Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003) - full transcript

Yeah.

Of course I got it.
What do you think?

Two shots,
and two more to be sure.

I haven't had a chance
to read it yet,

but whatever toulon's hiding,

this looks like a great place
to find it.

I told you,
satisfaction guaranteed.

I'll ring you back.

Ok, puppet master,
tell me everything.

Man: It all began, I suppose,

one day with old afzel...
In Cairo...



Long ago.

[Indistinct chatter]

The most
sensational secret
the sands have revealed

since the unholy
desecration of
ramses' tomb.

Look.

Already the electrical
marvels of the present

cast a cruel light
upon their deficiency.

Dead end.

The formula's not here.

No, no one's getting it.
Toulon made sure of that.

Well, we'll just
move to phase two.

Man:
Don't worry.

You won't be defenseless
for long.

It looks like you two
are not gonna give me
any trouble.



What is this?

This is a robbery,
Mr. hirst.

Then you'll be disappointed.
I'm not a rich man.

But you can take
anything you want.

I have a set
of wine glasses
in the dining room

that might fetch you
a few dollars.

I don't give a damn
about that shit,

and you know it.

The only thing
I'm interested in

is the only thing
of value you have,

and that's
Andre toulon's formula

for bringing
these creatures to life.

Again, you'll be
disappointed.

Don't test me.

You're very good
with a gun, I'm sure.

But you just want
something I don't have.

This looks like
the right place.

No. I knew toulon,

but he never
confided in me.

You want the collector
that bought his diary.

I have his address.

Yeah, I know that man.

I killed him 6 hours ago,
and the diary is worthless.

You want to try again?

I've dealt with
your type before.

Don't screw with me,
old man.

I want that formula.

I can't give it to you.

It's not
some instant recipe
I can just hand over.

It's more complicated
than that.

Really?

Aah! Ohh.

You don't know
how high the stakes are

or how far I'll go.

I'll do what I can.

I'll give you
whatever toulon left me.

Everything he wanted me
to know,

in his own voice.

This better
be something.

It will be.

Toulon, on tape:
Well, my friends, how are you?

Oh, don't answer that question.
I can see.

Young and healthy, cool, calm,
collected, and contented.

And sin should be contented.

Lonely, cosseted lives...

You're carried
from adventure to adventure

in your warm, comfortable trunk,

and who carries you?

I do... a frail, fragile old man.

But I'm going to alter that.

Next time,
we'll cut off your feet,

and I'll put you up on wheels,

and you can all
pull me along in the trunk.

Well.

Cyclops.

Cyclops.

He was one of the first
in the family.

[Drum roll]

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to welcome you
to the real world...

A world of magic,
of gods, and of monsters.

Here, all familiar illusion
will be swept away.

Here, all things become one.

Terror and wonder,
heaven and hell,

fear and desire.

I give you the theatre majic,
where all things are possible.

[Music playing]

With this one eye of mine,

I can see better
than any other two.

If one is better than two,

then perhaps none
would be better than one.

What strange and frightening
place is this?

Don't you know,
my friend?

Smell the sulfur.
Feel the heat
of the flames.

We could be
nowhere else but hell.

Everywhere is hell,
for we are the damned.

There is no escape
from fate.

We are all puppets
dancing on a string.

Free will is an illusion.

We can only act
at the whim
of the puppeteer.

Then our path is clear...

In the defying of toulon,
and with me as well.

And thus the comedy ends.

[People gasp]

[Applause]

I saw you in the theatre.

And I saw you.

Um... That is,
of course,

I saw you, ah...
Uh...

Have you been
doing this for long...

The puppets, I mean?

All my life.

Really?

Take it.

The tool of the art,
I give it to you.

Careful.

The ring
does not matter.

It has no special power.
It is merely a tool.

The same is true
with the fluid.

For our magic,

it serves
merely as a bridge...

For the life force,
for the soul.

Now...

