Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

This week we're covering 2006's PETRIFIED, or, as it should have been titled, SPACE MUMMY VS. NYMPHO ACADEMY! That's right, that milquetoast title is hiding one of the weirdest concepts we've encountered so far. Luckily, we're joined by someone uniquely qualified to cover both the mental health and evil mummy sides of this coin: Brian Finnerty, a contributing writer to Macabre Daily and a certified counsellor!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: The Occultist / Cemetery High

Filmmaker and author Jason Paul Collum returns to the show for a special tribute to all things scream queen! We're discussing Jason's 2011 documentary SCREAMING IN HIGH HEELS, which looks at the late-80's B-movie horror phenomenon from the viewpoint of three of it's stalwarts: Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, and Linnea Quigley!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Petrified

Killjoy is back and this time, he's going to hell... or is trying to, anyway. But first he needs to plead his case before a demonic jury to determine if he's evil enough. That's the conceit for the surprisingly clever KILLJOY GOES TO HELL, the fourth in Full Moon's flagship killer clown franchise. We're joined this week by the director and star of the upcoming metal horror film GOATSWORD, Ryan Twyford-Rigley and Benjamin Frankenberg, who cram into the clown car with us to unpack this weird and ambitious treat.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Petrified

Horror streamer and content creator queerdem0n is back this week as we cover the last of David DeCoteau's insane 2-year, 11-movie run, TOTEM! Six strangers arrive in a secluded mansion for reasons they can't explain and face off against some evil stone imps... or something.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Killjoy Goes To Hell

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 Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Totem

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: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Scared

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 Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Murderbot / Chopping Mall 

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: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Deadly End

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: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: End of the World

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 Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: End of the World

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 McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Lurid Tales: The Castle Queen 

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 Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks 

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 into one of the most truly anomalous films we've ever covered on this show. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Don't Let Her In / Bring Her To Me 

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 and offensive depictions of women.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Gun: A Fatal Betrayal

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 of this unfairly maligned entry from Full Moon's wilderness period.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Andromina: The Pleasure Planet

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 song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Demonicus

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 Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Prompt

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.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Prompt

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 great Ted Nicolaou!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Femalien

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 Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Magic in the Mirror/Magic In The Mirror: Fowl Play

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  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: The Killer Eye/Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt

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: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Teen Sorcery

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 their YouTube channel at @MovieDumpster, and thanks again to Joe and Sean for having us on!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Darkwalker

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 and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Dark Walker

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 song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Final Stab

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 Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: The Vault

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 talk about Corey Feldman! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Teenage Space Vampires 

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 song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Puppet Master Legacy/Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys

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 McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Valet Girls

A 16th-century samurai is frozen and awakens in 1980s Los Angeles in GHOST WARRIOR (aka SWORDKILL), a fun and strangely beautiful Empire actioner! Alex Ayling of the Mates From Hell and Evolution of Horror is back to help us unpack this semi-lost treat, which features the sole American film performance from Japanese TV star Hiroshi Fujioka.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong

Critic and podcaster Scott Weinberg joins the prestigious three-timers club as we roll the clock back to the early 1980s for THE ALCHEMIST! This long-shelved supernatural thriller had a troubled production and struggles from a decided lack of energy, but it gives us the opportunity to talk about a few weird pockets of early 80s B-cinema, including the late-career action turn of Robert Ginty and other deliriously weird rabbit holes.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Ghost Warrior 

Get ready for some good old-fashioned early-80s grime with the violent revenge thriller WALKING THE EDGE! The amazing Caroline Johnson from Terror Terroir joins us to wade through this gleefully sleazy Robert Forster/Nancy Kwan/Joe Spinell vehicle, and helps us find the perfect wine pairing for the occasion.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: The Alchemist 

We're going on a bit of a side quest this week, because why not? For this special bonus episode, we sit down with Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures, which produces documentaries and bonus features for DVDs! We nerd out with Michael about how he got into the industry, some of our favorite DVD extras, and some of his favorite Empire projects.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Walking the Edge

Saddle up, cowgirls, because we're heading off to the distant and sexy world of PETTICOAT PLANET, one of the last true Torchlight films. Kolleen Carney-Hoepfner is back to talk about this erotic journey into the old west of outer space (it's complicated), and why this might be one of the most fun movies in the Torchlight canon. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Walking the Edge

Author John Collins joins this week for a little slice of deep film history. FILMGORE is part of a nearly-dead genre of compilation films, in this case splicing together the goriest scenes from movies like BLOOD FEAST, DRILLER KILLER and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE into bite-sized chunks, all hosted by yours cruelly, Elvira Mistress of the Dark! We get to talk about some fascinating little pockets of film history here, from the early home video boom to the career of the Wizard of Gore himself, Herschel Gordon Lewis.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Petticoat Planet

We're ripping the band-aid with this one, folks. This week is all about the... let's say racially insensitive killer doll movie OOGA BOOGA, a riff on the classic "Trilogy of Terror" sequence that feels deeply out of place in 2013. It's a bit of a tough sit for your well-meaning hosts, but it was made much more enjoyable thanks to our special guest, actor and writer Rigo Garay, who lends his wit and perspective to an otherwise pretty unpleasant film.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Filmgore

This week, multi-thousand-year-old creature from beneath the streets of Brooklyn Martin Monster joins us for a double-dose (or is that doll-ble dose?) of tiny action with DOLL GRAVEYARD and DANGEROUS WORRY DOLLS! The former is a noble attempt to relaunch Full Moon with a new line of killer toys, while the latter is truly one of the strangest films we've covered on this show, a latter-day women-in-prison movie with some standout performances and a good amount of ick.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Ooga Booga

