Spooktoberfest 2026 continues with a direct-to-video vacation to sunny California. 1989’s Puppet Master is a story about love, loss, betrayal, a small number of puppets, and lots and lots of leeches. A group of psychics are lured to the Bodega Bay Inn to attend the funeral of shady telepath Neil Gallagher. Neil had abandoned his friends years earlier while trying to uncover the secrets of reanimation. Left holding the bag after Neil’s disappearance, the other psychics decide to search the abandoned hotel for whatever treasure he found. (If you’re wondering how puppets are involved, we’re getting to that.) The psychics, alongside Neil’s widow Megan, find themselves plagued by terrifying visions, bizarre nightmares, and a troupe of (you guessed it) murderous living puppets. As it turns out, the Bodega Bay Inn was formerly home to an old puppeteer-turned-alchemist named André Toulon. His puppets have been reawakened and are now taking orders from a mysterious new master. Can our heroes solve the very obvious mystery that Neil Gallagher left behind? Or will they fall victim to the tiny blades, drills, fists, and leeches of Toulon’s puppets? Get ready for some handcrafted horror with no strings attached on today’s badly furnished episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake!Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Listen to Us on Podbean/iTunes/Stitcher/SpotifyFollow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepodMusic Provided by:“HALLOWEEN THEME (TRAP REMIX) (Michael Myers Theme)” – TRAP MUSIC NOW“Virtual Mima” – Perfect Blue Original Soundtrack [Masahiro Ikumi]“Sweet Halloween - [葉月ゆら/Hatsuki Yura]