‘They’re back. No strings attached.’
Puppet Master II is a 1991 American supernatural horror film written by David Pabian (Dollman; Subspecies), based on a story by executive producer Charles Band. It was directed by stop motion animation expert David Allen (The Dungeonmaster segment “Stone Canyon Giant”) and produced by David DeCoteau. It is also known as Puppet Master II: His Unholy Creations.
Main cast:
Elizabeth Maclellan (Crash and Burn; Friday the 13th: The Series), Collin Bernsen (Creep Van), Gregory Webb, Charlie Spradling (To Sleep with a Vampire), Steve Welles (The Addams Family; Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers; Biohazard), Jeff Celentano (Demonic Toys), Jeff Weston, Ivan R. Jado, Sage Allen (Servants of Twilight), George “Buck” Flower (Body Bags; Drive In Massacre; Suckula), Nita Talbot (Amityville: It’s About Time; Frightmare; Island Claws).
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Opening plot:
Andre Toulon’s grave is being excavated in Shady Oaks, a cemetery in the backyard of the Bodega Bay Inn. We see Pinhead digging Andre Toulon’s grave. Pinhead opens up the coffin, climbs out, and pours a vial of the potion on the skeleton, with Tunneler, Leech Woman, Blade and Jester watching. After pouring the formula, the skeleton raises its arms, indicating that Andre Toulon is alive again.
A few months later, a group of parapsychologists, led by Carolyn Bramwell (Elizabeth Maclellan), are sent to the hotel to investigate the strange murder of Megan Gallagher and the lunatic ravings of a now insane Alex Whitaker. It is explained that Megan’s brain was extracted through her nose (by Blade), and Alex, suspected of the murder, is now locked up in an asylum. While at the asylum, he begins to experience terrible seizures and premonitions…
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Reviews:
” …it’s a twisted look at the madness of Toulon, and how he control his puppets to do his bidding. Dave Allen’s direction is still very atmospheric with some wonderful scenes of brooding tension and suspense … With some creative claymation, “His Unholy Creations” manages to maintain its novelty and entertainment value.” Felix Vasquez, Cinema Crazed
“The first film was entertaining enough but its plot was lacking a certain something – people turned up, the puppets killed them and that was about it. Now the story is improved with two main additions – an actual motive to explain why the puppets are killing people, and Toulon’s shock betrayal halfway in, which unexpectedly turns the puppets into the good guys.” That Was a Bit Mental
“Puppet Master II is on the whole an improvement on its predecessor. As usual, it’s the human stuff that’s the problem. There’s a lot less padding in this film than in Puppet Master itself, which is to the good – or would be, if what they give us in its place wasn’t quite so much of Eriquee Chanee’s soliloquising….and if the point to all this (using the term loosely) wasn’t to serve up a fourth-rate re-make of The Mummy.” And You Call Yourself a Scientist
“The characters in Puppet Master II are sympathetic, believable and clearly defined, the only less-than-realistic lacuna being the way that Carolyn continues her work after the death of her brother. The story makes a sort of sense, fits in with what we know of both the puppets and Toulon from the first film, and adds in new stuff like the Egyptian back story. This is a terrific movie, easily one of Charlie Band’s best…” MJ Simpson, Cult films and the people who make them
Cast and characters:
Steve Welles as Andre Toulon / Eriquee Chaneé
Elizabeth Maclellan as Carolyn Bramwell / Elsa Toulon
Michael Todd as Puppet Toulon
Julianne Mazziotti as Puppet Camille/Elsa
Collin Bernsen as Michael Kenney
Greg Webb as Patrick Bramwell (as Gregory Webb)
Charlie Spradling as Wanda
Jeff Weston as Lance
Nita Talbot as Camille Kenney
Sage Allen as Martha
George Buck Flower as Mathew
Sean B. Ryan as Billy
Alex Band and Taryn Band as Cairo children
Featured puppets:
Blade
Jester
Pinhead
Tunneler
Leech Woman
Torch
Mephisto (flashback)
Djinn the Homunculus (flashback)
Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credit: That Was a Bit Mental
