Full Moon Features
Encyclopedia
Full Moon Features is a motion picture production and distribution company headed by B-movie
veteran Charles Band. It is known for the direct-to-video series Puppet Master
and Subspecies, as well as the innovative VideoZone featurette at the end of films through 1989 to 2000.
and opened Full Moon Productions. Band's goal with Full Moon was to create low budget horror
, sci-fi, and fantasy
films while retaining a somewhat big budget look. In the United States, Full Moon teamed with Paramount Pictures
and Pioneer Home Entertainment
for direct-to-video
releasing on VHS
and Laserdisc
, and the first release was the feature film directed by David Schmoeller
, Puppet Master
in 1989.
Puppet Master turned out to be a huge hit for Full Moon and following the film on VHS and Laserdisc was a featurette entitled No Strings Attached, which documents the making of Puppet Master. It featured interviews with cast and crew members, including actor Paul Le Mat
and Charles Band himself. The next three releases - Shadowzone
, Meridian: Kiss of the Beast
, and Crash and Burn
(changing to Full Moon Entertainment with the release of the latter) - all featured a making-of presentation after the film. Paramount, however, did not believe in the making-of concept, and forced Band to pay for all of the additional tape needed.
Some controversy arose however many years after the release of Puppet Master. In an interview on the website, The Terror Trap, Puppet Master director, David Schmoeller, says that Charles Band owes him residuals, as well as stating that Charles Band does not give credit to directors. Schmoeller continues, saying that Band did not want him on the director's commentary on the DVD release of Puppet Master because "it would reveal that someone else shared in the creation of Full Moon's biggest and most successful franchise."http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/davidschmoeller/
With the fifth Full Moon release, Puppet Master II
, in 1991, Full Moon introduced VideoZone, a behind-the-scenes video magazine. The average VideoZone featured an introduction by Charles Band, the making-of the "movie you just watched", an interview with someone involved in a future Full Moon release, merchandise (such as Full Moon t-shirts, posters, and other assorted goods), trailers, and contact information. VideoZone tied together the "comic book
feel" that Band insisted with the Full Moon product.
Full Moon continued producing its releases throughout the early '90s (sometimes as many as twelve releases a year), and in 1993 founded two more labels: Torchlight Entertainment, specializing in soft-core pornographic
sci-fi comedies, and Moonbeam Entertainment, specializing in family orientated sci-fi and fantasy films. Torchlight's first release was Beach Babes From Beyond; Moonbeam's was Prehysteria!
, which actually became a high seller for distributor, Paramount, and was one of the first Full Moon films to be sold as an inexpensive sell-through
product (as most Full Moon features were sold on VHS as rental items, with prices upwards of $100 for each tape).
1995 production, Castle Freak
, was released on video unrated.
After the releases of Castle Freak and Oblivion 2: Backlash, Band renamed Full Moon Entertainment Full Moon Studios for the feature Vampire Journals, and used the name Full Moon Pictures for the following film, Hideous!. Band continued to distribute all films on his own under then name of Amazing Fantasy Entertainment, until around 1999, when some of the films were distributed by Kushner-Locke Entertainment.
With the release of Shrieker
in 1998, Band enlisted the help of Ohio
-based filmmaker and Tempe Entertainment founder J.R. Bookwalter, who had recently relocated to California
. Bookwalter was commissioned by Band to begin editing features, including Curse of the Puppet Master. Curse of the Puppet Master, created due to demand from video retailers for a new installment of the Puppet Master franchise, is not held in high regards with fans of the genre. To conserve costs (as most Full Moon features were being made for much less than the Paramount-distributed films), the film was put together using footage from the first five Puppet Master files, as well as some new footage. However, Bookwalter's work got Full Moon noticed on Apple.com, where a story was published about Bookwalter's editing of Curse of the Puppet Master on his iBook
in a hotel room in Ohio.
Over the next several years, Full Moon continued its releases and even introduced more labels:
Bookwalter would eventually get the chance to direct a Full Moon film with the sequel to Witchouse
, Witchouse 2: Blood Coven
. It was Bookwalter's first film on 35mm, and with it, opened a new door for Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment.
