410 - Geek Challenge: Puppet Master vs. Seed of Chucky

They’ll tear you a new puppet hole, bitch! The worlds of Charles Band and Don Mancini collide in a pre-Gobbledyween Geek Challenge. Paul sends Arlo a psychic alert letting him know to watch 1989’s Puppet Master, the first of producer Band’s direct-to-VHS Full Moon Features and the source of approximately one trillion sequels. In turn, Arlo goes meta and has a doll voiced by him call Paul while the real Arlo is tied to a bed behind him, commanding Paul to watch 2004’s Seed of Chucky. Paul recounts the joy of watching Full Moon Features in his 20s, Arlo launches a full-throated defense of Mancini’s vision, and they are both just completely miserable. Plus, the boys have nothing but nice things to say about Taylor Swift’s Folklore.

Next: we’re off, then we’re not.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:49:34

• 00:00:25  -  Intro / Banter
• 00:16:56  -  Puppet Master
• 01:03:15  -  Seed of Chucky
• 01:45:00  -  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

• “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, Master of Puppets (1986)
• “Doll Parts” by Hole, Live Through This (1994)

THE LINKS

• “How ‘Child’s Play’ Became The Funniest, Most Reliably Surprising, And Queerest Slasher Series” by Louis Peitzman, BuzzFeed

• “Queer Underworld: SEED OF CHUCKY (2004)” by Leigh Monson, Birth.Movies.Death.

• “Why Seed of Chucky holds a special place in my heart” by Sam Mauro, Little White Lies

• “Seed of Chucky” by Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com

• “We Watched and Ranked Every Single ‘Puppet Master’ Film” by Daniel Kurland, Bloody Disgusting