Do you remember the 1989' horror flick 'Puppet Master'? Well, just forget all about it, because Dustin Mills and his crew took the puppet-horror to another level. It's the same old cheese wrapped in some new and funny looking fabric. Does this take on the traditional genre deliver what you'd expect?What would an 80's horror movie be without a group of teenagers? Exactly, there would be no movie at all. In this case a handful of youngsters receive a letter inviting them to spend a night in the Wagner mansion. They will have a chance to win a million dollars but little do they know what kind of evil is lurking in this Nazi-freak- mansion to stop them from getting anywhere near the money...let alone the exit door. It's the minor setup for a slasher we've all come to love during the seventies and eighties. Still, up to this day it's used... either in a serious matter or flat out frivolous. The Puppet Monster Massacre is definitely a parody on the genre. The typecasting plays a big part. The mad scientist and the wide variety in personalities amongst the teens, ranging from goth to nerd, are enlarged and made sure to be frowned upon.The only major problem to all of the possible fun is the lack of convincing voice acting. The delivery of jokes can sometimes feel a bit flawed. Even though the writing is spot on it simply misses the necessary 'punch' to make it work, and it happens more than once. Although, the ones with a heavy accent were certainly a bit better. It's a shame, because I would be the first to say that this is a brilliant piece of work. Now it's just an awesome and original flick...blegh!! Right?I kid. It's just a bit of a dirty stain on a more than exciting debut with plenty of good old school fun and recognizable cheesiness. It's a wild and entertaining ride that lasts for approximately 70 minutes which is just about right for a film of this sort. This way it remains fresh, surprising and the quality remains at a really decent level. They used a combination of practical effects for the dolls and CGI for the backgrounds. It would've been amazing to see the entire film without any CGI whatsoever, but with such a small budget it probably wouldn't have turned out this good. Now they were enable to pull of some creative and fun visual tricks, allowing themselves to go completely over the top. Take a quick look at the ending and you'll know what I mean. I'm glad I came across the DVD in one of the few Dutch stores that actually imports unknown films such as these. The expectations were high for these puppets and the expectations definitely still remain sky high for Dustin Mills' next project. All I can say at this point is that this guy, and of course the rest of his crew, have proved to be a valuable addition to the genre. Praise the puppets!

As a child, I loved all things puppets...Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Muppets. Along with all things "cute", my parents allowed me to love horror flicks as well. Fast forward 30 years & Dustin W. Mills gives me the best of both worlds with "The Puppet Monster Massacre". I really didn't know what to expect going in but I assure you, I loved it. The writing, the puppets, the FX....all great. Dustin has a love for cinema & it shows throughout not only TPMM, but his other films as well. He proves that with a vision & determination, you can make a great movie with a very low microbudget.So if you like puppetry, puppet boobs, gore, & penguins...you must check this out.

NOTE: DEFINITELY NOT FOR CHILDREN The Puppet Monster Massacre is pretty crazy, and it's hard to say what audience it would most appeal to, but if you're somebody who likes puppets, gore, and monster movies, there is a pretty good shot this movie will work for you.The Good: The voice work on most of the puppets is pretty good, with funny, cartoonish voices in most cases. There are some standard but entertaining gags using the puppets- merry chase scenes, jokes about how inarticulate felt puppet hands are, etc. Oddly, the plot itself is kind of cool, involving a Nazi scientists revenge planned over many years, revealed in a cartoon flashback of WWII that is strangely powerful to a film primarily about silly puppets. For the more comical gore enthused, some of the puppets die in particularly hilarious fashions with enough blood effects to keep it interesting.The Bad: The music of the film is a bit lackluster, which makes some scenes feel very plodding and quiet. A few running gags run so far as to kill the joke. The female voices in the film are a bit under played compared to the goofy male voices around them. Near the end, things take such a dark turn that the comedy of it is nearly destroyed, leading to a somewhat disappointing last few minutes.Overall: Sometimes it didn't know whether it was a comedic film with a horror movie backdrop or a horror film made with puppets, and the ambiguity can turn some people off. If you really find puppets funny or have some kind of hatred for them and wish to seem them rendered, this is probably a good fit for you. The Puppet Monster Massacre is a one of a kind film thats hard to forget, with some cool plot elements that defy it's silly nature. If nothing else, it was an interesting film that kept me watching until the end.