My review was written in December 1990 after watching the film on Paramount video cassette.
This video release is an okay followup to the gory William Hickey-starrer. Use of stop-motion puppet effects should please genre fans.
Dave Allen, an expert in the stop-motion animation field, gets to direct live action as well this time with functionally acceptable results.
Format is a redo of the original film: a group of young investigators led by pretty newcomer Elizabeth MacClelln descend on the same haunted hotel for psychic research.
As detailed in a flashback, the little puppets brought to life early in the century conspire to reanimate their puppet master (hammy Steve Welles this time, replacing Hickey in the title role). Each little critter has a violent specialty meted out in gory fashion to the investigators until an open ending suggets this curse will continue.
Welles has fun with the central part, playing most of the film in bandages and goggles makeup suggesting Claude Rains in "The Ivisible Man". MacClellan is an effective heroine and also doubles in flashback as the puppet master's wife.
The statuesque pinup Charlie, wh nearly stole "Meridian (Kiss of the Beast)" from Sherilyn Fenn last year, is unveiled here as Charlie Spardling and provides the film's brief t&a content. Comedienne Nita Tlbot is a welcome addition to the cast as an acid-tongued psychic.
Allen's puppetry remains the main event, with the malevolent little folks, including newcomer Torch, providing some gruesome thrills.