Starting with Horror Vision
, Tempe Entertainment was hired to produce several Full Moon films for Band. All of these films were shot on DV
, a first for Full Moon, and were primarily made for under $60,000 (with Witchouse 3: Demon Fire completed for $26,000). The films were produced under very tight schedules, some being shot in as little as nine days. While the production drawbacks were high in each situation, this opportunity gave new exposure to Bookwalter and Tempe, who was used to producing films on shoestring budgets.
Once again, the industry changed, and Band decided to end the Full Moon label with the 2002 release of Jigsaw
.
During this era of Full Moon, Band secured a week
ly television series on the Sci Fi Channel
called William Shatner's Full Moon Fright Night. Veteran actor William Shatner
hosted Full Moon films with wraparounds, as well as interviews with many of sci-fi's most notable personalities, including Stan Lee
and Jeffery Combs. Tempe also received exposure here as HorrorVision was included in this short-lived series.
With the release of 2000's The Dead Hate the Living!
, Band dropped the VideoZone name and produced behind-the-scenes featurettes without a masthead.
, due to the late '90s resurgence of this subgenre thanks to Scream
and I Know What You Did Last Summer
. With the help of an uncredited Tempe Entertainment, Band produced Bleed
, and acquired Keith Walley's Scared, renaming it Cut Throat.
Band produced only two more films "officially" under the Shadow name: (Birthrite, Delta Delta Die!). Another Keith Walley film, Speck, was acquired. William Shatner's DV science-fiction movie, Groom Lake
, produced by J.R. Bookwalter, became notorious as one of the most expensive films of the modern era of Full Moon.
Band also decided around this time to bring back an old label used in the Empire era named Wizard Video
, which distributed cult-like films
. This modern rendition saw the release of Tempe's Skinned Alive and Ozone (renamed Street Zombies for the Wizard release). However, due to low sales, another Tempe film, Bloodletting (which was also renamed: I've Killed Before), was dropped from the release schedule.
In 2003, Charles Band entered into a deal with 20th Century Fox
to produce a low budget horror movie. Fox would distribute the movie, and Band would retain copyrights. The film was directed by J.R. Bookwalter, and named Deadly Stingers. In the tradition of the giant killer bug movies, Deadly Stingers was about giant scorpions taking over a town. However, after the film was completed, it was shelved due to a decline in the industry, and low sales of another similar project at Fox (excluding Full Moon) entitled Dark Wolf. The film was shown at the Frightvision Horror Festival in 2003, but has yet to see release on DVD, Blu-ray, or VOD.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366347/releaseinfo A teaser trailer for the film does exist on J.R. Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment web site.
. The film, released in January 2004, also marked the official return of the name Full Moon Pictures. However, the film's video releases all contain the name of Shadow Entertainment, but the film's trailer contains the Full Moon Pictures logo.
Quickly before the release of Dr. Moreau's House of Pain, Full Moon released Puppet Master: The Legacy, a "greatest hits" film that contained the best scenes from all (up to that point) seven Puppet Master films with about 20 minutes of a wrap around story and very bad puppet effects (string rods can be seen in almost every scene featuring the puppets). Once again, all video releases said Shadow Entertainment, but the trailer contained the Full Moon Pictures logo.
On the heels of Puppet Master: The Legacy, Band quickly cut together Tomb of Terror, Horrific, and Urban Evil. These three films, edited by HorrorVision director Danny Draven, were clip shows that showed off the best in Full Moon's library.
After the release of those films, Band re-christened the Full Moon name to Full Moon Features. Full Moon Features intends to take more time making films, with considerably higher budgets and on 35 mm film, and as of July 2006, has focused on that, with the exceptions of When Puppets and Dolls Attack!
, Monsters Gone Wild!, and Aliens Gone Wild! (all clip shows).
