTLE QUEEN! This VR history drama (yes, really) is a bodice ripper in the proudest tradition, and so we had to bring in an expert in the genre: author and filmmaker Amanda Jane Stern, who lends her expertise to the film's historical inaccuracies and bizarre depiction of sex-adjacent activities.  Hosted by Jarro...

This week we're going guestless for a couple of shorter recent thrillers from a couple of Full Moon stalwarts. First, we're checking out the retro yuppie thriller vibes of Ted Nicolaou's DON'T LET HER IN. Then, we're hopping into bed with the dream thriller BRING HER TO ME from director Brooks Davis!   Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridg...

As a special bonus, we sat down for an interview with author, writer, and indie horror filmmaker Brad Sykes! In addition to directing films like CAMP BLOOD, PLAGUERS, GOTH, and many others, Brad worked first-hand on a number of Full Moon projects in the 90s, and he's here to share his first-hand experience of working with David DeCoteau, Charles Band, and a number of other FM luminaries. Hosted by...

We truly never expected that we'd get to cover Hollywood legends like Robert Altman, James Gandolfini, Daryl Hannah, Rosanna Arquette, and Jennifer Tilly on this show, but that's exactly the opportunity presented to us this week! We're talking about GUN: A FATAL BETRAYAL, two re-edited episodes of a failed anthology series from 1997! We're joined by filmmaker Ted Schaefer, who lends his insights i...

This week we're travelling to a planet inhabited entirely by sexy women... again. We're talking about ANDROMINA: THE PLEASURE PLANET, a hilariously bargain-basement softcore that's revisiting some well-worn territory. Luckily, we're joined by the amazing actor/writer/artist John Gholson, star of the films MAN FINDS TAPE and FUCK MY SON, who helps us make sense of this film's insane leaps of logic...

Memento mori! This week, we're talking about the film that may have the lowest budget of any in the Full Moon canon (and that's really saying something): DEMONICUS, a 2001 thriller about an ancient Roman gladiator who takes over the body of a hapless hiker and starts wreaking havoc through the "Alps." We're joined this week by Cam Sully of the Jacked Up Review Show podcast, who helps us make sense...

We're firing up the Velvet Engine to talk about Charles Band's most recent film, 2025's PROMPT! Band is experimenting once again with AI filmmaking, although this one has a little bit more on its mind than some of our previous Gen AI features. We're going guestless to dive deep into this most recent Full Moon feature, so be prepared for spoilers!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme...

As a special bonus, we're delighted to get the opportunity to speak with Linda Hassani and Michael C. Mahon, the director and co-star, respectively, of the 1994 Full Moon classic DARK ANGEL: THE ASCENT! The two give us the behind-the-scenes scoop on the making of the film, the experience of shooting in Bucharest, and the surprising legacy the film still has.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Gu...

Meisner technique. Hal Ashby movies. These are obviously the topics you expect to come up in relation to the 1996 softcore FEMALIEN, so of course we talk about those topics and more! We're joined this week by the lovely actress, writer, and producer Asta Paredes, who helps us dissect this good-hearted piece of seminal Skinemax sleaze with way more thought and attention than it probably needs.  Hos...

Finally, the film series that recognizes ducks as the bloodthirsty monsters they really are! This week, Kelly from the great Taboo Terrors podcast is back to discuss MAGIC IN THE MIRROR and its simultaneously-shot sequel, FOWL PLAY, two Moonbeam movies that draw a lot of inspiration from WIZARD OF OZ... plus some other plot developments that are totally unique. A fun couple of kids films from the...

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...

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 ...

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: puppetmaste...

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 thei...

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...

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 son...

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...

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 ta...

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...

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 McCambridg...