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Underground film fans will recognize the name James L. Edwards, who starred in and wrote some of features out of J.R. Bookwalter's Tempe Video in the 90s. This time, Edwards takes his first seat in the director's chair for HER NAME WAS CHRISTA.

To me, having Edwards wait for so long to direct this feature from when he started out in underground film world only makes this film even better. He has seen and been a part of a lot, and it shows as this is the perfect The story surrounds Edwards who also plays Steven, the lead in the feature. Steven is lonely, and meets a prostitute named Candy. Steven is not interested in the traditional business relationship with a prostitute, but engages her in a "girlfriend experience" scenario. From there, Steven's personality changes and Candy opens up but the story takes a dramatic turn that even someone like myself who has been watching horror films his whole life cringed and gasped.

As with most micro budget films, you can't go in expecting a big budget, CGI filled film like you would see from a mainstream studio. However what Edwards delivers here is fantastic. Edwards and Shianne Daye (Candy) have a great on-screen chemistry the likes that I haven't seen in a micro budget film in a long time.

The only major flaw I can say I saw it in was the runtime, but that's more on me because I'm a big fan of 80 to 90 minute movies. I'm not saying I lost attention or zoned out during the runtime because the story is engaging, but I'm personally just not a proponent of 90+ minute runtimes.

But whatever you do, please check this out. Support true independent film, and support a filmmaker who went above and beyond in his first feature as a director.

Before we get into what PUPPET MASTER VS. DEMONIC TOYS represents, lets get into the back history of this film. Back when Charles Band and his Full Moon empire were still financed by Paramount Pictures, he was constantly turning out high quality, low budget features that looked like they were more expensive than they actually were (note that I didn't say that they were, you know, good). Anyway, times changed, people changed, and Band was discharged from Camp Paramount. Everything was in his hands now, and therefore, budgets dropped considerably; franchises that fans were use to seeing excellent SFX (we still miss you, David Allen) and great camera work were now only privy to even LOWER budgeted installments (a great example that ties into this film: Anyone remember the fan backlash at CURSE OF THE PUPPET MASTER?). Band even enlisted J.R. Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment to make some films for him, and ironically, those films were better than anything Band produced or directed since the Paramount breakup.

Enter 2004. The Full Moon/Shadow Entertainment empire that Charles Band once had has pretty much crumbled beneath its own weight. In whatever circumstance occurred, the Sci-Fi Channel ended up with PUPPET MASTER VS. DEMONIC TOYS (oh yeah, note to someone who mentioned if Sci-Fi owned the old Full Moon movies or something that they would have had an all day marathon: Anything Full Moon that is pre-1996 for the most part is owned by Paramount, and almost all of the films from 1996 to 2003 are either owned by other companies that helped financially or were purchased were Kushner-Locke got bought by Artisan, so in essence, Sci-Fi couldn't have a marathon without buying TV rights for those films), and produced what no one thought imaginable: Charles Band's key franchise of the 1990s that put Full Moon on the map in the hand's of another company without their involvement whatsoever, and a sequel actually being released.

Directed and written by former Full Moon alumni Ted Nicolau and C. Courtney Joyner respectively, PMvDT takes a different approach with the PUPPET MASTER concept, that hasn't been seen in a while: Takes home in the low budgetness of the series, know that it is cheesy.

And when it comes to cheese, no one is better known than Corey Feldman, who plays as Robert Toulon with an "accented" deep voice, who I believe helps the film do what it is suppose to do, and that is just take the ball and run with it. Granted, his acting is nothing impressive (its a PUPPET MASTER movie, no Full Moon or not, its not going to actually be high quality entertainment), but his presence is what makes it so over the top.

The puppet and toy work is as good as it can be, given budget restrictions, and a surprising twist to the puppets (well, not surprising, if anyone remembers the old Full Moon Toys line). Although they are essentially completely new puppets (they are remodeled off of the original David Allen designs of the 90s) from the get-go, it was still fun to see some familiar faces running around.

And also, it works as something different for Christmas flare: The low-brow PG-13 (oh I'm sorry, TV-14) humor and violence actually help it, as it doesn't make it go too over the top, but actually fits right at home, and works well despite some entries in previous series being extremely hard R's.

Give it a shot, if your not into low budget, wrecks of films (and in all seriousness, I mean that in a good way), you're not going to have a good time, but if your a fan, look at this as a new beginning, like when New Line took Jason and made JASON GOES TO HELL and JASON X (well, don't think of those specific films, think of the comparison). But do not go into it expecting PUPPET MASTER 1 through 5 quality, because believe me, that will NEVER happen again.