Now the words.

[Chanting
in foreign language]

With experience,
as you grow stronger,

you will not have to
say the words out loud.

To think them
will be enough.

There. See?

See?

It cannot speak,
of course, but it lives.

It lives.

The secret of reanimation
wasn't safe.

My enemies wanted it
and would do anything,

including kidnap my fiance, to
get it.

But there was no way
I was going to let her be hurt

because of me.

And, thank god... or the devil...

My little friends
felt the same way.

[Grunting]

Come forward.

[Laughing]

[Grunting]

[Thud]

[Train whistle blowing]

That's it?

I don't give a damn
about this drivel...

The puppet master lived
happily ever after.

But he didn't.
He became a fugitive.

Don't you know anything
about Andre toulon?

I know he had a secret,

and I know that
he passed it on to you

and that could be
your death sentence.

The fluid is over there
in that vial.

Take it
and have it analyzed.

I won't object.

Dozens have tried,
and dozens have died.

The missing element
is in this room
with you.

No, it's still with him.

Look, I know you
can kill me at any moment,

but I really am
trying to help.

If you knew Andre toulon,
knew his history,

then you'd know the secret
to sustaining eternal life.

I think he always
regretted his discovery.

Why?

It could have made him
the most powerful man
in the world.

Instead,
it made him a fugitive.

He spent his life running.

When I first met him,
he was still happy,

doing what he loved to do...

Being puppet master
to a theater full of children.

[Laughter]

[Applause]

I never know
what they're
going to do or say.

They may hide
in your pocket.

You have been stealing.

Father,
I didn't steal it.

Peppermints.

Peppermints
everywhere. Look.

It's a good job
you put plenty of candy

into Peter's pocket,

or he might have been
very angry with you,

mightn't we, Peter?

I would forgive him.

All right, children.

Now, the puppets
are very tired.

They must go to bed now.

Sleep?
Puppets need to sleep?

Puppets need sleep
just as much as you do.

Good-bye.

Please come back
and see us again. Soon.

Danke, herr toulon.

Come, Peter.
Come children.

Come, come.

[Children murmuring]

Peter.

You have a devoted audience,
herr toulon.

And I am devoted
to them.

They love your puppets.

The children
enjoy the show,

and I am rewarded
by their laughter,

which is honest.

It's not always prudent.

I wonder if
they'd laugh so hard

if they truly understood
what they were watching.

Oh, I'm sure
they would.

Political satire
is one of the marks
of a healthy society.

I didn't get your name.

Lieutenant Eric Stein.

Fellow puppeteer.

I've been carving
marionettes

since I was 10 years old,

and I must say your
craftsmanship is superb.

You are very kind,
lieutenant.

How do you
manipulate them
without string works?

Authorization.
It is my own method.

Stein: The show itself
is a disgusting
burlesque of the fuhrer

and makes a mockery
of the reich.

Man: Yeah. Have the men
ready to leave immediately.

[Hangs up telephone]

Sir,
there's something else.

Yeah?

Lieutenant...
What is this?

I may be wrong,

but it seems as though
these wooden figures are...

Walking about
on their own.

You're not mistaken,
sir.

Well.

[Chuckling

explain this.

I really can't, sir.

Herr toulon has developed
a method of animating
his puppets without string.

He claimed
they were motorized,

but it's much more
than that.

I... I've seen them walk,

react to sound
as if they could hear.

[People marching]

It's as if
they were alive.

Stein...

Have you lost your senses?

It... it's the truth,
sir.

Just like
the real thing, huh?

Only more intelligent.

Ha ha ha!

This theater is closed,

by the authority of
the German high command.

Your career
as an entertainer
is over, herr toulon.

This is one of
the puppets I was
telling you about.

Doctor.

Herr toulon,

I would like to
talk to you later
about your work.

Ah.

And here's...
The miracle, yeah?

Stein: That...
That's what I saw, yes.

