Our Puppet Master journey continues and we’re continuing a trilogy that takes the franchise back to the 1940s where Nazi and Japanese spies are lurking everywhere!
In episode 348 of the Diecast Movie Podcast, host Steve Turek and I take a look at the next film in the series, Puppet Master: Axis Rising (2012).
You can listen to the podcast through Apple, Spotify or wherever fine podcasts can be downloaded!
My dear friend Steve Turek, host of the DieCast Movie Podcast, recently invited my Classic Horrors Club Podcast partner-in-crime Jeff Owens to discuss their favorite movies of 2025. The criteria was easy…it had to be new and play in a movie theater during the course of the year and they had to watch them either in a theater or on streaming.
Steve also invited me to share my top personal favorite films and while I did not see enough new films to compile a top ten list, I do share my top five. So, please tune into episode 345 of the DieCast Movie Podcast and maybe you’ll discover some new films that you want to add to your watch list in 2026!
You can listen to the podcast through Apple, Spotify or wherever fine podcasts can be downloaded!
Podcaster Steve Turek issued the challenge and I accepted. Now, as Steve and I take the Puppet Master quest, I’m on another journey to discover, and rediscover in some cases, films starring horror legend Barbara Crampton. Once Barbara returns to the Puppet Master series, my journey will come to an end. Next up…
Castle Freak Release date: November 14, 1995
Cast: Jeffrey Combs as John Reilly Barbara Crampton as Susan Reilly Jessica Dollarhide as Rebecca Reilly Jonathan Fuller as Giorgio d’Orsino
Based on The Outsider by H.P. Lovecraft Screenplay by Dennis Paoli Story by Stuart Gordon & Dennis Paoli Directed by Stuart Gordon
Plot: John and Susan Reilly, along with their daughter Rebecca, inherit a 12th century castle but when mutilated bodies are discovered, they soon discover the secrets hidden within the castle walls.
My Thoughts: Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs reunite for their third film with director Stuart Gordon and it’s another very loose adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story. Once again, the violence and gore is ramped up to 11 but this time, instead of dealing with scientific experiments gone wrong, we go with a good old fashioned mutated freak living within a castle. While the real Italian castle, actually owned at the time by Charles Band, added to the atmosphere and provided some great visuals, the overall presentation seemed a step down to me.
Jeffrey Combs turns in another solid performance but it isn’t quite as entertaining as Re-Animator or From Beyond. I’d have to say the same about Barbara Crampton. She does fine in her role as Susan but the marriage troubles between her character and husband John left me struggling to like either character too much. Susan is almost aggravating in the way she over protects her blind daughter. While I understand the reasons why she acted the way she did, it was just a little too oftputting for me.
While the make-up work on the freak character was quite good, there were certainly some disturbing scenes that left me feeling like I needed to take a shower. I’ve never been fond of freak movies but the ones that leave you feeling sympathy towards them work better in the end over a film like this where the sympathy is overshadowed by repulsiveness towards the freaks actions. That said, the story was compelling enough, just not overly entertaining for my personal tastes.
Castle Freak isn’t a bad film, it’s just not something that I would return to time and again. It’s definitely my least favorite of Barbara Crampton’s three films with Jeffrey Combs.
Trivia: In the original script, Barbara Crampton’s character of Susan was supposed to be totally naked for the climactic scene where she lures the creature away from her daughter. However, Barbara felt it was too cold and only agreed to remove her blouse and bra.
Our Puppet Master journey continues and we’re starting a new trilogy that takes the franchise back to the beginning with the death of the puppet’s creator Andre Toulon before spinning off into a new direction. And beware, there are Nazi and Japanese spies lurking everywhere!
In episode 340 of the Diecast Movie Podcast, host Steve Turek and I take a look at the next film in the series, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2010).
You can listen to the podcast through Apple, Spotify, or wherever fine podcasts can be downloaded!
The Ghost of Christmas Past has arrived with five chilling tales and good ‘ole Santa Claus might be lurking within one of them!
Tune into episode 112 of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast as Jeff and I unwrap the gift of the Amicus classic, Tales from the Crypt (1972)! You’ll find creepy tales with a stellar cast that includes Sir Ralph Richardson, Joan Collins, Patrick Magee and the legendary Peter Cushing!
Don’t forget to check out our YouTube Companion as you enjoy some egg nog by the fire!
As always, our eternal thanks to Mr. Alistair Hughes for his amazing artwork that now graces our show and Mr. Joshua Kennedy for his fantastic voice as the man behind the curtain!
The holiday season has arrived once again and there’s nothing better to bring back those nostalgic times from Christmas past than old time radio. And this year, let’s add in a little Scrooge for good measure!
In the mood for some Lux Radio Theatre adaptations of beloved films like Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life? Need a little laughter courtesy of Jack Benny and Fibber McGee? Or would you rather turn things a little more suspenseful with Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow? Well, you’ll find these and many more on a special Old Time Radio Christmas YouTube Playlist I’ve created.
