BAND APART PART II

Charles Band

CCF: Speaking of Haig, you recently were working on “Dead Man’s Hand.”

CB: Yeah, with Sid and Michael Berryman actually.

CCF: That one’s completely wrapped up?

CB: Yeah, we are in post production and it should be out in January.

CCF: That was something to do with Sid Haig as a ghost haunting a casino, right?

CB: It’s about a haunted casino from the 60’s. I’m really proud of this one. I think the film is going to be really, really good. But also as a concept, you always want to do something that is a little different and a twist in a genre that is being oversaturated. It’s a story that is much like “The Shinning” about a haunted casino and that’s kind of original. I’m really happy we made it first.

CCF: Yeah, as far as the whole haunted casino thing, that’s something that hadn’t been done before that I had actually thought of too. I actually thought that would be something cool in Vegas to fully incorporate into a Strip casino.

CB: I’m actually putting that together separately as, I don’t really know how to describe it, but it ties to a casino or an event. I don’t want to say a ride, but a haunted casino that actually trades on some of the history. We did the research so that it’s not just a fabrication. I think haunted Vegas, a haunted casino… there’s something in there, framed correctly that could be, obviously very germane to Vegas and gambling, but also different.

CCF: There is something kind of in the works?

CB: Yeah, there is. It’s a little early to reveal, but I’ve already talked to some of the people, especially at The Venetian. There is something kind of in the wings that I am excited about that will sort of tie into the haunted casino.

CCF: Oh, well, that is very cool. Where did you shoot “Dead Man’s Hand”?

CB: I shot it in Los Angeles. There’s an exterior day which will be shot outside of Vegas, but there was an Old American Legion building, close to turn of the century, that we used. It just had some great rooms and worked for the story. We had to either rent or fabricate gaming equipment, so that was a challenge. But I think we pulled it off and it looks good. The idea is it’s a very private high end club, so it’s not a vast casino. Even back in the 60’s, casinos weren’t that large. This is more of an exclusive one that was on the small side, but it had a lot of history and sort of an art deco vibe with also some magic and illusion elements that were all correct for the period. Not to mention we also had to fabricate slot machines. I actually bought one that was perfect for the vibe of the movie and perfect for the time line. It was an old Bally’s machine and we did a little work on that one and then made a mold. We actually made 60 of them, so in the background of the rooms, which are in a terrible state of disrepair because the place had been closed for 40 years, they really look great. People are going to wonder where did he get 60 of those vintage machines. But the truth is there was only one.

CCF: To me that’s really cool you did that instead of doing it digitally. I think all the CGI stuff is really getting over used these days.

CB: If you come to my show and I hope you will, you will hear my spiel on digital versus organic in camera effects. CGI used very sparingly in very unique situations works, but it is so ridiculously overused. I don’t care how much money they spent, it looks like a cartoon. I’m really into not using CGI. That would have been very easy for me to do that and it would have looked not right. It would have looked like a cartoon.

CCF: Speaking of that, I wanted to know basically what your thoughts are on the state of horror films today. With the big budget blockbusters and also at the same time the independent genre movies that have become so much cheaper to make, it seems like you are getting a lot of competition.

CB: That’s true. First of all, if you look at the recent movies and you look at “Dead Man’s Hand” and I have a horror comedy coming out in October called “The Evil Bong” starring Tommy Chong, which is a lot of fun about literally an evil bong. If you look at these films, even though they are very low budget and that’s the world I live in, they are all shot on 35mm. A lot of what people aren’t doing any more, we continue to do like original scores and high end mixes, shooting it on film and not tape. These things, I think, make a big difference. It’s definitely more expensive. We are kind of trading dollars right now because the world hasn’t moved in a way that these have quite enough acceptance. They are low budget, but not quite as low budget as what you can go make a digital movie with and the air waves are pretty much owned by the huge movies. I’m not saying I have seen every horror movie made in the last five years, but I go from time to time and maybe the last good one I saw was “The Others.” But for me and my money, most of these that are remakes of films we all saw in the 70’s and the 80’s, with an exception here or there, they are too slick, too MTV, too CGI, you lose the grittiness. Many of these classic horror films were very effective. Some may look kind of dated today because they had real people and not everybody was incredible attractive. When you throw in the hot attractive GQ looking dudes, the hot chicks, the CGI, the lighting, you know, it’s getting old real fast. It’s hard to make a general statement on dozens of movies and there is a huge amount of competition as everybody is making horror movies, but some sort of shine through and will be able to stand the test of time. Hopefully, the ones we are making are in that category.

Tommy Chong and the “Evil Bong”

CCF: You mentioned “Evil Bong.” You directed that one and “Dead Man’s Hand”?

CB: Uh-huh.

CCF: How quick of a turnaround are we talking here?