A new generation of tiny terrors stalks an old Italian castle and the weirdos that reside within in 2009's SKULL HEADS! We're joined this week by the great Diana Goodman of the Thirty Twenty Ten podcast for the prurient thrills of this dysfunctional family drama, featuring a standout turn from the Queen of Full Moon Robin Sydney!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Doll Graveyard / Dangerous Worry Dolls 

HG Wells' classic sci-fi story gets a pseudo-sequel, and Charles Band goes back to shooting on film with DR. MOREAU'S HOUSE OF PAIN! Austin-based actor Brennan Patrick joins us for a discussion of this odd little movie which served as something of a last gasp of the classic era of Full Moon before the Evil Bongs and Gingerdead Men starting running the joint.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Logo by Douglas McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Skullheads

Writer and filmmaker Sean Redlitz joins us this week for one of our most recent releases, 2024's AI-powered thriller QUADRANT! This stylish little thriller reteams Charles Band and one of his most reliable collaborators, screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner, but does the AI of it all impact the enjoyability? Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Dr. Moreau's House of Pain

We're going guestless this week to discuss one of Full Moon's all-timers, the gleefully batshit southern gothic noir meets freakshow HEAD OF THE FAMILY! It's one of our very favorite Full Moon movies, and we're excited to be celebrating the film, and ushering in our theme month of Noirvember, in which we watch the "Noir" versions" of classic Full Moon favorites!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Quadrant

Devin Hamilton (BLEED, DELTA DELTA DIE) unleashes his distinctly entertaining vision of teenage witchcraft with BIRTH RITE! We're joined this week by the incredible Angel Melanson of Fangoria to chat all about the history of the teen witch trend and some of the deeply batshit choices this movie embraces.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Head of the Family 

Horror streamer and podcaster queerdem0n joins us this week for BAD CGI GATOR, a paragon of truth in advertising if there ever was one. This goofy recent Full Moon joint has a lot of fun with it's fourth-wall breaking concept, but does it go silly enough?  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Birth Rite

For this special mini bonus episode, we're recounting the magical weekend we spent in the Cleve attending Charles Band's Church of Chills 3 event! We got to meet some old friends face-to-face, watch SUBSPECIES II with a room full of fans, and finally got to meet Charles Band in person!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Bad CGI Gator 

Shot at the tail end of the Tempe era, DEAD AND ROTTING is a nasty little witchcraft thriller that feels tonally far removed from the typical Full Moon fare.  It's a bold and interesting flick with some real talent behind it, including our guest Jeffrey Sisson, who appears in the film and has worked a range of odd jobs for Full Moon over the years! NOTE: This is the first of a small run of episodes in which Jarrod's mic is a little wonky; we get it sorted out eventually, and it sounds perfectly fine, just a heads up that it's not the usual quality.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Bad CGI Gator 

Doug McCambridge is back on the show for what may be our hardest-to-find movie yet: 1988's CATACOMBS! David Schmoeller's demonic horror film had the misfortune of being completed around the time Empire Films shuttered. It spent years in limbo before eventually being released as CURSE IV: THE ULTIMATE SACRIFIC, an unrelated sequel to an obscure 1987 Wil Wheaton movie. We dig into the movie's fascinating history, and are sure to set aside plenty of time to rant about the ineptitudes of Daily Motion.  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Dead and Rotting

This week we're thrilled to be joined by underground horror icon Debbie Rochon! Debbie has been in dozens of classic B-movies from Troma, Full Moon and everyone in between. We talk to Debbie about her experience coming up in the industry, recognizing the talent of a young James Gunn in TROMEO & JULIET, and of course all about her experience working with Full Moon. She's every bit as awesome as you'd hope, and we're psyched to have gotten to chat with her!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Catacombs

We're digging way into the archives this week for one of Empire's semi-lost treasures: the anthology film PULSE POUNDERS! Shot in 1987, the film was intended to be a package of three short films, two of which would mark the first returns to previous Empire favorites; sadly, when the company went under, the unfinished 35MM print was destroyed, and the film was thought lost until 2011, when VHS prints of two of the segments (TRANCERS: CITY OF ANGELS and THE EVIL CLERGYMAN) were discovered and re-released in an admittedly rough form. We're joined by the great Rachel Reeves of the HALLOWEENIES and LOSER'S CLUB podcasts!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Catacombs

It's time for another mid-90's David DeCoteau joint, with 100% more POWER RANGERS and about the same amount of hot boys in their underwear. We're talking about 1998's TALISMAN, DeCoteau's low-budget riff on SUSPIRIA, and we're chatting all about it with the amazing Meredith Borders, writer and editor from FANGORIA!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Pulse Pounders

We're stepping back into the world of Lovecraft for THE RESONATOR! This streaming-series-turned-epic-length-film brings back characters from FROM BEYOND and RE-ANIMATOR to offer a new spin on those classic stories with just a touch of RIVERDALE-style teen cool. We're joined by writer and critic Topher Hansson for THE RESONATOR: MISKATONIC U, BEYOND THE RESONATOR, and CURSE OF THE RE-ANIMATOR!  Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli  Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck  Logo by Doug McCambridge  Email: [email protected] Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks  YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks  Next week's episode: Talisman