x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

puppetmasterscastlefreaks

This is the definitive Full Moon Features podcast! Each week, we’re going to watch a different film from Charles Band’s madcap universe of low-budget horror thrillers, encompassing not only the Full Moon films but also the earlier stable of Empire International Pictures and sub-labels like Moonbeam and Torchlight!

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:18:02

Puppet Master 4 / Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter...

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/06/14

We're back in Toulon's territory this week for a pair of PUPPET MASTER sequels that at one point were going to be one theatrically-released film! PUPPET MASTER scholar Nat Brehmer returns to the show as we talk through parts 4 and 5 of Full Moon's flagship, as the puppets transition from baddies to goodies and take on a new threat from the demonic underworld. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email:

en

01:02:20

Corona Zombies (with Hoff Matthews)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/06/07

Charles Band wasn't going to let a tiny thing like a massive global pandemic stop him from making movies. Released only one month after the lockdown was initiated, CORONA ZOMBIES was cobbled together from two wildly different films, with wraparound footage of a ditzy blonde and her search for toilet paper brought in to tie it together. It's as chintzy and dumb as it sounds, but it's also a testament to Band's indefatigable work ethic and true exploitation film bona fides. Comedian Hoff Matthews

en

01:06:38

Assault of the Killer Bimbos (with Becky Darke)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/05/31

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

en

01:02:54

Vicious Lips (with Doug McCambridge)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/05/24

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

en

01:05:17

Troll (with Abby Denson)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/05/17

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

en

01:15:20

BONUS: An Interview with Jeff Farley

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/05/14

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.

en

01:02:13

Filmonsters: Frankenstein Reborn and The Werewolf...

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/05/10

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

en

01:10:40

Prison (with Scott Weinberg)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/05/03

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

en

01:07:25

Crash & Burn / Robot Wars (with John Torrani)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/04/26

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

en

01:00:35

Delta Delta Die (with Heather Wixson)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/04/19

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

en

01:00:18

The Dead Hate the Living! (with Dave Parker)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/04/12

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:

en

01:03:11

Dolls (with Heather Buckley)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/04/05

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:

en

01:00:33

Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity (with Ted Geoghegan)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/03/29

One of the only films on our list to get name-checked on the floor of the Senate, the goofy and utterly harmless sexploitation thriller SLAVE GIRLS FROM BEYOND INIFITY hides a good heart behind it's lurid title. We're so excited to be discussing this film with a true afficionado, filmmaker Ted Geoghegan, director of WE ARE STILL HERE, MOHAWK, and BROOKLYN 45! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email:

en

01:19:58

BONUS: Ranking the First 50!

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/03/26

We've now covered 50 films in our ill-advised odyssey through the depths of Full Moon! We wanted to take the opportunity to look back at the film's we've covered so far, as well as clean up our long-neglected rankings list! 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: Slave Girls From Beyond

en

48:11

Ghost Town (with Brad Hanson)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/03/22

Howdy, pardners! We're heading to the old west for the supernatural oater GHOST TOWN! This hard-to-find late Empire film was reportedly released unfinished, but still earned a small cult following nonetheless. UK podcast great Brad Hanson (Ex-Rental, Evolution of Horror, Fresh Blood) joins us on our odyssey of ghost cowboys and dueling skeletons. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email:

en

01:04:30

The Gingerdead Man / The Gingerdead Man 2: The...

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/03/15

Run, run, run as fast as you can, it's time for the Gingerdead Man! One of Full Moon's signature tiny terrors makes his Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks debut with two wild movies that are almost as unhinged as star Gary Busey. The great Adam Torkel joins us to talk about the original THE GINGERDEAD MAN and its deeply surprising sequel, THE PASSION OF THE CRUST! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email:

en

01:07:09

Beach Babes From Beyond / Beach Babes 2: Cave Girl...

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/03/08

We're back behind the beaded curtain for another pair of Torchlight classics, BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND and BEACH BABES 2: CAVE GIRL ISLAND. Erin Dawn of the Manic Movie Monday podcast moshes on the beach with us through these two scantily-clad romps. 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

en

01:04:14

Intruder (with Mike Muncer)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/03/01

INTRUDER can almost be considered the lost Sam Raimi film. Written and directed by EVIL DEAD II scribe Scott Spiegel and featuring appearances by Bruce Campbell and both Sam and Ted Raimi, this supermarket slasher has the same scrappy spirit and gruesome gore of Raimi's legendary works. We're digging into it with none other than Mike Muncer, host of the incredible Evolution of Horror podcast! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email:

en

01:07:20

BONUS: An Interview with Ted Nicolaou!

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/02/27

We're so excited this week to get to speak to Mr. Ted Nicolaou! Ted is an editor, writer, and director who has helmed more than a dozen Empire and Full Moon films to date, including TERRORVISION, BAD CHANNELS, and the entire SUBSPECIES franchise! We chat with Ted about his wild and varied career and get some insight into how a Full Moon movie comes to life.Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email:

en

01:03:10

TerrorVision (with Patrick Hamilton)

Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks ·

2024/02/23

Strap in for a wild and goopy good time with Ted Nicolaou's TERRORVISION, a weird and funny satire of suburban 80s excess with one of Empire's strangest monsters! We're joined this week by Patrick Hamilton, one half of the absolutely essential Kill By Kill podcast, as we dissect this silly and fun little gem. And be sure to tune in later this week when we have an interview with the director of TERRORVISION, the SUBSPECIES series (and about a dozen other Full Moon/Empire classics) Ted Nicolaou! Our

en

140 results

Similar Podcasts

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Nerd Culture - A Gamekings Podcast

Blammo Media

UPodcast

UPodcast

The Writers Hangout

Sandy Adomaitis

The Sarah Fraser Show

Sarah Fraser