CB: Pretty quick. “Evil Bong” we wrapped about 60 days ago and it’s been in post for a couple of months and will be done in a week or two. It should be out in stores about a week before Halloween. “Dead Man’s Hand” is sort of the same pattern. We just wrapped it a few weeks ago, we’ll probably have it completed in November and have it in stores by January. I’m trying to do five or six a year. That’s my goal. It’s a lot of work, but it’s gratifying to see the movies coming out regularly and seeing the fan base growing again. In large part that is why the Road Show is happening so people can be exposed, go home and say “Oh, that sounds great. I’m looking forward to that.” And they start to ask about it at their local video store. Again, it’s just like the rock and roll band that performs, letting people know what’s coming up.

CCF: It seemed like there for a while Full Moon had actually gone away and sort of disappeared.

CB: It did. It disappeared because I kind of disappeared. There was a period where the business got so difficult. It gets hard to sort of fight all of the windmills. I’ve been making movies for a lot of years, so I just sort of slowed down. I farmed out some things. We did some movies in digital video which were disappointing. Then I went to Europe for like a year and a half. It faded. It didn’t completely disappear, but faded. Then I came back barely two years ago now and I thought let me see if I make them more like I made them in the 80’s - spending some more money, shooting them on 35 and going back to those basics - let me see if that will turn this around. It was going nowhere fast. So I directed six movies in the last 18 months, wait maybe seven. It’s at least six I can remember... The early results are encouraging. You spend past a certain dollar amount, running this as a business, and you are sort of in a danger zone. But if over time with rentals, digital downloads and all the things you count on as a revenue stream increases because essentially you are making a better movie, then it all makes sense. It’s a little early to tell, but the Road Show is definitely part of trying to get the word out to differentiate what we are doing and what other people do when they make a cheap little digital movie that is a retread of a slasher film. Those get made every week it seems.

CCF: Right, well one of the other things I wanted to talk about was...

CB: Can you hang on a second because I have somebody waiting. I thought we’d be done, so let me tell them to wait a few more minutes. One sec.

(SILENCE)

CB: Sorry about that. I can do one more question. I just got people here, I’m sorry.

CCF: Oh ok. Well, let’s go back to the Road Show then. To me, I can’t believe the ticket price. Twelve dollars is extremely cheap, especially for Vegas. What do you hope audiences are able to take away from the whole experience?

CB: The place seats about 500 people. I’ve been there. It’s actually a very nice venue. I think whoever shows up, you can’t beat the price. It’s what a movie costs today. It’s going to be a really good time. I want people to enjoy it and hopefully they will be inspired. If you are a fan of the genre and you like the movies we have made over 30 years, I hate to even say that number, I think you will really dig the show. It’s entertaining. It’s not a seminar. It’s very much more sort of a carnie act. If people leave and they have enjoyed it and they now tune into the movies and are sort of apart of that Full Moon universe, then we have done our jobs. First and foremost, it’s a blast. Another bit of advice is, the more you drink, the more you’ll enjoy the show. That’s why every one of these is sort of being done at an edgy bar/venue situation because I don’t want people to just sit in the theater. It’s not that kind of experience. It’s a lot more interactive and a lot more fun. Try to come. I think you will enjoy it and at least we can say “Hi.”

CCF: Okay.

CB: Alright, well thank you.

CCF: Thanks.

CB: Take care. Bye bye.

And that was that. I was disappointed I didn’t get to talk with him about his movie “The Gingerdead Man” and whether we will see any sequels to it in the future, as well as his “Cinemaker” DVD set, the volume one “Charles Band DVD Collection,” “The Stuart Gordan Box Set,” his novelty Monster Bra line and many other things. But Charles probably had to go finish shooting a movie, practice his head chopping technique or put the finishing touches on some other wickedly cool idea, so I shall forgive him.

- CCF, September 2006

FULL MOON HORROR ROAD SHOW TOUR DATES

9/14, San Francisco, Calif. @ Rickshaw Stop

9/15, La Jolla, Calif., @ La Jolla Brew House;

9/16, Phoenix @ Big Daddy’s North

9/17, Las Vegas @ Celebrity Nightclub and Lounge

9/21, Austin @ Alamo South Lamar

9/22, Dallas @ Lakewood Theatre

9/23, Norman, Okla. @ Sooner Theatre

9/24, Little Rock @ Juanita’s Café & Bar

9/28, Miami @ The Pawn Shop Lounge

9/29, Clearwater, Fla., @ The Majestic Lounge and Nightclub

9/30, Marietta, Ga. @ The Darkside

10/1, Charlotte, N.C. @ Neighborhood Theatre

10/5, Baltimore @ Have A Nice Day Cafe

10/6, Garwood, N.J. @ The Crossroads

10/7, Poughkeepsie @ The Loft

10/8, Allston, Maine @ The Kells Of Boston

10/11, Buffalo @ The Icon

10/12, Cleveland @ The Agora

10/13, Chicago @ Excalibur Nightclub

10/14, Middleton, Wisc. @ The Warehouse Stage

10/15, Minneapolis @ The Varsity Theatre

Tickets are $12 and can be bought at the venues are online here. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. local time.