Charles Band

Career

Band entered film production in the 1970s with Charles Band Productions. Dissatisfied with distributors' handling of his movies, he formed Empire Pictures in 1983. At its height, Empire would release an average of two films a month, one theatrically and one on home video. Movies released by Empire included Ghoulies and Ghoulies II, and the cult classic Re-Animator.

Empire folded in 1988, due to financial difficulties. Band would found Full Moon Productions the same year. Full Moon releases include the Puppet Master and Subspecies series. Full Moon's family-oriented label Moonbeam Entertainment released the Prehysteria! trilogy.

In 2021, Harper Collins published Band's best-selling autobiography Confessions of a Puppetmaster, charting his entire history in the business to date.

Personal life

Band was born in Los Angeles, California. He is Jewish. He is the son of director-producer Albert Band, and brother of composer Richard Band. Band's grandfather was the artist Max Band. With his former wife Meda, Band had two children, including Alex, the vocalist for the band The Calling. He had two sons with his former wife Debra Dion. Band is currently married to actress Robin Sydney.

Filmography

As director

Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973, as Carlo Bokino)

Crash! (1977)

Parasite (1982)

Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983)

The Alchemist (1983, as James Amante)

The Dungeonmaster (1984, segment "Heavy Metal")

Trancers (1984)

Pulse Pounders (1988)

Meridian: Kiss of the Beast (1990)

Crash and Burn (1990)

Trancers II (1991)

Doctor Mordrid (1992)

Prehysteria! (1993)

Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993)

Head of the Family (1996, as Robert Talbot)

Mystery Monsters (1997, as Robert Talbot)

Hideous! (1997)

The Creeps (1997)

Blood Dolls (1999)

NoAngels.com (2000)

Full Moon Fright Night (2002, TV Series)

Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003)

Dr. Moreau's House of Pain (2004)

Decadent Evil Dead (2005)