In 2005, Charles Band embarked on the Full Moon Horror Roadshow: A traveling, live Full Moon-inspired show, featuring Band and actors/actresses from past Full Moon films. Some shows also featured his son, Alex Band
. At all shows, Band offered a contest for a chance for a member of the audience to have a part in a future Full Moon feature. As of 2009, none of these winners have received their roles. However, on August 27, 2009 Band blogged that those who were chosen would have the opportunity to be cast in his next project.http://www.charlesband.com/wordpress/ Band continued the roadshow in 2006, this time putting it in smaller venues. A similar contest, offering a part in a movie, was held at these events. It is not known if any of the winners were ever cast.
In 2009, Band hopes to expand Full Moon to a similar release schedule more like the mid-1990s, with a new release every month. Additionally, the company plans to add sequels to many franchises, including Puppet Master, Demonic Toys, and Head of the Family
.
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
veteran Charles Band. It is known for the direct-to-video series Puppet Master
Puppet Master (franchise)
Puppet Master is a horror film franchise which focuses on a group of puppets animated by an Egyptian spell, each equipped with their own unique and dangerous device and are represented as heroes, anti-heroes, and antagonists...
and Subspecies, as well as the innovative VideoZone featurette at the end of films through 1989 to 2000.
Full Moon Productions/Full Moon Entertainment (1989-1995)
After the collapse of Band's previous film studio, Empire Pictures, he relocated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and opened Full Moon Productions. Band's goal with Full Moon was to create low budget horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, sci-fi, and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
films while retaining a somewhat big budget look. In the United States, Full Moon teamed with Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and Pioneer Home Entertainment
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
for direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
releasing on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
, and the first release was the feature film directed by David Schmoeller
David Schmoeller
David Schmoeller is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is notable for directing several full-length theatrical horror movies including Tourist Trap , The Seduction , Puppet Master , Catacombs , and Crawlspace starring Klaus Kinski.-Biography:Schmoeller was born in...
, Puppet Master
Puppet Master (film)
Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
in 1989.
Puppet Master turned out to be a huge hit for Full Moon and following the film on VHS and Laserdisc was a featurette entitled No Strings Attached, which documents the making of Puppet Master. It featured interviews with cast and crew members, including actor Paul Le Mat
Paul Le Mat
Paul Le Mat is an American actor who first came to prominence in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which won him the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor.-Life:...
and Charles Band himself. The next three releases - Shadowzone
Shadowzone (film)
Shadowzone is science fiction/horror movie directed by J.S. Cardone and released in 1990. It was rated R for violence, language, and some nudity.-Plot:...
, Meridian: Kiss of the Beast
Meridian: Kiss Of The Beast
Meridian is a 1990 horror film and romance film produced and directed by Charles Band. It starred Sherilyn Fenn, Malcolm Jamieson, Hilary Mason and Charlie Spradling.-Plot summary:...
, and Crash and Burn
Crash and Burn (film)
Crash and Burn is a 1990 science fiction movie.-Plot:Unicom is a powerful organization overseeing most of the world after its economic collapse...
(changing to Full Moon Entertainment with the release of the latter) - all featured a making-of presentation after the film. Paramount, however, did not believe in the making-of concept, and forced Band to pay for all of the additional tape needed.
Some controversy arose however many years after the release of Puppet Master. In an interview on the website, The Terror Trap, Puppet Master director, David Schmoeller, says that Charles Band owes him residuals, as well as stating that Charles Band does not give credit to directors. Schmoeller continues, saying that Band did not want him on the director's commentary on the DVD release of Puppet Master because "it would reveal that someone else shared in the creation of Full Moon's biggest and most successful franchise."http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/davidschmoeller/
With the fifth Full Moon release, Puppet Master II
Puppet Master II
Puppet Master II is a 1991 horror film written by David Pabian and directed by Dave Allen...
, in 1991, Full Moon introduced VideoZone, a behind-the-scenes video magazine. The average VideoZone featured an introduction by Charles Band, the making-of the "movie you just watched", an interview with someone involved in a future Full Moon release, merchandise (such as Full Moon t-shirts, posters, and other assorted goods), trailers, and contact information. VideoZone tied together the "comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
feel" that Band insisted with the Full Moon product.
