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IMDbPro

Puppet Master

  • Video
  • 19891989
  • RR
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
11K
YOUR RATING
Puppet Master (1989)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:57
1 Video
99+ Photos
FantasyHorrorSci-Fi
Psychics find themselves plotted against by a former colleague, who committed suicide after discovering animated, murderous puppets.Psychics find themselves plotted against by a former colleague, who committed suicide after discovering animated, murderous puppets.Psychics find themselves plotted against by a former colleague, who committed suicide after discovering animated, murderous puppets.
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
11K
YOUR RATING
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • David Schmoeller
    • Writers
      • Charles Band(story)
      • Kenneth J. Hall(story)
      • David Schmoeller(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Paul Le Mat
      • William Hickey
      • Irene Miracle
    Top credits
    • Director
      • David Schmoeller
    • Writers
      • Charles Band(story)
      • Kenneth J. Hall(story)
      • David Schmoeller(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Paul Le Mat
      • William Hickey
      • Irene Miracle
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 108User reviews
    • 134Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Puppet Master
    Trailer 2:57
    Puppet Master

    Photos133

    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Robin Frates, William Hickey, Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Matt Roe, and Jimmie F. Skaggs in Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)
    Puppet Master (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Paul Le Mat
    Paul Le Mat
    • Alex Whitaker
    William Hickey
    William Hickey
    • Andre Toulon
    Irene Miracle
    Irene Miracle
    • Dana Hadley
    Jimmie F. Skaggs
    Jimmie F. Skaggs
    • Neil Gallagher
    Robin Frates
    • Megan Gallagher
    Matt Roe
    • Frank Forrester
    Kathryn O'Reilly
    • Carissa Stamford
    Mews Small
    Mews Small
    • Theresa
    • (as Merrya Small)
    Barbara Crampton
    Barbara Crampton
    • Woman at Carnival
    David Boyd
    • Man at Carnival
    Peter Frankland
    • Assassin #1
    Andrew Kimbrough
    • Assassin #2
    Ed Cook
    • Pinhead
    • (voice)
    Linda Cook
    • Leech Woman
    • (voice)
    Tim Dornberg
    • Tunneler
    • (voice)
    Bert Rosario
    Bert Rosario
    • Blade
    • (voice)
    Michael Laide
    • Jester
    • (voice)
    Andrea Henry
      • Director
        • David Schmoeller
      • Writers
        • Charles Band(story)
        • Kenneth J. Hall(story)
        • David Schmoeller(screenplay)
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Pinhead's fists during the punching scenes are actually the fists of dwarf stunt woman Cindy Sorenson, who had to wear the same fingerless gloves and sweater sleeve to make it appear that it's the fist of Pinhead. Cindy cited the most difficult part of those scenes was to keep her head ducked the whole time while holding the Pinhead puppet on her shoulders and give off false punches at the same time.
      • Goofs
        When Toulon puts Blade in the trunk, the hook is his right hand, while every other time it is his left, the knife being right. This shows that this shot was flipped.
      • Quotes

        Frank Forrester: Just a little bit of sauce and Dana can become quite the cynic.

        Dana Hadley: I am not a cynic, Frank! I like to think of myself as a nasty bitch.

      • Alternate versions
        The 1989 UK video version was cut by 3 secs by the BBFC to remove brief shots of a woman's breasts during the fantasy assault scene in the elevator. The shots were also missing from the Film 2000 DVD which featured the R-rated print.
      • Connections
        Edited into When Puppets and Dolls Attack! (2004)
      • Soundtracks
        La Chorrito
        by Pechula Chuppa

      User reviews108

      Review
      Top review
      7/10
      Fun, cheesy movie
      Bad acting, awful hair, horrible plot, cheesy action, hokey characters.

      Still reading? Good. My brother picked this movie up for me on DVD, because he knows of my love of horror movies. My first thoughts as I inserted the disc was that it'd be a cheesy, laughable pile of 80's horror rubbish. So I was in for a pleasant surprise. If you can get past the initial presentation of the movie (it feels every bit as low-budget as it is), you'll find it to be creepy, intriguing, and above all, great fun. The puppets themselves could have been a whole lot worse. The effects are hardly Lord Of The Rings, but through a strange combination of live-action and extremely well-animated stop-motion, the puppets don't make you cringe every time they show up on screen. They're probably better actors than some of the live actors even, it's difficult to tell who's more wooden. But it's hardly a character-driven story. It's an unusual story nontheless, and it definitely interested me enough to watch it right through - and then pick up the first sequel!

      If you ever saw the movie Child's Play, with which comparisons are inevitable, you'll know already whether you can suspend your disbelief enough to enjoy a movie about killer puppets. If you can, and don't mind horrific 80's haircuts, I'd strongly suggest giving this one a rental, you could do a lot worse.
      helpful•22
      7
      • ScarTrek
      • Mar 27, 2004

      FAQ2

      • What are the differences between the R-Rated version and the Unrated Version?
      • Explain the timeline of the Puppet Master series.

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • January 11, 1990 (Mexico)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Puppet Master I
      • Filming locations
        • Mission Inn - 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, California, USA
      • Production companies
        • Full Moon Entertainment
        • Empire Pictures
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Budget
        • $600,000 (estimated)
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 30 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Ultra Stereo

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