Quite possibly the first Edgar Allan Poe story ever interpreted by puppets, Puphedz: The Tattle-Tale Heart is enthusiastically irreverent, immensely violent, and quite an amusing way to spend a half-hour. Through a series ... more »of flashbacks, straitjacketed Woodrow J. Larchbottom III recounts his bloody tale of obsession, madness, and murder in splendidly dramatic detail. Loosely following Poe's story, Woodrow slips into madness as he becomes increasingly disturbed by his uncle's deformed eye. As his plan to destroy the "evil" eye unfolds, torment turns to blood-curdling terror. Each carefully orchestrated scene is filled with eye-popping puppet gadgetry, innovative camera work, and often very funny one-liners. The acting may be wooden in Puphedz, but this pint-sized movie is certainly worth a peek. --Matt Wold« less
Charles Dibiasi | Hanging with my Savior Jesus | 12/26/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ok, I first heard about this
little film
and felt I needed to check it out.
I purchased it through mail order
from the Puphedz site, and when it came
to my mail box, I took it out,
put the movie on, and had myself a blast.Puphedz The Tattle Tail Heart,
is quirky to say the least.
In that you will find yourself
laughing at the puns the puppets
err, I mean Puphedz spit out.
It is based on Edgar Allen Poes
The Tell Tale Heart.
It follows the story of two guys,
who share a house together.
The older one, has this hypnotic eye,
which drives the younger guy batty,
and to murder...I will not tell you anymore,
as that might spoil it.The quality of the transfer is
spot on, with nary any grain,
or artifacting.
The creators have a passion
for their craft, and it shows
through the set designs, and the puphedz
themselves. There is a documentary
showcasing how they did their thing.
Plus the trailers for the movie.
There are two versions of the film,
One is 27 minutes, which is the short version.
The other is 34 minutes.So if you would like to see puppets bleed
red sap, I suggest you give this a shot.
Or if you love puppets at all, give this movie
a shot, because It's absolutely fun and weird.
If the story grabs your goat, get this.
You won't be disappointed in the least.Ciao"
High School Material, Sure... Creepy? Hardly.
Kyle | home | 03/12/2003
(2 out of 5 stars)
"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."
The Puphedz is unique and charming
Erik Sagen | 06/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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!"
It's Poe-tently hilarious!
Glenn Birkemeier | Tarzana, CA United States | 03/06/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
A Wicked Satire
Erik Sagen | East Rochester, NY | 12/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The first in the Puphedz series is entitled, The Tattle Tale Heart. It's foundation and concept borrows from the Edgar Allan Poe literature, The Tell Tale Heart, and does so in a unique and fascinating way. Instead of creating a straight-forward direct adaptation of the story, the creators have created a world filled with a cast of characters that breach the realms of Oddity. Let's not forget the fact that the Puphedz themselves are hilariously presented. One character that comes to mind shouts out a series of one-liners where you can't help but laugh.The creators have envisioned this series of stories as a traveling puppet show wherein the Cart Puller carries this contraption on his backside - when he lifts it off his back - the story unfolds.The people behind the scenes come from many artistical venues, including creator Jurgen Heimann who has worked on over 20 major motion pictures (Planet of the Apes, Men in Black, Gremlins, to name a few.) While associate producer, Jim Kundig, has worked on Bicentennial Man, Godzilla, Independence Day and the list goes on.Do yourself a favor and watch this DVD. It grows on you -- It's uniqueness and originality really shine when you think about all the hard work these individuals went through to create this movie.Also, take a look at their web site. The site itself is represented in the Puphedz style. You can also check out the production process along with backstage photos and more information."