
FullMoonFeaturesisanAmericanmotionpictureproductionanddistributioncompanyheadedbyB-movieveteranCharlesBand.Itisknownforthedirect-to-videoseriesPuppetMasterandSubspecies,aswellastheinnovativeVideoZonefeaturetteattheendoffilmsthrough1989to2013.
HistoryFullMoonProductionsera(1988-1995)
FullMoonEntertainment(1989-1995)logoAfterthecollapseofBand"spreviousfilmstudio,EmpirePictures,hemovedbacktotheUnitedStatesfromRomeandopenedFullMoonProductions.Band"sgoalwithFullMoonwastocreatelow-budgethorror,sci-fi,andfantasyfilms,whileretainingasomewhat"big-budget"look.IntheUnitedStates,FullMoonteamedwithParamountPicturesandPioneerHomeEntertainmentfordirect-to-videoreleasingonVHSandLaserdisc,andthefirstreleasewasthefeaturefilmdirectedbyDavidSchmoeller,PuppetMasterin1989.
PuppetMasterturnedouttobeahugehitforFullMoon.FollowingthefilmonVHSandLaserdiscwasafeaturetteentitledNoStringsAttached,whichdocumentsthemakingofPuppetMaster.Itfeaturedinterviewswithcastandcrewmembers,includingactorPaulLeMatandCharlesBandhimself.Thenextthreereleases-Shadowzone,Meridian:KissoftheBeast,andCrashandBurn(changingtoFullMoonEntertainmentwiththereleaseofthelatter)-allfeaturedamaking-ofpresentationafterthefilm.Paramount,however,didnotbelieveinthemaking-ofconcept,andforcedBandtopayforalloftheadditionaltapeneeded.Atthesametime,Bandalsoreissuedtwocatalogtitles,TouristTrapandParasite,throughParamount.
SomecontroversyarosehowevermanyyearsafterthereleaseofPuppetMaster.Inaninterviewonthewebsite,TheTerrorTrap,PuppetMasterdirector,DavidSchmoeller,saysthatCharlesBandoweshimresiduals,aswellasstatingthatCharlesBanddoesnotgivecredittodirectors.Schmoellercontinues,sayingthatBanddidnotwanthimonthedirector"scommentaryontheDVDreleaseofPuppetMasterbecause"itwouldrevealthatsomeoneelsesharedinthecreationofFullMoon"sbiggestandmostsuccessfulfranchise."
WiththefifthFullMoonrelease,PuppetMasterII,in1991,FullMoonintroducedVideoZone,abehind-the-scenesvideomagazine.TheaverageVideoZonefeaturedanintroductionbyCharlesBand,themaking-ofthe"movieyoujustwatched",aninterviewwithsomeoneinvolvedinafutureFullMoonrelease,merchandise(suchasFullMoonT-shirts,posters,andotherassortedgoods),trailers,andcontactinformation.VideoZonetiedtogetherthe"comicbookfeel"thatBandinsistedwiththeFullMoonproduct.
MoonbeamEntertainmentLogoFullMooncontinuedproducingitsreleasesthroughouttheearly"90s(sometimesasmanyastwelvereleasesayear),andin1993foundedtwomorelabels:TorchlightEntertainment,specializinginsoft-corepornographicsci-ficomedies,andMoonbeamEntertainment,specializinginfamilyorientatedsci-fiandfantasyfilms.Torchlight"sfirstreleasewasBeachBabesFromBeyond;Moonbeam"swasPrehysteria!,whichactuallybecameahighsellerfordistributor,Paramount,andwasoneofthefirstFullMoonfilmstobesoldasaninexpensivesell-throughproduct(asmostFullMoonfeaturesweresoldonVHSasrentalitems,withpricesupwardsof$100foreachtape).
FullMoonStudiosera(1995-2002)In1995,duetothedirect-to-videomarketlosinginterestandfinancialgroundwiththerentalmarket,inadditiontointernalissues,FullMoonEntertainmentseparatedfromdistributorParamount.FullMoon"sHalloween1995production,CastleFreak,wasreleasedonvideounrated.
AfterthereleasesofCastleFreakandOblivion2:Backlash,BandrenamedFullMoonEntertainmentFullMoonStudiosforthefeatureVampireJournals,andusedthenameFullMoonPicturesforthefollowingfilm,Hideous!.BandcontinuedtodistributeallfilmsonhisownunderthennameofAmazingFantasyEntertainment,untilaround1999,whensomeofthefilmsweredistributedbyTheKushner-LockeCompany.
