There are usually both positive and negative aspects to any greatest hits collection. Whether it's The Best of Motley Crue on CD, The Best of Seinfeld Special on TV or When Puppets and Dolls Attack! - A greatest hits collection just released on DVD from Wizard Entertainment, there's almost always the opportunity for the good and the bad side. Part of the trouble with a greatest hits compilation of any sort is the fact that you're dependent on someone else's assessment as to what represents a "Greatest Hit." Quite often, the person who puts the list together is the artist him/herself. But I s'pose that 'someone' has to put the list together, right? I mean, it's not going to put itself together, that's for damn sure! Strictly a judgment call, it's often possible for opinions to differ as to what belongs and what does not. Then there's the issue of how complete said Greatest Hits actually is...I mean, are we (as wide eyed consumers) being strategically set up for an inevitable Volume 2? Which brings us back again to When Puppets and Dolls Attack, the greatest hits (kills?) that's on the slab today.

A direct to video favorite since about as far back as I can remember, Full Moon Entertainment has been releasing some of the best in low budget schlock since (at the very least) I had my first Errol's Club video card. Since day one, Charles Band and Co. have been at the top of their craft, releasing some of the most entertaining, low budget horror flicks (many of which involve killer dolls of every shape and size imaginable), mostly straight to video. Blame the trend on the original Puppet Master if you will, which has spawned so many sequels/spin offs, one could literally be driven batty by all of the choices. Enter When Puppets and Dolls Attack! Part 'greatest hits compilation,' part missed opportunity, as with many a 'Greatest Hits" set, we'll need to take the good with the bad on this one.

Running just shy of a feature-length 90-minutes, When Puppets and Dolls Attack! is a no rhyme or reason string of scenes and kills from a varied selection of Full Moon Films. Split into 4 chapters (Toys That Kill, Super Villains, Freakshow and Classic Attacks), with each segment running about 20-minutes a piece (give or take). Despite their namesakes, each of these chapters are quite interchangeable, so I doubt their order/existence will aid in one's enjoyment here. The scenes are just randomly linked together, only breaking to a title card when we enter a new chapter.

Which brings me to my first complaint...scenes are not labeled. Unless you're a Full Moon obsessive/expert or work for the company, you won't have any idea which films these clips originate from. It would have been nice to have the name of the film/production date at the beginning of each clip. Perhaps a brief cast list, some production notes/crew lists, etc. Personally, I would look at a disc like this as an opportunity to direct viewers to each of the films represented or a sampler platter of you will (designed so the consumer will want more), but this won't happen if we don't know which films we're watching clips from. Maybe I liked the scene in which the creepy baby and clown doll were running through the air vent, and now I want to see the whole film? It's a shame that I don't know which film that was. In all fairness, maybe Wizard intends for the disc to appeal to the Full Moon fanatic, still a misstep on their part, and a missed opportunity. Sure the clips correspond to some of the behind the scenes bits included as extras, but it's still virtually impossible to match them up accurately without knowing what is what.

That being said, it's worth noting that there are some great clips included here, from films like Demonic Toys and the Puppet Master series. And as the packaging and promo materials suggest, this DVD allows the user to cut to the chase. Skip all of that meaningless exposition and character development and get to the good stuff...dolls killing people! But then again some people like character development and exposition...so there you go. I would have preferred more clips, and for the clips to come and go a little quicker than they do here, but still.... it's a nice selection they've provided.

Audio and video quality remains pretty consistent throughout, despite the range of scenes being shown. However, like any DVD compilation, expect some scenes to fare better than others. Extras include trailers for 'Intruder,' 'When Puppets and Dolls Attack!' Charles Band's educational box set called 'Cinemaker' and another compilation disc entitled, 'Monsters Gone Wild.' Just like When Puppets and Dolls Attack!, Monsters Goes Wild is a compilation of scenes involving all kinds of monsters and mayhem, and to be honest, looks (at least from the trailer) to be a notch above When Puppets and Dolls Attack! with plenty of boobs, blood and (of course) monsters on display. Other extras include a slew of mini behind-the-scenes features, all of which range from the 8 to 13 minute mark. Included are pieces on Puppet Master 1-5, Totem, Dollman Vs. Demonic Toys, Curse of the Puppetmaster, Retro Puppet Master and Rag Doll.

Which brings me to another little complaint. It would have been nice to see some more interactivity with this disc. As it stands now, the menu graphics are very plain; I think there was a great opportunity here to immerse the viewer in a world in which 'Where Puppets and Dolls Attack!' But instead we have a very bland, unimaginative menu design. The Behind-The-Scenes features are nice, but still, it would have been fun to see just a bit more. I'd imagine that these pieces already exist in one form or another, as extras on other DVDs etc. Some exclusives to this set (maybe even a commentary?) would have been great, and would have added more value to the set as a whole (maybe some hidden bits as well).

To be fair though, between the scenes and extras, there's about 3 hours worth of footage here, so there is still quite a bit to go through, and at an MSRP of under 15 bucks, the price is certainly right. In the end, despite a few missteps, it's still a greatest hits that's worth checking out. Particularly, if you don't already own the featured behind-the-scenes segments on DVD.