Retro Puppet Master (1999)

In the late nineteenth century, an Ancient Egyptian sorcerer discovers the art of transferring the souls of the dead into inanimate objects.

Director:

David DeCoteau (as Joseph Tennent)

Writers:

Charles Band (original story), Neal Marshall Stevens (screenplay) (as Benjamin Carr)

Stars:

Greg Sestero, Brigitta Dau, Stephen Blackehart

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greg Sestero	...	Young Toulon
Brigitta Dau	...	Ilsa
Stephen Blackehart	...	First Servant
Jack Donner	...	Afzel
Guy Rolfe	...	Elder Toulon
Robert Radoveanu	...	Second Servant
Vitalie Bantas	...	Third Servant
Sando Teodor	...	Latour (as Sandu Teodor)
George Calin	...	Valentin
Giuliano Doman	...	Vigo (as Juliano Doman)
Vlad Dulea	...	Duval
Dan Fintescu	...	Beggar
Serban Celea	...	Father
Elvira Deatcu	...	Margarette
Claudiu Trandafir	...	Leader

Storyline

It's 1892 and Sutekh is hopping mad. It seems a 3,000 year old Egyptian sorcerer has stolen one of the God's secrets of life - that of instilling the souls of the dying into inanimate things. Sutekh raises three mummified former high priests, led by the villainous "First Servant", and charges them with recovering both the Sorceror and his secret. There is no lack of victims for the 3 high-faluting, stylish villains as they pursue their prey to 19th century Paris, and the very young puppeteer, Andre Toulon. Toulon runs a puppet theatre in the heart of Paris, and meets the sorcerer (the mysterious Afzel) when he is found by the lovely Swiss Ambassador's daughter Ilsa, after being nearly killed. It is there and then that we find the seed of things to come, and the origin of the Puppetmaster series of tales.

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Plot Keywords:

sorcerer | 19th century | puppet | puppeteer | year 1944 | 

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Taglines:

The Legacy Begins...

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for horror violence

Details

Official Sites:

Full Movie on Hulu

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 2005 (France)

Also Known As:

Puppet Master 7

Filming Locations:

Romania

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Kushner-Locke Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Guy Rolfe's last film.

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Goofs

The early 1900's theater has modern tubular steel frame chairs.

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Quotes

Ilsa: The old man...
Andre Toulon: Well?
Duval: [straightforward] If he wakes in the next hour, he should recover. If he doesn't, he probably won't.
Ilsa: But, why would anyone want to kill him?
Andre Toulon: Ah...
[at a loss for words]
Duval: Some men don't need a reason.
[shakes head then walks off]

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Alternate Versions

The Blu-ray release of the movie has a new title sequence and all of the digital effects have been redone from scratch as the older ones looked outdated.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: The Gingerdead Man (2017)

User Reviews

Puppets With A Soul

I have seen only of one of the other Puppetmaster movies and remember that it was about an older man with his killing puppets. So I had no knowledge of the beginning of the old man but this Retro film gave me a feel for the man named Andre Toulon played by Greg Sestero. It was not a movie filled with overwhelming killing like the other film I saw but gave the characters a heart. Toulon was a young man that cared for the downtrodden. A man that was falling in love with a woman named Ilsa who likewise cared for people in need when she helps to save an old man attacked. This old man was Afzel, a sorcerer that stole the secret of life. Afzel is being hunted by servants of Sutekh because of this secret. These servants kill all of the friends and fellow puppeteers of Andre but they live again in the puppets of their own creations. Now it is a battle to the death between the servants of Sutekh and Andre and friends when Ilsa is taken hostage. The ending leaves you wondering why these friends would become so evil later in chronological time?