Product Description

From All Movie Guide: This bizarre horror story has been given a deluxe presentation for its release on DVD. Blood Dolls has been given a letterboxed transfer at its original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which has been enhanced for 16x9 playback on anamorphic monitors. The audio, in English, has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo; no multiple language options are available. Bonus materials include a documentary on the making of the film, which was directed by Penelope Spheeris; another "Videozone" featurette on the movie; a music video for the song "Pain"; a coming attractions short for Blood Dolls, as well as trailers for forty other titles from Full Moon Productions; and a chapter of bloopers and outtakes. From All Movie Guide: Another gimmick-driven Full Moon Pictures production, though this time the ratio of comedy-to-gore is better balanced and there's enough goofy ideas on display for three films. We get a malevolent pinheaded billionaire, a captive all-girl rock band, a one-eyed dwarf in a tuxedo, a sado-masochistic industrialist, and a clown-faced, snaggletoothed henchman named "Mr. Mascero." That list doesn't even include the titular puppets, a trio of racially exaggerated dolls that do their creator's sinister bidding. It's all astoundingly ridiculous and played with straight faces and majestic overacting, making Blood Dolls a lightweight but enjoyable thrill ride. Director and screenwriter Charles Band lets the plot veer crazily from science fiction to horror to rock video to love story, and even tacks on a William Castle-style alternate ending for the hell of it. Blood Dolls was originally planned in conjunction with music magnate Miles Copeland, and was to be hyped with a soundtrack album and concert tour for the sexy girl rockers who appear as secondary characters in the film. Various difficulties caused this plan to collapse, which is fortunate, since not only were these actresses unable to play their instruments, but the music they were given to mime is wretched, uninspired goth rock nonsense. Anyone familiar with Band's lengthy track record will be reminded of his Puppet Master series and its similar "killer toy" motif. Is it unfair to suspect that Blood Dolls is just an elaborate advertisement for the "collectible" action figures that Full Moon Pictures had planned for sale before the film's release (casually mentioned by Band on the DVD's commentary track)? Probably not. Still, as crass merchandising franchises go, it's one of the best that this low-rent production house has in its bulky, inconsistent oeuvre.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56384 in DVD
• Brand: Koch International
• Released on: 1998-07-28
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 85 minutes

Customer Reviews

An affordable, funny title
I avoided this movie for quite some time, wondering if it would have anything at all to offer. Just looking at the packaging and promotion made it seem as if this movie might be nothing more than a Puppet Master spoof, and that worried me a little. Still, it was a Full Moon production and I wasn't semi-certain that Full Moon wouldn't do that to one of their more successful franchises, so I cast my fear aside and bought it. Happily, I have to say that I made the right choice in the matter.
Blood Dolls was indeed a spoof of Puppet Master, but only to a point. It also went even further than that, going out of its way to help even the most reserved viewer have at least a little laugh. The story focuses around Virgil, an eccentric billionaire, who wears a mask to conceal the fact that he has a really odd secret. Still, this does little to conceal how truly twisted his sense of humor is, and how much he delights in power and acquisition. Added to this is an entertaining support cast, from his girls-in-a-cage band that he forces to play at will, to his biological inventions, the blood dolls.
It isn't something that should be taken too seriously, and is positively entertaining.
Everyone needs a little laughtrack to get them through the night.

I'm almost ashamed
I'm almost ashamed to admit this but I loved this movie. The first time I saw it I thought it was a parody but by the third or fourth time it simply grew on me. Virgil is a billionaire with an anatomical problem and a totally out of control sense of humor. His henchman Mr. Mascaro is a clown who has no intention of making you laugh. Virgil has a live band held captive in the living room and has living dolls who kill people. Sounds ridiculous right? Well it is but Blood Dolls never pretends to be anything more than the B flick it is.

Full Moon Madness
Another example from the brilliantly warped mind of Charles Band. An assassin clown, devious midget, rock girls in a cage, a powerbent dominatrix and of course a shrunken head madman. Add all those ingredients and it's another Full Moon picture. Oh, and did I forget the three killer dolls? All Full Moon fans need this DVD.