Charles Band’s Full Moon Features has been churning out straight-to-video shockers since the late 80’s. Their titles were a staple of video store shelves and many modern horror fans grew up on their rental selections. Amazingly, Full Moon survived the video store collapse and still produces sleazy and fun horror films to this very day.
Their modern output primarily focuses on key series entries (like Evil Bong and The Gingerdead Man) with strong attention paid to scantily-clad babes and stoner comedy.But in their prime, the company was a breeding ground for interesting and often absurd horror fare. With that, here are the 5 best Full Moon titles.
5HIDEOUS! (1997)
One of the trademarks of Full Moon’s expansive output is the presence of pint-sized creatures. While the films in the Puppet Master series are probably the best known, the company boasts quite a few other films and series which concern knee-high horrors. Of these, none are quite as bizarre as Hideous! which follows FBI agents and a group of collectors of medical abominations as they fight for the lives against miniature mutants. This one has to be seen to believed.
4DEMONIC TOYS (1992)
We may never find out where Charles Band’s obsession with small monsters comes from, but in the meantime we have plenty of Full Moon features which center around them. None are as fun and digestible as the Demonic Toys films, the first entry being an essential watch for fans of schlocky shocks. The film takes place in the Toyland Warehouse, where police officers Judith Gray and Matt Cable (played by Tracy Scoggins and Jeff Weston) fight against, you guessed it, demonic toys. This film is a total crowd-pleaser, throw this on at your next party.
3HEAD OF THE FAMILY (1996)
This is a classic case of “how the hell did this get made?” Head of the Family is quite literally one of the most bizarre films you’re likely to watch in your life. It concerns a down on their luck southern couple who decide to blackmail a family of freaks led by an enormous mutant head in a wheelchair. If that description sounded weird, just watch the film. What unfolds is a baffling, often gross, and completely entertaining experience. This film (along with the aforementioned Hideous!) stars the beautiful Jacqueline Lovell, whose career came to screeching halt shortly after this film.
2CASTLE FREAK (1995)
Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond) directed this gruesome story of John Reilly (Jeffrey Combs) who moves his family to an Italian castle, only to discover that a horrifying monster still remains locked away in the dungeon. The creature (naturally) escapes and reeks havoc on John and others in a film that is as graphic as it is stylish. Highly disturbing, yet sophisticated in it’s delivery, Castle Freak is a film that is sure to stick with viewers for a long time.
1SUBSPECIES (1991)
One of the greatest vampire films of all time and also one of the most under-appreciated, Ted Nicolaou’s Subspecies is an atmospheric tale of love and bloodlust. Anders Hove’s performance as scorn vampire, Radu Vladislas, is heartbreaking and haunting. Hove wears facial appliances in the film, which give the actor a monstrous look while retaining his humanity, allowing a full range of emotion to shine through his spectacular performance.
The film spawned three very entertaining sequels and a spin-off film (Vampire Journals), all of which were directed by Nicolaou (who also directed the cult classic, Terrorvision). Band’s choice to shoot the film and its three subsequent sequels in Romania give the story an authenticity that many vampire films lack. Subspecies is a fantastic horror film and an absolute must for fans of practical FX, gorgeous sets, and gothic horror.