Full Moon continued producing its releases throughout the early '90s (sometimes as many as twelve releases a year), and in 1993 founded two more labels: Torchlight Entertainment, specializing in soft-core pornographic
Softcore
Softcore pornography is a form of filmic or photographic pornography or erotica that is less sexually explicit than hardcore pornography. It is intended to tickle and arouse men and women. Softcore pornography depicts nude and semi-nude performers engaging in casual social nudity or non-graphic...
sci-fi comedies, and Moonbeam Entertainment, specializing in family orientated sci-fi and fantasy films. Torchlight's first release was Beach Babes From Beyond; Moonbeam's was Prehysteria!
Prehysteria trilogy
The Prehysteria trilogy is a trilogy of family-oriented films made in the early to mid-1990s about the adventures of five miniature baby dinosaurs named after famous pop musicians. The dinosaurs were Elvis, a male Tyrannosaurus Rex, Paula, a female Brachiosaurus, Jagger, a male Stegosaurus,...
, which actually became a high seller for distributor, Paramount, and was one of the first Full Moon films to be sold as an inexpensive sell-through
Sell-through
In publishing, sell-through refers to a percentage of units shipped which are actually sold. In the case of books, the rest is returned to the publisher. Other items, such as software, are usually discounted....
product (as most Full Moon features were sold on VHS as rental items, with prices upwards of $100 for each tape).
Full Moon Studios/Full Moon Pictures (1995-2002)
In 1995, due to the Direct to Video market losing interest and financial ground with the rental market, in addition to internal issues, Full Moon Entertainment separated from distributor Paramount. Full Moon's HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
1995 production, Castle Freak
Castle Freak
Castle Freak is a 1995 American horror film directed by Stuart Gordon, roughly based upon the short-story The Outsider by H. P. Lovecraft. It has elements of splatter/slasher films and references to Creature Features.- Synopsis :...
, was released on video unrated.
After the releases of Castle Freak and Oblivion 2: Backlash, Band renamed Full Moon Entertainment Full Moon Studios for the feature Vampire Journals, and used the name Full Moon Pictures for the following film, Hideous!. Band continued to distribute all films on his own under then name of Amazing Fantasy Entertainment, until around 1999, when some of the films were distributed by Kushner-Locke Entertainment.
With the release of Shrieker
Shrieker (film)
Shrieker is a 1998 horror movie directed by David DeCoteau.-Plot summary:Clark , a young Mathematics major at University, thinks she's found the best deal for student housing: a group of squatters who live in an abandoned hospital secretly...
in 1998, Band enlisted the help of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
-based filmmaker and Tempe Entertainment founder J.R. Bookwalter, who had recently relocated to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Bookwalter was commissioned by Band to begin editing features, including Curse of the Puppet Master. Curse of the Puppet Master, created due to demand from video retailers for a new installment of the Puppet Master franchise, is not held in high regards with fans of the genre. To conserve costs (as most Full Moon features were being made for much less than the Paramount-distributed films), the film was put together using footage from the first five Puppet Master files, as well as some new footage. However, Bookwalter's work got Full Moon noticed on Apple.com, where a story was published about Bookwalter's editing of Curse of the Puppet Master on his iBook
IBook
The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers....
in a hotel room in Ohio.
Over the next several years, Full Moon continued its releases and even introduced more labels:
- Alchemy Entertainment/Big City Pictures - specializing in urban horror and science fiction films.
- Surrender Cinema - replacing Torchlight Entertainment, specializing in the same soft-core science fiction as Torchlight.
- Cult Video - mainly used to re-release old pre-Empire and Empire era Band films.
- Pulp Fantasy Productions - New films that don't fit the usual Full Moon mold.
- Pulsepounders - Replacing Moonbeam Entertainment, specializing in science fiction and fantasy films for families.
Bookwalter would eventually get the chance to direct a Full Moon film with the sequel to Witchouse
Witchouse
Witchouse is a horror film released in 1999 by Full Moon Features. The film was rated R for violence, sexual situations, gore, language, and drug content. The movie has received mainly negative reviews...
, Witchouse 2: Blood Coven
Witchouse 2: Blood Coven
Witchouse 2: Bloodcoven is a horror film released in 2000 by Full Moon Features. The film is available in "R" rated and "Director's Cut" versions. The "Director's Cut" is 5 minutes longer than the "R" version. The film received an "R" rating for violence, language, and brief nudity...