WiththereleaseofShriekerin1998,BandenlistedthehelpofOhio-basedfilmmakerandTempeEntertainmentfounderJ.R.Bookwalter,whohadrecentlyrelocatedtoCalifornia.BookwalterwascommissionedbyBandtobegineditingfeatures,includingCurseofthePuppetMaster.CurseofthePuppetMaster,createdduetodemandfromvideoretailersforanewinstallmentofthePuppetMasterfranchise,isnotheldinhighregardswithfansofthegenre.Toconservecosts(asmostFullMoonfeatureswerebeingmadeformuchlessthantheParamount-distributedfilms),thefilmwasputtogetherusingfootagefromthefirstfivePuppetMasterfiles,aswellassomenewfootage.However,Bookwalter"sworkgotFullMoonnoticedonApple.com,whereastorywaspublishedaboutBookwalter"seditingofCurseofthePuppetMasteronhisiBookinahotelroominOhio.
Overthenextseveralyears,FullMooncontinueditsreleasesandevenintroducedmorelabels:
AlchemyEntertainment/BigCityPictures-specializinginurbanhorrorandsciencefictionfilms.SurrenderCinema-replacingTorchlightEntertainment,specializinginthesamesoft-coresciencefictionasTorchlight.CultVideo-mainlyusedtore-releaseoldpre-EmpireandEmpireeraBandfilms.PulpFantasyProductions-Newfilmsthatdon"tfittheusualFullMoonmold.Pulsepounders-ReplacingMoonbeamEntertainment,specializinginsciencefictionandfantasyfilmsforfamilies.BookwalterwouldeventuallygetthechancetodirectaFullMoonfilmwiththesequeltoWitchouse,Witchouse2:BloodCoven.ItwasBookwalter"sfirstfilmon35mm,andwithit,openedanewdoorforBookwalter"sTempeEntertainment.
StartingwithHorrorVision,TempeEntertainmentwashiredtoproduceseveralFullMoonfilmsforBand.AllofthesefilmswereshotonDV,afirstforFullMoon,andwereprimarilymadeforunder$60,000(withWitchouse3:DemonFirecompletedfor$26,000).Thefilmswereproducedunderverytightschedules,somebeingshotinaslittleasninedays.Whiletheproductiondrawbackswerehighineachsituation,thisopportunitygavenewexposuretoBookwalterandTempe,whowasaccustomedtoproducingfilmsonshoestringbudgets.
Onceagain,theindustrychanged,andBanddecidedtoendtheFullMoonlabelwiththe2002releaseofJigsaw.
DuringthiseraofFullMoon,BandsecuredaweeklytelevisionseriesontheSciFiChannelcalledWilliamShatner"sFullMoonFrightNight.VeteranactorWilliamShatnerhostedFullMoonfilmswithwraparounds,aswellasinterviewswithmanyofsci-fi"smostnotablepersonalities,includingStanLeeandJeffreyCombs.TempealsoreceivedexposurehereasHorrorVisionwasincludedinthisshort-livedseries.
Withthereleaseof2000"sTheDeadHatetheLiving!,BanddroppedtheVideoZonenameandproducedbehind-the-scenesfeaturetteswithoutamasthead.
ShadowFilmsera(2002-2004)
ShadowFilmsLogoBlockbusterEntertainment,alongtimesupporteroftheFullMoonbrand,requestedthecompanyproduceaslasherfilm,duetothelate"90sresurgenceofthissubgenrethankstoScreamandIKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer.WiththehelpofanuncreditedTempeEntertainment,BandproducedBleed,andacquiredKeithWalley"sScared,renamingitCutThroat.
Bandproducedonlytwomorefilms"officially"undertheShadowname:(Birthrite,DeltaDeltaDie!).AnotherKeithWalleyfilm,Speck,wasacquired.WilliamShatner"sDVscience-fictionmovie,GroomLake,producedbyJ.R.Bookwalter,becamenotoriousasoneofthemost-expensivefilmsofthemoderneraofFullMoon.