Do you love the timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge? Then you should check out my Scrooge Christmas Carol YouTube Playlist! You’ll find George C. Scott, silent classics and even the 1971 animated version featuring the voice of Alastair Sim. Speaking of Mr. Sim, you’ll even find the 1951 version (personal favorite), along with the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart (my second favorite) and the 1939 radio program with Lionel Barrymore.
So, grab a seat by the fire, pour yourself a glass of smoking bishop and settle in for some wonderful holiday cheer. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Boris Karloff Month Colonel March of Scotland Yard Release date: 1954-1955
Cast: Boris Karloff as Colonel March Ewan Roberts as Inspector Ames
My Thoughts: I purchased the complete series on a bootleg DVD some 15 years ago but I’ve only now taken the time to sit down and enjoy this incredibly fun series. In fact, after watching a few poor quality episodes on the bootleg set, we purchased a new set that was released last year from Film Chest and the improved quality is amazing.
In the course of 26 episodes, Karloff plays the lead role of Colonel March, working for Scotland Yard, as he solves the mystery of the week. He wears a patch over one eye, something that was never explained but one can assume it might have occurred during a war. He’s supported by the character of Inspector Ames, who is either English or Scottish, depending on the episode. A string of popular guest stars from the day include Anton Differing, Anthony Newley and a young Christopher Lee.
This British television series was first broadcast in the United States in late 1954 through 1955 and was based on author John Dickson Carr’s popular detective novel The Department of Queer Complaints. While it’s not revolutionary in its simplistic approach, Karloff’s presence really does make this a fun and easy series to work through, especially if you like simple mysteries being solved with class by the likes of the legendary Karloff. I highly recommend this for someone interested in seeing Karloff in a non-horror setting.
Karla’s Review: I absolutely love this series! Karloff does a really fine job as the detective Col. March, making this a fun watch. I only wish they were longer so the mysteries could be fleshed out a little as some of the stories were a little weaker than others. Highly recommended and I will be watching these again!
Availability: Colonel March of Scotland Yard is available on DVD from Film Chest. These same restored versions are also available through streaming on Tubi.
Boris Karloff Month The Island Monster Release date: January 2, 1954
Cast: Boris Karloff as Don Gaetano Franca Marzi as Gloria D’Auro Renato Vicario as Mario Andreani Jole Fierro as Giulia
Story by Carlo Lombardo Screenplay by Alberto Vecchietti Directed by Roberto Bianchi Montero
My Thoughts: Karloff loved to work and he was willing to do almost anything as long as it either looked promising or had something unique to offer. But sometimes, all it took was the possibility for him and his wife to enjoy a vacation for him to take a film role. Such is the case with The Island Monster. In the early 1950s, Karloff was starring in such television series as Suspense and Tales of Tomorrow as well as accepting the occasional film role. His horror renaissance hadn’t yet happened, so the choices were not as plentiful as they once were. So, with the opportunity to visit Italy, Karloff jumped at the chance to star in what initially seemed like a fun little Italian crime flick. It would turn out to be one of his worst on-set experiences.
The Island Monster was filmed on Ischia, a little island off the coast of Napoli. Karloff quickly became frustrated at being the only English-speaking actor on set. It left him isolated and confused, not to mention an equally confusing script about drug smugglers. And no, there is no monster in the movie. The title was an obvious attempt to capitalize on Karloff’s horror background. There is a child kidnapping but that’s about as close as we get to anything terrorizing. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. How boring and poorly produced this flick is can be quite scary. When production wrapped, director Roberto Montero (63 films to his credit and no titles anyone will recognize) struggled with what to do with the film. Unfortunately, it would get worse.
The worst part about The Island Monster is the dubbing. Oh sure, you see Boris Karloff but you never get to hear him. What you hear in the dubbed version is an English-speaking actor doing his worst Karloff impression and I do mean bad. Why did they not take the time and effort to have Karloff record his lines? The end result is quite annoying and, for me, it was a key factor in my overall displeasure with this film. That said, did Karloff enjoy his vacation? Apparently not as the usually ever-pleasant Karloff was at almost constant odds with a very unpleasant hotel manager the entire stay. Suffice to say, a lousy experience for one and all.
The Island Monster is in the public domain and pops up from time-to-time on various box sets. There is also a DVD release with Chamber of Fear (1968) but I’d recommend you just find it on streaming for free. In fact, I can’t even really recommend this one to anyone other than the most die-hard Karloff completists.
Portions of this article were previously published in 2014 but have been revised with modern observations.
Back in February 2018, Jeff and I did our first Boris Karloff retrospective in the now “lost” episode 15. Now it’s time for us to correct a wrong by recording a brand new retrospective of the life and films of the classic horror legend, Boris Karloff. In episode 111 of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast, the vortex takes a break and we dive deep into two of his films: Frankenstein (1931) and Curse of the Crimson Altar, aka The Crimson Cult (1968).
I put out the call for listener participation, so we thank Rob Saccone, Billy Dunleavy, and Jamie Dominy for sending us their contributions to an epic episode. We hope everyone enjoys it and maybe even learns something new about King Karloff!
Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi appeared in eight movies together. Take a peek at each of them in this month’s YouTube Video Companion.
As always, our eternal thanks to Mr. Alistair Hughes for his amazing artwork that now graces our show and Mr. Joshua Kennedy for his fantastic voice as the man behind the curtain!
In early 1967 while in Spain after filming an episode of I Spy but prior to filming The Sorcerers, Karloff agreed to star in Cauldron of Blood (also known as Blind Man’s Bluff) to fill in for his ill friend Claude Rains, who died in May 1967. Karloff would star as a blind sculptor who is unwittingly using skeletons for his work. It turns out his wife is killing people for him to use and he may very well be the next victim.
Cauldron of Blood would be released in Spain but not in the U.S. until 1971. It’s a very disjointed film, oftentimes feeling as if the post production was haphazard at best. Throughout the film, or at least the U.S. version, we jump from tropical music to library music that would be used on 70s Saturday morning cartoons and live action shows such as Ark II and Shazam!. While there are some interesting moments with a cauldron of acid that burns the flesh off the victims, it’s really hard to enjoy it due to Karloff looking very old and frail. In fact, I think he looks older here than he does in later films, perhaps due to his beard and limited mobility. At one time, I used to like Cauldron of Blood more than these other late career productions but now, perhaps with a more sensitive approach towards Karloff’s age and poor health, I found it to be a great struggle on this viewing. I simply cannot recommend this film.
After voicing the character of Baron Boris von Frankenstein in Mad Monster Party and filming the superior Targets, it was now the spring of 1968. Karloff appeared in Curse of the Crimson Altar, also known as The Crimson Cult. Unfortunately, he would develop pneumonia during the production due to some very cold night scenes. While he would at least partially recover, many believe this ultimately contributed to his death less than a year later. However, never one to settle down for retirement, Karloff shockingly signed yet another contract for four films with Filmica Azteca, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures in Mexico. It was quickly determined that Boris would not be able to make the trip to Mexico to film his scenes, so producer Luis Vergara agreed to pay Boris $100,000 per film in addition to arranging that he could film all of his scenes in Los Angeles.
It’s not an understatement to say that these final four films are bad. In fact, it’s highly likely that these films would be mostly forgotten today were it not for Karloff’s appearances in them. He was in incredible pain, on oxygen and wheelchair bound on set waiting for his next scene. When it came, off came the oxygen as he was ready for the camera. All four films allowed him to be mostly seated with minimal action, delivering the lines of his various characters. Yet, here is where Karloff always excelled. He would do whatever he could to incorporate a different accent or a special characteristic to enhance the role. Luis Vergara would serve as the producer of all four films while American director Jack Hill would direct the scenes with Karloff. Once the scenes were finished in Los Angeles, Karloff would thank all of the crew and Vergara would return to Mexico to finish the films.
In The Fear Chamber, also known as The Torture Zone, Karloff would star as Dr. Carl Mandel, a scientist who discovers a living rock underneath a volcano. Of course, it feeds on the adrenaline of young women, so naturally young women are fed to the creature to keep it alive. Actress Julissa would appear for the first of three times, here starring as Corinne Mandel. In House of Evil (or Dance of Death in some versions),Karloff is Matthias Morteval, a rich old man who invites his relatives for a will reading only to die, leaving his relatives subject to his killer toys. Julissa is here again, this time as Lucy Durant. In The Incredible Invasion, also known as Alien Terror, Karloff is Professor John Mayer, the inventor of a ray gun who accidently shoots the gun into space. This upsets some aliens passing by Earth and they decide the ray gun must be destroyed. No, seriously, that is the plot. This movie suffers from some horrendous editing and dubbing, including an abominable moment of dialogue from an obviously fake Karloff impersonator. No Julissa this time around but she does appear in Isle of the Snake People, also known as Snake People or Cult of the Dead. I’ve grown to consider this my favorite of the four films. While it’s a fairly standard voodoo flick with Karloff starring as Carl van Molder and (spoiler alert) the voodoo priest Damballah, it’s the most enjoyable, at least as of my recent viewing. Oddly enough, I once considered it the weakest, which just proves that one’s opinion can indeed change over time. That said, none of these films are classics but at least you have Karloff to make them watchable…okay, maybe just barely.
The release schedule for these films is confusing at best and at least some of them did not get released until after Karloff’s death. Vergara would also die unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1969, causing a delay in some post production as well.
After completing the work on these four films, Karloff would not act in another feature film. However, he did manage to work alongside Red Skeleton and Vincent Price for Red’s annual Halloween TV show. Karloff and Price played a father and son mad doctor team and it was very well received by all involved. He would also appear on The Johnathan Winters Show and an episode of The Name of the Game before returning to England. Once there, he was rushed to the hospital due to his breathing difficulties. There, he was diagnosed with a weakened heart that was amplified by his severe arthritis and emphysema. Amazingly, he continued to record his Reader’s Digest radio show even while he was hospitalized. He never recovered and he passed away on February 2, 1969 at the age of 81.
Monster Movie Kid 