. It was Bookwalter's first film on 35mm, and with it, opened a new door for Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment.
Starting with Horror Vision
Horror Vision
Horror Vision is a 2001 horror film directed by Danny Draven. The story for the movie was written by JR Bookwalter and the screenplay was written by Scott Phillips.-Plot:...
, Tempe Entertainment was hired to produce several Full Moon films for Band. All of these films were shot on DV
DV
DV is a format for the digital recording and playing back of digital video. The DV codec was launched in 1995 with joint efforts of leading producers of video camcorders....
, a first for Full Moon, and were primarily made for under $60,000 (with Witchouse 3: Demon Fire completed for $26,000). The films were produced under very tight schedules, some being shot in as little as nine days. While the production drawbacks were high in each situation, this opportunity gave new exposure to Bookwalter and Tempe, who was used to producing films on shoestring budgets.
Once again, the industry changed, and Band decided to end the Full Moon label with the 2002 release of Jigsaw
Jigsaw (film)
Jigsaw is a 1949 film noir made by Tower Pictures and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Fletcher Markle and produced by Edward J...
.
During this era of Full Moon, Band secured a week
Week
A week is a time unit equal to seven days.The English word week continues an Old English wice, ultimately from a Common Germanic , from a root "turn, move, change"...
ly television series on the Sci Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
called William Shatner's Full Moon Fright Night. Veteran actor William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
hosted Full Moon films with wraparounds, as well as interviews with many of sci-fi's most notable personalities, including Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jeffery Combs. Tempe also received exposure here as HorrorVision was included in this short-lived series.
With the release of 2000's The Dead Hate the Living!
The Dead Hate the Living!
The Dead Hate the Living! is a 2000 low budget zombie film written and directed by Dave Parker and produced by Full Moon Entertainment.-Plot:...
, Band dropped the VideoZone name and produced behind-the-scenes featurettes without a masthead.
Shadow Films/Shadow Entertainment and Wizard Video (2002-2004)
Blockbuster Entertainment, a long time supporter of the Full Moon brand, requested the company produce a slasher filmSlasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
, due to the late '90s resurgence of this subgenre thanks to Scream
Scream (film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
and I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American horror film. The film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. The screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream, and very loosely based on Lois Duncan's popular novel of the same title...
. With the help of an uncredited Tempe Entertainment, Band produced Bleed
Bleed (film)
Bleed is a 2002 direct-to-DVD horror film starring Debbie Rochon, Danny Wolske, Brinke Stevens, Julie Strain, Lloyd Kaufman, Orly Tepper, Ronnie Gene Blevins and Allen Nabors. Directed by Dennis Petersen and Devin Hamilton.-Plot:The film begins on a cold night. Two men are dressed-up as a nun and...
, and acquired Keith Walley's Scared, renaming it Cut Throat.
Band produced only two more films "officially" under the Shadow name: (Birthrite, Delta Delta Die!). Another Keith Walley film, Speck, was acquired. William Shatner's DV science-fiction movie, Groom Lake
Groom Lake (film)
Groom Lake aka The Visitor is a 2002 film directed by William Shatner and starring Amy Acker....
, produced by J.R. Bookwalter, became notorious as one of the most expensive films of the modern era of Full Moon.
Band also decided around this time to bring back an old label used in the Empire era named Wizard Video
Wizard Video
Wizard Video was a motion picture distribution company created by B movie veteran Charles Band, who would later go on to found Full Moon Features. They were best known for their VHS releases of Zombie 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I Spit on Your Grave...
, which distributed cult-like films
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
. This modern rendition saw the release of Tempe's Skinned Alive and Ozone (renamed Street Zombies for the Wizard release). However, due to low sales, another Tempe film, Bloodletting (which was also renamed: I've Killed Before), was dropped from the release schedule.
