Charles Band is 74-years-old today. He was born on 27 December 1951.

Band was born in Hollywood to a Hollywood family. He benefited from a certain amount of nepotism, I’m sure. But it just doesn’t begin to explain his amazing career.

In the 1970s, he started Charles Band International Productions. It produced Mansion of the Doomed (1976), Laserblast (1978), and Tourist Trap (1979). But he was apparently unhappy with the distribution contracts. So he formed the better known Empire International Pictures, which produced and distributed his films.

The Alchemist (1983) was its first release. It got terrible reviews but that is hardly surprising. Band productions rarely got good reviews — especially in the early days. Trancers was a notable early success. It set the stage for Band’s career, spawning 5 sequels.

Empire did well for a while. But Band over-extended. The bank took it over in 1988 and sold it to Epic Productions (which itself has been sold over the years). This resulted in the creation of Full Moon Features.

Most psychotronic fans know about Full Moon. Since its founding in 1989, it has released over 500 feature films. Its catalog is so extensive that it has its own streaming service. It is best known for its franchise films:

• Demonic Toys (6 films)
• Evil Bong (8 films)
• Gingerdead Man (3 films)
• Puppet Master (14 films)
• Subspecies (6 films)

And, of course, the previously discussed Trancers, which became a Full Moon series. Note: this doesn’t include crossovers like Dollman vs Demonic Toys.

To be honest, I’m not fond of much of what Full Moon produces. Even with the Puppet Master films, I tend to stick with the ones that David DeCoteau directed. But I love that the company makes films for very targeted audiences. I find the original Evil Bong film almost unwatchable but I’ll bet it kills in dorm rooms to this day. And I think that’s awesome.

I’ve decided to highlight Re-Animator (1985) today. Charles Band didn’t have a big part in its production. He provided distribution (through Empire) and post-production help. But it began his association with director Stuart Gordon. What’s more, star Barbara Crampton is 67-years-old today. But most of all, it’s a fantastic film!

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Charles Band by Moritz Barcelona under CC BY 2.0.