Well, that shouldn't be
difficult to analyze.

What we need
is the process.

Herr toulon,
would you work with me-

no!

Ohh!

Elsa!

[Elsa groaning]

Elsa. Elsa.

Take what you want,
you bastards,

and get out of here.

That would be you,
puppeteer.

Oh, my god,
what have they done?

Andre.

[Elsa crying]

Put him in the second car.

Take him
to gestapo headquarters.

I'm not leaving my wife.

Elsa, my dear.

I'll call for an ambulance.
Get him out of here!

You will be all right,
I promise you.

It will be all right.

Leave me alone.

Don't... you filthy,
murdering swine.

And put the toys in
with the toymaker.

[Gasp]

[Man speaking in German
on radio]

[Cheering and applause]

[Speech on radio continues]

[Breathing heavily]

[Static]

[People singing in German]

Closer.

[Grunt]

[Gurgling]

[Grunting]

[Screaming]

I'll be one hour.

Take the car
to be serviced,

then return here.

And, Eric...

Expect to be out
all night.

Jawohl.

Have your car ready.

Have yourself ready.

Have your asshole ready.

[Snickers]

[Grunting]

[Speaking German]

Aah!

Unh!

[Screaming]

[Gurgling]

[Stein screaming]

Good night,
fellow puppeteer.

His final vendetta
had only begun.

He didn't care about
his own life anymore...

Only revenge.

That was his life's force,

and soon,
it would be theirs.

Nothing must stop me
from seeking you out

and making each one of you
to your knees

for what you have done.

And you will cry for mercy,
and I will have none.

[Chuckling]

No mercy, my friends.

No mercy.

I wish
I could handle goering
as well as I can handle you.

Ha ha ha!

[Chuckling]

[Chuckling]

What is this joke?

Ha ha ha!

Aah!

[Woman screams]

[Indistinct chatter]

My friend,
we will make repairs
on you very soon.

[Footsteps]

Herr toulon?

It's me, Peter hirst.

Your puppet said
I stole the candy,
remember?

How did you find me?

By accident,
herr toulon.

Peter and I have been
hiding in the cellar
for two days.

The gestapo or the ss?

Gestapo.

I need a place
to keep Peter

till I can get him
to Switzerland.

We didn't know
you were here,
herr toulon.

I swear it.

You won't
give us away,
will you?

I would be a fool if I did.

Now we're all fugitives
together.

Hirst, voice-over:
I wanted to help,
to be his assistant.

But I was discovered
by the Germans,

and my father had made
a deal with them

to hand toulon over to them
in exchange for our freedom.

Get away from my son.

Peter is safe here.

This is doctor hess.

A friend!

I don't care who he is.

Stand away from my son.

Now... Peter, come to me.

But, father.

Peter!

Go with your father,
Peter.

Come, Peter.

Who saw you
come in here?

No one.

Peter:
Father, no!

Be quiet, Peter.

It's the only way
we can be a family.

Schnell.

What about toulon?

You don't understand.

We do what we must
for mama.

[Speaking German]

Unh!

Come on!

Aah!

[Screaming]

Come on.

I'd rather see
krauss the butcher dead
than you.

I cannot.

Through the door.
Schnell.

Schnell!

Schnell, schnell.

Schnell! Schnell.

Come on, before they
come around the back way.

Peter's father:
They are coming.

Halt.

Around the block.
They can't be far.

What did you
say to him?

Nothing, major.
I said nothing.

He was warned, yeah?

No.

He was warned, yeah?

I say nothing.

Peter: Father!

Go, Peter, go!

Run. Run!

[Gunshot]

[Groaning]

Mein gott.

Ohh. Oh, oh, oh.

[Muttering]

Aah!

Aah!

Like looking into a mirror,
is it not?

Now you can see what a small man
you really are,

major krauss.

Is this what
your puppets are for?

For your temper tantrums?

You think
I'm afraid of this?

