Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks puppetmasterscastlefreaks

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 

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. 

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

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 

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 

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