Having been brought up on a televisual diet of British Hammer Horor & Ray Harryhausen stop motion monsters of the late 60's, early 70's, I came to apprieciate the diligence, artisty & elegance of stop motion animation, so it comes as no surpize to me, when I got my paws on "Puppet Master" video in the early 90's, I absolutely loved it!
Puppet Master begins in the 1930's at a hotel where a puppeteer is hard at work creating his dolls while a Samuri doll keeps look out. 2 strange men enter & tiny puppet feet can be heard scrurrying through the hotel lobby. In the supposed present day psychics meet up to plot against a former collegue who use puppets brought to life via a ancient Egyptian spell. When they arrive to find the collegue dead, however he has left spacific instructions for the others to follow. That night at the hotel the puppets stir & a creepy night of fun, capers & horror follow....
This movie is imaginative, entertaining & funny. It blends these together with a well told story, even if some of the acting is just above average. But the photography is superb, & plays on the viewers imagination in many scenes. However our little horrific puppet friends are an absolute delight! They are all animated with Harryhausenesque "stop motion capture" & rather than make this look unsophistocated & dated, this actually ADDS to the malevolence & sinister characters to the hideous puppets. This movie simply would not have worked with CGI, even though the tech (although basic) was avilable at the time. It's pacing, with classic horror tropes like mainical laughter, creaking doors & pianos played by unseen forces, is carried well & the script, while weak in places, is rather good. & Although this movie could be classed as a slasher, I would say it's more spooky, than slasher, but all the elements are there. Overall this is a well made, entertaining retro horror film. It is by no means a mark of genius, but you do get the sense a lot of love, care & attention to detail went into making this movie. I am sure even today's older teens will like it too, if they enjoy the genre. This is not a long movie so will not bore, & there is only mild sex, partial nudity & slight foul language, which is a complet breeze when compared to today's movies. There is no socialist agenda either, making Puppet Master a literal no stings attached, pure entertainment movie!
0 out of 2 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Tell Your Friends