You will be afraid.

[Yells]

Aah!

Aah!

[Screaming]

Aah!

Aah! Aah!

[Hisses]

[Gags]

No, toulon.

No!

No!

No!

No!

Aah!

[Groaning]

Aah!

Look, mother... dolls!

Not dolls, puppets.

I never heard of a boy
playing with dolls before.

Heh heh.

Where are you
and your son
traveling?

Switzerland.

And then maybe
to America.

Have you enjoyed
Berlin?

No, I have not.

I had a very unpleasant
experience.

I am recuperating.

I hope you're
well now.

Well, some people
lost their heads,

but friends saw
me through.

Man on P.A.: All aboard.
The express to Geneva

is leaving
from track number 7.

[Speaking German]

[Train whistle blowing]

Hirst: Toulon saw
that I got safely way.

Some relatives
took me in.

He wrote to me,
but I never saw him again.

One of his last letters
was written from here,

so I came looking
for him.

The people here have
no idea who he was.

So I suppose
he's gone,

and all his secrets
with him.

Aah!

[Groaning]

Bullshit!

You know the Nazis
tracked him here.

You know he blew
his own brains out

to keep
from being captured.

[Gunshot]

Do you know how many
deaths he's caused?

Toulon
and the puppets
killed only those

who deserved to die!

Like who?
Aah!

The parapsychologist
who tried to contact
his spirit right here?

They thought Andre toulon
was a very special man.

They couldn't believe
he had developed
this kind of technology.

And they all died
screaming.

You know that,
don't you?

It's a part
of the history
of this house,

toulon's history.

[Gasps]

[Moaning]

[Muffled screaming]

[Snoring]

[Screaming]

Aah!

[Gagging]

Lance?

Lance?

[Lance groaning]

Aah! Aah! Aah!

Aah! Aah!

Oh, no! Aah! Aah!

Andre toulon
was no Saint.

Those young people
meddled.

The should never
have interfered.

What about torch's
victims?

[Rattling]

Quit tossing.

[Snorting]

I told you to go
somewheres else
if you're gonna do that.

[Growling]

[Moaning]

[Thunk]

Aah! Aah!

Ohh!

[Tapping]

[Yelps]

[Hissing]

Aah!

Unh!

Aah!

[Puppet whimpering]

Ohh. Aw.

[Grunting]

[Groaning]

[Screaming]

[Footsteps]

[Growling]

You may think you've
got the powers
of hell on your side,

but you don't know
who you're dealing with!

[Growling]

[Screaming]

Get up!

Innocents...

Who knew nothing
about all of this.

[Groaning]

You see, I know
a thing or two.

But not enough.

True, but enough
not to fool myself

that a mad scientist
is a martyr.

He saved you
from the Nazis,
not me.

I am just
a professional
who followed

a trail of corpses
that let me
right here.

Oh, yes. You left
quite a trail yourself.

You couldn't have got
that book if you didn't.

No one has to die
for an ancient
secret.

Just give it to me,
and I will disappear

like I never
existed,

but your time
is running out.

In that box.

[Grunts]

You know, these creatures
fought a war

that was a hell
of a lot tougher

than anything you or I
I've ever known.

They definitely
served their
purpose.

Of course. Otherwise,
you wouldn't want
the secret so badly.

They did something
remarkable

because toulon
commanded them.

Toulon: He, Ricardo, was
a bright young man,

a scientist, the only one
who discovered my secret
and wasn't twisted by it,

but there were other
forces at work,

force we could never
have imagined.

Ricardo, voice-over: I had been
a caretaker at the bodega bay
inn for the off-season,

just me and my experiments.

I was researching
artificial intelligence,

trying to make my model robots
function autonomously.

I was working for biotech,
a major scientific
industrial concern,

with Dr. Baker
and Dr. Piper,

but some power was unleashed,

some awesome power that was
beyond our control,

and after killing
Baker and Piper...