In 2003, Charles Band entered into a deal with 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
to produce a low budget horror movie. Fox would distribute the movie, and Band would retain copyrights. The film was directed by J.R. Bookwalter, and named Deadly Stingers. In the tradition of the giant killer bug movies, Deadly Stingers was about giant scorpions taking over a town. However, after the film was completed, it was shelved due to a decline in the industry, and low sales of another similar project at Fox (excluding Full Moon) entitled Dark Wolf. The film was shown at the Frightvision Horror Festival in 2003, but has yet to see release on DVD, Blu-ray, or VOD.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366347/releaseinfo A teaser trailer for the film does exist on J.R. Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment web site.
The Return of Full Moon Pictures and Birth of Full Moon Features (2004-Present)
In late 2003, Band began work on his first 35 mm film in years, Dr. Moreau's House of PainDr. Moreau's House of Pain
-Plot:A group of friends investigate various strange events and find themselves trapped in a house at the mercy of a strange doctor and his various hideous "creations"....
. The film, released in January 2004, also marked the official return of the name Full Moon Pictures. However, the film's video releases all contain the name of Shadow Entertainment, but the film's trailer contains the Full Moon Pictures logo.
Quickly before the release of Dr. Moreau's House of Pain, Full Moon released Puppet Master: The Legacy, a "greatest hits" film that contained the best scenes from all (up to that point) seven Puppet Master films with about 20 minutes of a wrap around story and very bad puppet effects (string rods can be seen in almost every scene featuring the puppets). Once again, all video releases said Shadow Entertainment, but the trailer contained the Full Moon Pictures logo.
On the heels of Puppet Master: The Legacy, Band quickly cut together Tomb of Terror, Horrific, and Urban Evil. These three films, edited by HorrorVision director Danny Draven, were clip shows that showed off the best in Full Moon's library.
After the release of those films, Band re-christened the Full Moon name to Full Moon Features. Full Moon Features intends to take more time making films, with considerably higher budgets and on 35 mm film, and as of July 2006, has focused on that, with the exceptions of When Puppets and Dolls Attack!
When Puppets and Dolls Attack!
When Puppets and Dolls Attack! is a DVD containing clips of kills from every Full Moon Features film about killer puppets, dolls, etc.-Clips:The box set includes the clips from the following movies:* Puppet Master I* Puppet Master II...
, Monsters Gone Wild!, and Aliens Gone Wild! (all clip shows).
In 2005, Charles Band embarked on the Full Moon Horror Roadshow: A traveling, live Full Moon-inspired show, featuring Band and actors/actresses from past Full Moon films. Some shows also featured his son, Alex Band
Alex Band
Alex Band is an American musician and singer-songwriter, best known for his work in his former band The Calling and their signature song "Wherever You Will Go", which peaked at #3 on the Top 40 in 2001.Along with bandmate and fellow songwriter Aaron Kamin as part of The Calling, the pair achieved...
. At all shows, Band offered a contest for a chance for a member of the audience to have a part in a future Full Moon feature. As of 2009, none of these winners have received their roles. However, on August 27, 2009 Band blogged that those who were chosen would have the opportunity to be cast in his next project.http://www.charlesband.com/wordpress/ Band continued the roadshow in 2006, this time putting it in smaller venues. A similar contest, offering a part in a movie, was held at these events. It is not known if any of the winners were ever cast.
In 2009, Band hopes to expand Full Moon to a similar release schedule more like the mid-1990s, with a new release every month. Additionally, the company plans to add sequels to many franchises, including Puppet Master, Demonic Toys, and Head of the Family
Head of the Family
Head of the Family is a 1996 b-movie black comedy released by Full Moon Features. It concerns a Southern couple who blackmail a family of mutants to get money and revenge. It was rated R for language and strong nudity.-Plot:...
.
Notable releases
- Puppet MasterPuppet Master (franchise)Puppet Master is a horror film franchise which focuses on a group of puppets animated by an Egyptian spell, each equipped with their own unique and dangerous device and are represented as heroes, anti-heroes, and antagonists...
- Full Moon's first franchise, inspired from an earlier Empire film, DollsDolls (1987 film)Dolls is a horror film directed by Stuart Gordon, shot in Italy in 1985 and released in 1987.- Plot summary :A violent thunderstorm strands six people in the gothic English countryside: Judy, who's traveling with her thuggish father and her cold, self-centered, stepmother...