WizardVideoLogoBandalsodecidedaroundthistimetobringbackanoldlabelusedintheEmpireeranamedWizardVideo,whichdistributedcult-likefilms.ThismodernrenditionsawthereleaseofTempe"sSkinnedAliveandOzone(renamedStreetZombiesfortheWizardrelease).However,duetolowsales,anotherTempefilm,Bloodletting(whichwasalsorenamed:I"veKilledBefore),wasdroppedfromthereleaseschedule.
In2003,CharlesBandenteredintoadealwith20thCenturyFoxtoproducealowbudgethorrormovie.Foxwoulddistributethemovie,andBandwouldretaincopyrights.ThefilmwasdirectedbyJ.R.Bookwalter,andnamedDeadlyStingers.InthetrADItionofthegiantkillerbugmovies,DeadlyStingerswasaboutgiantscorpionstakingoveratown.However,afterthefilmwascompleted,itwasshelvedduetoadeclineintheindustry,andlowsalesofanothersimilarprojectatFox(excludingFullMoon)entitledDarkWolf.ThefilmwasshownattheFrightvisionHorrorFestivalin2003,buthasyettoseereleaseonDVD,Blu-ray,orVOD.AteasertrailerforthefilmdoesexistonJ.R.Bookwalter"sTempeEntertainmentwebsite.
ThesecondFullMoonPicturesera(2004-Present)Inlate2003,Bandbeganworkonhisfirst35mmfilminyears,Dr.Moreau"sHouseofPain.Thefilm,releasedinJanuary2004,alsomarkedtheofficialreturnofthenameFullMoonPictures.However,thefilm"svideoreleasesallcontainthenameofShadowEntertainment,butthefilm"strailercontainstheFullMoonPictureslogo.
QuicklybeforethereleaseofDr.Moreau"sHouseofPain,FullMoonreleasedPuppetMaster:TheLegacy,a"greatesthits"filmthatcontainedthebestscenesfromall(uptothatpoint)sevenPuppetMasterfilmswithabout20minutesofawraparoundstoryandverybadpuppeteffects(stringrodscanbeseeninalmosteveryscenefeaturingthepuppets).Onceagain,allvideoreleasessaidShadowEntertainment,butthetrailercontainedtheFullMoonPictureslogo.
OntheheelsofPuppetMaster:TheLegacy,BandquicklycuttogetherTombofTerror,Horrific,andUrbanEvil.Thesethreefilms,editedbyHorrorVisiondirectorDannyDraven,wereclipshowsthatshowedoffthebestinFullMoon"slibrary.
Afterthereleaseofthosefilms,Bandre-christenedtheFullMoonnametoFullMoonFeatures.FullMoonFeaturesintendstotakemoretimemakingfilms,withconsiderablyhigherbudgetsandon35mmfilm,andasofJuly2006,hasfocusedonthat,withtheexceptionsofWhenPuppetsandDollsAttack!,MonstersGoneWild!,andAliensGoneWild!(allclipshows).
In2005,CharlesBandembarkedontheFullMoonHorrorRoadshow,atraveling,liveFullMoon-inspiredshow,featuringBandandactors/actressesfrompastFullMoonfilms.Someshowsalsofeaturedhisson,AlexBand.Atallshows,BandofferedacontestforachanceforamemberoftheaudiencetohaveapartinafutureFullMoonfeature.Asof2009,noneofthesewinnershadreceivedtheirroles.However,onAugust27,2009Bandbloggedthatthosewhowerechosenwouldhavetheopportunitytobecastinhisnextproject.Bandcontinuedtheroadshowin2006,thistimeputtingitinsmallervenues.Asimilarcontest,offeringapartinamovie,washeldattheseevents.In2011,contestwinnerswerecontactedforthechancetobeextrasinthemovieGingerdeadMan3:SaturdayNightCleaver.Availablewinnerswhocouldmakeittothesetwerefeaturedasextrasinthemovieduringamasselectrocutionsceneatarollerrink.FullMoonuploadedpicturesofthecontestwinnersonsetonitsofficialFacebookpage.
In2009,BandhopestoexpandFullMoontoasimilarreleaseschedulemorelikethemid-1990s,withanewreleaseeverymonth.Additionally,thecompanyplanstoaddsequelstomanyfranchises,includingPuppetMaster,DemonicToys,andHeadoftheFamily.
In2012,theVideozonewasbroughtback,makingitsreturnontheDVDreleaseofPuppetMasterX:AxisRising.Inaddition,theMoonbeamEntertainmentbrandlabelwasrevivedunderthename,MoonbeamFilms.
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