Full Moon Puppet Shows: Evil Puppets Take the Stage

The History of Full Moon Puppet Shows

Puppet shows have been a beloved form of entertainment for children and adults alike for centuries. Using intricate hand-crafted puppets and staged backgrounds, puppeteers have told stories that captured the imaginations of countless viewers. While puppet shows are often associated with sunny weekend afternoons in the park, there is also a long tradition of creepier puppet shows designed to tap into viewers' love of the macabre. One puppet show production company that specialized in spooky puppet entertainment was Full Moon Features.

Full Moon Features Builds a Cult Following

Founded in 1989 by producer Charles Band, Full Moon Features quickly built up a cult following for its bizarre direct-to-video horror and sci-fi movies. While the company produced some classic horror franchises featuring iconic characters like Pinhead from the Puppet Master films, Full Moon also branched out into chilling puppet shows. These full moon puppet shows became late night programming events that attracted horror fans hungry for something different from the standard Full Moon movie release.

Puppet Master Kicks Off the Full Moon Puppet Show Tradition

The first Full Moon puppet show production was inspired by the company’s hit Puppet Master franchise. In 1989, the original Puppet Master film introduced the creepy puppets Blade, Pinhead, Ms. Leech, Jester, Tunneler, and Leech Woman. These detailed puppets were designed by acclaimed effects producer David Allen and brought chilling life by a team of puppeteers. After three successful Puppet Master films, Full Moon launched Puppet Master 4 1⁄2: The Final Chapter, a unique puppet show instead of a standard film sequel.

Puppet Master 4 1⁄2 Features Classic Horror Puppets

The direct-to-video Puppet Master 4 1⁄2: The Final Chapter was marketed as a standalone puppet show rather than part of the core film franchise. Clocking in at only 48 minutes long, the show focused on the creepy puppets fans had come to love. Without any human actors or standard plot getting in the way, viewers got to watch the fan favorite puppets in all their gory glory as they unleashed violence, chaos, and murder. The puppets took on a delightfully sinister life of their own as they cracked bad puns while attacking victims in this full moon puppet show production.

Puppet Master 4 1⁄2 Paves the Way for More

While light on plot, Puppet Master 4 1⁄2 built on the emerging fan appreciation for the detailed evil puppets. After this initial foray into full moon puppet shows, Full Moon would continue to produce similar stand alone puppet productions. These shows gave more screen time to fan favorite villains and horror icons from the Full Moon movie universe.

Full Moon Spotlights Iconic Horror Villains

After the success of their Puppet Master spin off show, Full Moon began utilizing puppets, props, and effects from their movies to create entertaining villain focused shows. These productions gave horror icons like Demonic Toys’ Baby Oopsie Daisy, Dollman’s Brick Bardo, and the killer gingerbread men from Gingerdead Man a chance to shine on their own without human co-stars to limit them.

Demonic Toys Baby Oopsie Daisy Special

One notable full moon puppet show was the Demonic Toys special Daisy Chain. Baby Oopsie Daisy the evil doll from the Demonic Toys film series hosted this special that took viewers on a twisted tour through a disturbing toy factory. This 48 minute puppet event let Baby Oopsie take center stage with her profane language and love of violence.

Brick Bardo, Dollman

Another fan favorite anti-hero to get his own full moon puppet show was Brick Bardo, aka Dollman, from the bizarre Dollman films. Built from Gingerbread in a life size gingerbread house, Dollman fought other giant food men in this campy short film Bad Bread. The violent and ridiculous fights between puppets made of pizza, eggrolls, and other oversized snacks highlighted the absurdist humor the best Full Moon puppet shows offered fans.

Puppet Shows Offer Unfiltered Horror Villain Fun

Without the restraints of a traditional film plot or human co-stars, these Full Moon puppet shows let the villains’ true personalities shine through. Unfiltered, profane, and outrageously violent, horror icons like Daisy and Dollman were free to crack jokes while killing in creatively gruesome ways without consideration for standard narrative arcs. These short 44-46 minute runtimes were the perfect length to showcase what made these unique evil puppets so memorable in the first place through funny dialog exchanges paired with graphic slayings.

YouTube Keeps Full Moon Spirit Alive

While Full Moon Features has slowed its production slate in recent years, horror fans can still appreciate the gory puppet mayhem on YouTube. Full movies like Dollman and bloody clips highlighting the best Puppet Master kills are popular shares among classic horror fans. This internet notoriety has introduced new viewers to Full Moon’s twisted puppet stars and their roots in the beloved full moon puppet show tradition Charles Band pioneered thirty years ago.

Full Moon Puppet Shows Tapped Early Online Fandoms

In many ways, Full Moon was ahead of its time with the focus on evil puppets and direct-to-video releases that attracted engaged niche audiences. While the 1980s and 1990s didn’t offer the internet fandom platforms we see today, the Full Moon fan community shared a similar passion for their unique stable of horror villains. The puppets’ outrageous behavior in the standalone shows targeting adult horror fans offered the sense of an early internet community brought together by a shared twisted sensibility.

Puppets and Practical Effects Stand Test of Time

As horror fans debate the merits of CGI versus practical effects, one area where Full Moon’s legacy shines through is the detailed puppetry and lifelike creature designs that made characters like Pinhead and Tunneler feel real on screen. These hand designed puppets required tremendous skill from puppeteers to bring to life through intricate wirework and control rods. In an era when CGI effects can feel flat, uninspired or fake, going back to watch the mastery of practical puppet effects is an appreciation of true movie magic.

FAQs

What was the first Full Moon puppet show?

The first Full Moon puppet show was Puppet Master 4 1⁄2: The Final Chapter, released in 1993. It focused solely on the creepy puppets from the Puppet Master film franchise like Blade, Pinhead, and Leech Woman without any human characters.

What horror villains starred in their own puppet shows?

In addition to the evil puppets from Puppet Master, other horror icons like Baby Oopsie Daisy from Demonic Toys and Brick Bardo aka Dollman got their own featured puppet shows from Full Moon allowing them to take center stage.

Why do the puppets look so lifelike and detailed?

The puppets from the early Full Moon films were designed by effects master David Allen and brought to life through intricate mechanical puppetry controls instead of CGI. This hands-on approach gave more realistic movement and expressions.

Where can I watch these old Full Moon puppet shows?

While not easy to access, some Full Moon puppet shows are viewable on YouTube. Clips highlighting the best puppet attacks or behind the scenes footage showcase the creepy stars of these cult classic shorts.