, and United ArtistsUnited ArtistsUnited Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
' success with Child's Play the year prior. Spawned seven sequels: Puppet Master IIPuppet Master IIPuppet Master II is a 1991 horror film written by David Pabian and directed by Dave Allen...
, Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge, Puppet Master 4Puppet Master 4Puppet Master 4 is a 1993 horror film written by Charles Band among others, and directed by Jeff Burr. It is the fourth film in the Puppet Master franchise, a sequel to 1991's Puppet Master II, and stars Gordon Currie as a youth scientist who, along with his friends, played by Chandra West, Ash...
, and Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter during the Full Moon Entertainment era, Curse of the Puppet MasterCurse Of The Puppet MasterCurse of the Puppet Master is a 1998 horror film written by Benjamin Carr and David Schmoeller, and directed by David DeCoteau. It is the sixth film in the Puppet Master franchise, the sequel to 1989's original Puppet Master, and stars George Peck as a scientist experimenting with transforming...
and Retro Puppet MasterRetro Puppet MasterRetro Puppet Master is a 1999 horror film written by Charles Band, Benjamin Carr and David Schmoeller, and directed by David DeCoteau...
during the Full Moon Pictures era, and Puppet Master: The LegacyPuppet Master: The LegacyPuppet Master: The Legacy is a 2003 horror film written by C. Courtney Joyner and David Schmoeller, and directed by Charles Band. It is the eighth film in the Puppet Master franchise, the sequel to 1994's Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter, and stars Jacob Witkin as an elderly Peter Hertz and Kate...
during the Full Moon Features era. A Made for TV film titled ' 'Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys' ' was also released for Sci Fi Channel in 2004; this was under the Shadow Entertainment era as well. Currently planned for 2009 (as of February 7, 2009) is Puppet Master: Axis of EvilPuppet Master: Axis of EvilPuppet Master: Axis of Evil directed by David DeCoteau is the 10th entry into the Puppet Master series of horror films but the ninth entry that's canon to the series made by Charles Band's Full Moon Features.-Plot:...
.
- Subspecies - Full Moon's take on vampires. It currently consists of Subspecies, Bloodstone: Subspecies II, Bloodlust: Subspecies III, and Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (released during the Full Moon Pictures era). Fans of the series also consider Vampire Journals as an entry as well.
- TrancersTrancersTrancers is a 1985 science fiction film. It was directed by Charles Band and stars Tim Thomerson and Helen Hunt. It is the first film in a series of six: Trancers , and the direct-to-video releases; Trancers II , Trancers III , Trancers 4: Jack of Swords , Trancers 5: Sudden Deth and Trancers 6...
- A carry over from Band's days at Empire, under the Full Moon name, he produced Trancers II, Trancers III, Trancers 4 & Trancers 5. Trancers 6Trancers 6Trancers 6 is a 2002 science fiction film starring Zette Sullivan, Jennifer Capo, Robert Donavan, Timothy Prindle, Jere Jon, Jennifer Cantrell, Ben Bar, James R. Hilton, Kyle O. Ingleman, Gregory Lee Kenyon and Douglas Smith. The film was directed by Jay Woelfel and produced by Johnnie J...
was created by Johnnie J. YoungJohnnie J. YoungJohnnie J. Young is a producer of independent films, and with writer/director Jay Woelfel, a partner in Young Wolf Productions.-Credits:* Ghost Lake * Trancers 6...
and Jay Woelfel'sJay WoelfelJay Woelfel is a writer/director of independent films, and with producer Johnnie J. Young, a partner in Young Wolf Productions.-Credits:* Closed for the Season...
Young Wolf Productions and was distributed by Band under the Full Moon Pictures label.
- KilljoyKilljoy (franchise)Killjoy is a horror film franchise which focuses on the titular Killjoy, a demonic clown who is summoned to assist revenge plots in all three films, only to prove too overwhelming for each character who calls him. Produced by Full Moon Features, the series was established in 2000 with the eponymous...