Aah!

It came after me.

[Screaming]

So you two
know each other?

Well, you bet we do.
We go all the way back
to the institute.

Ricardo, voice-over:
A coworker of mine
decided to visit,

interrupting a planned weekend
with my girlfriend.

He brought along another girl.,
a psychic,

who right away suspected
something was wrong.

Was she ever right.

Mind if I sprint
through your program
here, Ricardo?

I'd rather
you didn't.

Come on. It's not
like I'm gonna
steal anything.

Ricardo, voice-over:
Through her channeling,
I found a trunk in a room

I'd never gone in,

a trunk full of puppets,

lifelike puppets that
had been built by Andre toulon.

He'd escaped Nazi Germany
and come here,

and his spirit was very present.

He's been working
on the very equations
and theories

that I was working on.

He was afraid
of what they'd do
with that power.

Ricardo, voice-over:
We found vials of substance

that when injected
into the puppets gave them life,

by all accounts, real life
and independent thought.

Man: This is
so stimulating.

It was amazing.

Somebody pinch me.

Aah!

[Groaning]

Get it off me, man!

Ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha!

Oh, no!

Ricardo, voice-over:
But the evil that was trapped
in Dr. Baker and Dr. Piper

caught up with us.

We unleashed creatures
from the underworld

that were after
the same secret we were.

It was a nightmare that
I didn't believe at first,

but as the night wore on,
I couldn't escape the truth.

[Screaming]

We banded together and fought.

The puppets attacked
the creatures instinctively,

and the spirit of toulon
guided us through the battle,

giving us courage
and showing us the way
to defeat the beasts.

[Screeching]

[Screeches]

Get off her,
you little bastard!

Aah!

Die! Unh!

Yes!

Ricardo: We animated toulon's
unfinished puppet,

decapitron, to defeat
the strongest creature.

Ohh! Ohh!

[Screeching]

I think toulon and I knew
the job wasn't finished.

I am with you.

The power of the magic
has been set free.

Now it needs a wise master
to channel and control it,

to keep it from evil.

I am with you,
puppet master.

Woman: I know
all about that kid.

Who do you think
took 4 bullets

trying to keep
that diary
away from me?

My god!

I have to have that,

and you better pray
that I am satisfied.

Toulon: There was always
someone waiting to
discover my secret,

even after my supposed death,

always someone who didn't
have the knowledge

to fully understand
what a gift or a curse

the formula for the puppets
really is.

Here. Let me introduce
you to Robert.

Is that for real?

Yeah. We call
this fellow pinhead.

I mean, upstairs,
it's all just bunkum,

but these are
the real models.

See that mean-looking
fellow there,
we call him blade.

Don't shake his hand.

Fellow next to him
is called six-shooter,

and that's Jester,

and our lovely lady
is leach woman.

Why leach woman?

Well, hope that
you never find out.

And this is tunneler.
Aptly named. Ha ha!

There are no strings.

That's right, Robert.

Not on these puppets.

How do you
make them?

Well, I have
a confession to make.

I didn't make them.

I bought them
at an auction
years ago.

They came
in an old trunk,

and when I took
them home, well,

they were the same then
as they are now.

See, I've tried
to duplicate
their process,

but I've never been able
to make a living puppet.

I've come close.
Heaven knows
I've come close.

Mm. Can't say I like
the way they're
staring at me.

Oh, don't be fooled
by the way they look.

They're really gentle.

Hard, fine grain.
No knots, no flaws.
Perfect wood.

I've never seen wood
like it.

Mm-hmm.

What is it?

Very exotic,
very expensive.

And here, here are
the tools you'll need.

Study them.

Learn what each one
can do.

444 pieces.

Each piece must be
cut precisely
to scale

like the inner gears
of a wooden clock.

There can be
no flaws,
no mistakes

in size, dimension,
or shape.

Otherwise,
the puppet cannot be
properly assembled.

