5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A scientist attempts to master the art of transferring people's souls into puppets.
Starring: George Peck, Emily Harrison, Matthew Jason Walsh, Robert Donavan, Jason-Shane ScottHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Charles Band and his Full Moon empire certainly seem to have a good thing going, or at least did back in the day. He and his studio have mastered the art of the small budget B-film and understand the value not of a simple sequel or two but of a bonafide franchise in keeping fans invested in a particular character, characters, world, or worlds. Nothing exemplifies the Full Moon formula and Band's vision for it quite like the Puppet Master franchise, a stalwart of the Full Moon vault and the proverbial granddaddy of the B-grade budget Horror franchise. Memorable characters, crazy plots, and plenty of twists and turns over the years have kept the franchise fresh. 1998's Curse of the Puppet Master continues with the legacy. The sixth film in a franchise of, now, 13 films if one includes the upcoming Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, it's easily one of the best of the franchise and a pretty solid standalone film in its own right, too.
Upon beginning playback, viewers are greeted with the following text regarding the Blu-ray presentation:
Note that Curse of the Puppet Master is presented totally uncut in HD using the original 35mm negative but, due to the fact that
some of
that negative was also lost over time, the original SD and digi-beta videotape master were also used in order to fully restore the film. This release
stands as the definitive version.
With that in mind, Full Moon's 1080p Blu-ray presentation of Curse of the Puppet Master delivers a very good picture when it's on,
sourced from the original film elements (where available) and restored at 2K. The image is pleasantly filmic and organic, presenting with a healthy,
largely even and unobtrusive grain structure that only sees a snowy spike in shadowy corners that are themselves a bit too pale to fully enjoy. But
facial textures are organic and adequately complex, puppet close-ups are intimately revealing, and various environments, particularly evenly lit
exteriors, showcase sharp, accurate textures. Colors are even and neutral, lacking extreme vividness and saturation but never appearing faded or
overly
pushed to warm.
The first SD insert may be seen around 2:44 mark, the second at 9:25, that one lasting an entire sequence rather than a single shot. Several others
appear throughout. One can spot the massive degradation in quality instantly. There's no denying that the transition is jarring, particularly as one
becomes more absorbed in the film. Unfortunately, one of the film's most grotesque kills at the hands of the puppets around the 51 minute mark is
in
SD, too, severely limiting the scene. Ignoring the unavoidable insert shots that are the difference between a handful of poor quality shots, scenes,
and
sequences and not having the movie on Blu-ray at all, it's hard to argue with the results. Better to have the movie as a patchwork presentation than
not have the movie at all.
Curse of the Puppet Master's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack scuffles along at times, but for the most part it's serviceable-to-good. Musical width is fine, surround implantation is light and balanced. There's a crunchiness to a few notes here and there, but nothing too disconcerting. The familiar Puppet Master refrain can be little sharp. Natural exterior ambience settles in nicely, and rolling thunder around the 55-minute mark proves engaging and effortless. Surrounds are engaged sparsely in all areas. Dialogue is generally fine, well positioned and prioritized, though a few stretches do sound a little shallow. On the whole, the track gets the job done, but without much fanfare or excellence.
Curse of the Puppet Master contains a commentary, a vintage VideoZone, and some trailers.
Curse of the Puppet Master is certainly one of the best in the series, right up there with the original for sure. A solid plot, some good kills, well developed characters, and an agreeable cadence make the movie. Drawbacks are few, particularly for a B-grade film. For established franchise fans and newcomers alike, it's a solid watch. Video is very good considering some unavoidable gaps in the original film elements. Audio is imperfect, but effective enough. The included audio commentary is first-rate. Highly recommended.
2003
1993
1994
Puppet Master 7
1999
Puppet Master 9
2010
Puppet Master 11
2017
Puppet Master 3
1991
Puppet Master 2
1990
2012
1989
2018
Collector's Edition
1981
2019
2019
1977
2018
1976
Late Phases
2014
1981
1981