- Focuses on the titular Killjoy, a demonic clownEvil clownThe image of the evil clown is a development in popular culture, in which the playful trope of the clown is rendered as disturbing through the use of horror elements and dark humor.-Background:...
who is summoned to assist revenge plots in all three films, only to prove too overwhelming for each character who calls him.
- Demonic ToysDemonic ToysDemonic Toys is a film produced by Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment and released in 1992. The film features small, killer toys similar to those seen in Puppet Master, a film which Band produced in 1989. Demonic Toys, like many other Full Moon releases, never had a theatrical release and went...
- A rip off of their own Puppet Master franchise, created a cross sequel called Dollman vs. Demonic ToysDollman vs. Demonic ToysDollman vs. Demonic Toys is a low-budget independent 1993 horror film in the B movie category, that went straight to video and never had a theatrical release...
featuring characters from Demonic Toys, Dollman, and Bad ChannelsBad Channels (film)Bad Channels is a 1992 science-fiction spoof, released by Full Moon Features. It is about two aliens who invade a radio station with the intention of capturing female humans, by using radio broadcasts.The film is followed by Dollman vs...
. And released January 2010 Demonic Toys: Personal DemonsDemonic Toys: Personal DemonsDemonic Toys 2: Personal Demons is a 2010 horror film written and directed by William Butler and produced by Charles Band. It is a slasher film and is a sequel to Demonic Toys, and Hideous!.-Plot:...
.
- Doctor MordridDoctor MordridDoctor Mordrid is a 1992 American film starring Jeffrey Combs. It was produced by Charles Band and co-directed by Band and his father, Albert Band. It was written by C. Courtney Joyner and released by Full Moon Features....
- Originally going to be based on Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, one of Full Moon's "flashier" films.
- The Pit and the PendulumThe Pit and the Pendulum (1990 film)The Pit and the Pendulum is a 1991 horror film directed by Stuart Gordon and based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe....
- Directed by Re-AnimatorRe-AnimatorRe-Animator is a 1985 American science fiction horror film based on the H. P. Lovecraft story "Herbert West–Reanimator." Directed by Stuart Gordon, it was the first film in the Re-Animator series. The film has since become a cult film, driven by fans of Jeffrey Combs and H. P...
's Stuart Gordon, a retelling of the classic Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
story.
- Prehysteria!Prehysteria trilogyThe Prehysteria trilogy is a trilogy of family-oriented films made in the early to mid-1990s about the adventures of five miniature baby dinosaurs named after famous pop musicians. The dinosaurs were Elvis, a male Tyrannosaurus Rex, Paula, a female Brachiosaurus, Jagger, a male Stegosaurus,...
- Family sci-fi film about mini dinosaurs that come to life.
- The Dead Hate the Living!The Dead Hate the Living!The Dead Hate the Living! is a 2000 low budget zombie film written and directed by Dave Parker and produced by Full Moon Entertainment.-Plot:...
- Full Moon's first zombie film, received notable coverage in various horror magazines.
- Groom LakeGroom LakeGroom Lake is a salt flat in Nevada used for runways of the Nellis Bombing Range Test Site airport on the north of the Area 51 USAF military installation. The lake at elevation is ~ from north to south and from east to west at its widest point...
- William Shatner's show about a dying woman who receives a visit from aliens. Only notable given the name and the stories behind it, as the film received mostly negative reviews.
- Gingerdead Man - The newest Full Moon franchise, with the first installment starring Gary BuseyGary BuseyWilliam Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
, who plays a criminal who is sent to the electric chair, comes back to life as a Gingerbread Man, and goes out to kill the woman who sent him to jail. Followed by Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the CrustGingerdead Man 2: Passion of the CrustGingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust is a 2008 horror-comedy film written and directed by Silvia St. Croix. The film is a sequel to the 2005 release of The Gingerdead Man...
, and currently planned for 2009 (as of February 7, 2009), Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night CleaverGingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night CleaverGingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver is a 2011 American horror film by Full Moon Features and is the third installment in The Gingerdead Man series. It is set to be released on September 13, 2011 after many filming delays by director Charles Band...
. The series is very much played with a tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
mentality.