All this
would be wasted.

What will it look like
when it's finished?

You'll learn that
in good time, son.

I don't understand.

I mean, what...
What's the secret?

These are just
pieces of wood.

No matter how perfect
I carve them,

they'll still just be
pieces of wood.

How can putting them
together make them live?

You want to know
the secret

of how to make
a dead thing live?

You put your soul
into it.

You put everything
you have into this
carving,

and you have
my word,
it will live.

Toulon: Fate always steps in

in form of those who think
brute strength

is a match for brains.

All my puppets,
they will always avenge a wrong

against their protectors.

[Thunder]

Hey. Get the hell
out of here!

Keep it down, honey.

We don't want to
wake the house,
do we?

[Growling]

What the hell?

Aah!

[Pinhead growling]

[Thunder]

Go, go, Robert.

Robert, get her
in the house.

Go on. Get her
in there now.

[Growling]

That's right.
Do it, bitch.

I said, do it.
Oh, yeah. That's right.

Oh, yeah.
You like that, don't you?

[Puppets growling]

[Grunting]

Heh heh heh!

[Grunting]

Aah!

[Groaning]

[Screaming]

[Groaning]

I did it.

No.

No, please.

[Growls]

See, you don't
understand.

Hee hee hee!

Please. Please.
Don't you understand?

Hee hee hee!

It can't be stopped now.
It's too late.

Unh!

I... please.
You don't understand.

All I've done
I've done for you.

Aah!

Please.

Don't make me
hurt you, please.

Aah!

What are you doing?

I beg you.

All that I've done,
all that I've created,

I've done it for you.

No! No! Aah! Aah!
No, blade, no!

[Screaming]

Oh, my god!
Oh, my god!

What have you done?

You see?

I did it.

I did it.

Robert, no!

[Screaming]

Toulon: Greed, envy,
and power killed my enemies,

not the puppets.

My experiments continue,

and so do my wooden creations,

but their secret
is not for the timid.

They have the ability
to live forever,

and you can live
through them

if you have the desire,
the will to do it.

If you let no one
stand in your way

and devote your life
to their existence,

you can be a puppet master.

The ultimate power is yours
for the taking.

You'll never control
those creatures!

They're mine!

You fool.
That's not
what I want.

Don't you
understand?

Your little friends
brought Andre toulon
back to life.

[Scraping]

He wasn't some
benevolent soul.

He was a psychopath!

Don't you know how
he spent

the last days
of his life
right here

in this very hotel?

Tonight, we take up
residence

in our permanent
new bodies.

To us.

[Chanting foreign language]

[Gasps]

[Toulon's voice]
You see how easy
it can be?

Only a moment
of pain,

and then
immortality.

All will soon
be glorious.

[Gasps]

[Grunting]

You filthy schwein!

You brought me
animal brains!

Animal brains. Ohh.

I'll just have to make
the best of it.

You see, I must
keep my promise
to Elsa.

Your hard work
has not been in vain.

Of course, you may
wither into dry wood,

but you've given me
back my wife.

Man: Coward!

Here, Michael! Here!

Hurry!

Are you still
afraid?

But we must make
you drink,
sweet fräulein.

We cannot waste
our fuel, mein frau.

Only a single
goblet remains.

Stay back,
you fool!

Come back with that!

Aah!

[Groaning]

Woman: Michael!

Toulon: Elsa, stop!

Come back to me!

[Groaning]

Ugh!

Ohh, ohh.

[Puppets growling]

[Toulon whimpering]

[Screaming]

He began his final
experiment,

soul transference.

I'm not here
for the secret

of bringing these
puppets to life.

I want to know
what makes them
die for good.

Damn fool.

I was sent here
for the secret

by the creatures
toulon left behind,

immortals,
souls trapped
in wooden bodies,

living every day
in agony.

All they want is
revenge on their
puppet master,

and now that's you.

Congratulations
on your legacy.