Customer Reviews

Puphedz - DVD

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Good production values for an indie. Needs a little more focus and maybe some different voice-overs. Can't wait to see a Puphedz interpretation of 'Diary of a Madman' and other classics.

I didn't know quite what to expect when I first viewed this telling of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-tale Heart." I'm a big Poe fan, but also a one of twisted humor and groaners. This show has them and more.

I remember growing up on the Supermarionation shows of Gerry Anderson, so Puphedz was a very pleasant surprise. The puppets are first rate with no visible strings or other things revealing the puppeteer. The sets are incredibly detailed and photographed beautifully.

The show has something for all ages; Goofy humor for the kiddies and double-entendre for the adults.

I highly recommend this title and look forward to the next production if there is one. Let's hope.

Can't beat the price at under ten bucks, either.

Glad I bought it! The Puphedz is a fun little short with a bizarre little theme. The jokes are pretty corny and unnecessary at times, but they still gave me a chuckle or two.

These spectacularly detailed puppets perform one of Edgar Allen Poe's most famous stories with definite grace and a good amount of humor. The art direction on this film is, in itself, worth the price of the DVD. The intricate details, imaginative sets and odd angles have almost a Tim Burton look and feel, but the Puphedz is a style all its own. The puppet performances are better than anything I've ever seen.

This is no cute and fluffy Sesame Street puppet show nor is it a gruesome, slasher Halloween type thriller; it's just a good mix of classic literature well adapted for the screen. Good for adults and children. My youngest daughter is 4 and she loves it just as much as I do.

One of the features on the DVD is a nifty behind the scenes documentary and in it the director mentions that this is only the first of a series. I can't wait to see more!

I encountered the PUPHEDZ at the 2002 Comic-Con in San Diego, and met with the filmmakers during that event. I must say, I was extremely impressed with what was accomplished on the "Tattle-Tale Heart" video, considering what these guys had to work with. This show was put together with nothing but sheer determination.

The show itself is a silly version of Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart." Like the Thumb videos ("Thumb Wars," and "The Blair Thumb"), this is a fun way to pass a half an hour. Great for a Halloween party. If, hovever, your tastes slant toward hardcore horror and you have absolutely no sense of humor, this little show probably won't be for you. It is filled with ridiculous characters, visual jokes, and bad (on purpose) puns.

It also has a good dose of stage blood, but I don't think kids would have a problem with that. After all, just take a look at what most of them are watching on prime time and in their video games. None of the puppet characters actually die. At the end of the show, it's revealed that the "murder" scene was all fake.

I would support independent filmmakers capable of doing this kind of work any day. And I would challenge any detractors to try it themselves. In some ways, you can tell that "Tattle-Tale Heart" is a first episode. It's a bit rough around some of the edges. I'm sure future episodes will just get better and better.

PUPHEDZ is a unique blend of puppet wizardry and clever special effects. It's director, Jurgen Heimann (according to the PUPHEDZ.com web site) honed his skills under the tutelage of effects wizard Rick Baker (founder of Cinovation) and on such films as "Men in Black," "Mighty Joe Young," "The Nutty Professor," etc. etc.

In his first "stab" at directing, Heimann takes us on a fresh romp through an Edgar Allen Poe classic in very much the same vein as the Simpsons has already done in one of their Halloween specials. But visually, PUPHEDZ is more like the "Thunderbirds" meets the "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Its satirical edge might be blunted if you're expecting to see big budget effects on the order of "Lord of the Rings" (actually, cynic that I am, the time I spent watching the latter would have been better spent watching this PUPHEDZ short six times).

PUPHEDZ isn't perfect, but with a little tweaking it could be. If Edgar Allen Poe is turning over is his grave, it's to get a better look.

A bargain at under $...

PUPHEDZ is a unique blend of the puppetry and clever special effects. It's director, Jurgen Heimann (according to the PUPHEDZ.com web site) honed his skills under the tutelage of effects wizard Rick Baker (founder of Cinovation) and on such films as "Men in Black," "Mighty Joe Young," "The Nutty Professor," etc. etc.

In his first "stab" at directing, Heimann takes us on a fresh romp through an Edgar Allen Poe classic in very much the same vein as "The Simpsons" has already done in one of its Halloween Specials. But visually, PUPHEDZ is more like the "Thunderbirds" meets the "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Its satirical edge might be blunted if you're expecting to see big budget effects on the order of "Lord of the Rings" (actually, cynic that I am, the time I spent watching the latter would have been better spent watching this PUPHEDZ short six times).

PUPHEDZ isn't perfect, but with a little tweaking it could be. If Edgar Allen Poe is turning over is his grave, it's to get a better look.

A bargain at under [$$$].

Misled by the packaging, I thought this take on Poe's "Tell-tale Heart" would be a dark and disturbing puppet animation a la Jan Svankmajer (what was I thinking? of course there's only one Svankmajer!). I was wrong, horribly wrong. This is a total bore, and it's about as cutting edge as your grandmother's collection of beanie babies. Stick the puphedz in the fireplace where they'll do some good.

The jokes are cheesy, but the designs and puppeteering are really good, and If you're interested in that stuff, this is for you. As far as special features go, there are two versions of Tell Tale Heart. One is a little over thirty minutes (somewhat gorey, not scary though), and the other is like twenty-seven or so minutes, and is edited from some of the gore (which there never is a lot of). There is also a documentary about creating the Puphedz, and the people behind them.

I'm not going to give a long review, because the others are very well thought out and concise.

I will only say that I was under the impression this video was going to be "creepy" or "scary" or at least maybe a little weird. It was none of the above.

The puppetry (?) was very well done, and the sets and characters were all very cool looking, but it was a far cry from being a horror story, as Poe's original certainly was.

The humor was juvenile and worn. During the parts that were (supposed to be) funny, I found myself shaking my head and thinking, "Are you serious?"

And the main characters voice... Oh man... It was hard to even watch it, with that guy squealing and whining the whole time...

This would be an excellent movie for a high school literature class to watch, just as a goof. Other than that, I really don't know what else to say about it. Pretty disappointing.

Puphedz is the best interpretation of Edgar Allan's work since The Simpsons did The Raven. If you want to teach your kids about classic literature AND give them nightmares about creepy, murdering marionettes, then order this DVD.

I hope they make more of these. Maybe the Sci-Fi channel or Adult Swim will pick Puphedz up as a series.