DVD Review: Attack of the Puppet People - Page 2

Puppet People ends with the main characters, now grown to full size, leaving Mr. Franz alone in his doll shop while they go call the police. They don’t restrain him, they don’t lock him in, they simply leave their captor to his own devices. It’s this type of carelessness that dominates the entire film, and leaves this cheapie in a bargain bin of countless other sci-fi films of the era.

Released on MGM’s line of “Midnight Movies,” the disc is a rare exception to the usual high-quality transfers from this set. Edge enhancement is thick and distracting. The proper 4:3 aspect ratio keeps the film intact, but the image is soft and looks overly processed. Contrast and clarity are fine, although the benefits are few. Light source damage, especially on effect shots, is noticeable. Aliasing is a problem on clothing.

Likewise, the aged mono source sounds strained. The stock soundtrack is muffled, and dialogue is lacking in fidelity. Truth be told, the audio is probably a step above the video comparatively, although that has more to do with a lack of digital tampering than any real quality.

A theatrical trailer is the only extra on the disc.

The British title of the film is Six Inches Tall, something that actually makes since. Given that the so-called “Puppet People” never actually attack anything, the U.S. title is rather questionable and misleading.

Page 1 — Page 2

Article tags

Spread the word
Bookmark and Share
Profile image for matt-paprocki

Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

Visit Matt Paprocki's author pageMatt Paprocki's Blog

Read comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own

Article comments

Add your comment, speak your mind

Personal attacks are NOT allowed.
Please read our comment policy.
Please preview your comment.

blogcritics lists for Feb 14, 2012

fresh articles Most recent articles site-wide

fresh comments Most recent comments site-wide

most comments Most comments in 24hrs

top writers Most prolific Blogcritics for January

top commenters Most prolific Commenters in 24 hrs