If you’re a fan of B-movies, you’re already a fan of Charles Band’s Full Moon Features. Ghoulies, the Puppet Master series, Gingerdead Man, Subspecies…Full Moon Features is synonymous with low-budget comedic horror. With 399 films under his belt, Mr. Band decided it was time to launch a new brand that would appeal to a more diverse audience. Pulp Noir films will be darker, grittier, and far more serious than their predecessors. I was thrilled when I was given the chance to speak to the ‘Godfather of Horror Comedy’ himself earlier this week and ask him a few questions about his new projects.
Quadrant (2024) is Mr. Band’s 400th film, and it sets the tone for what we can expect from Pulp Noir in the coming years. In the film, “Quadrant” is an experimental health protocol designed to help patients face their fears through the medically directed use of a VR headset. Under the observation of two researchers, patients sit in a dark basement room, strapped into a barber chair, and don a steampunk-esque helmet for a fully immersive voyage into their own nightmares. The patients are volunteers who are supposed to be “getting better” through exposure therapy, but Erin (Shannon Helene Barnes) donates her time for an entirely different reason. She is obsessed with Jack the Ripper, and her VR trips back to London in the 1880s are…orgasmic.
Without giving anything away, it becomes obvious that Erin is a monster. Viewers will be forced to watch her spiral deeper into her obsession, both within her Quadrant-induced visions and in reality. When I asked Mr. Band about his decision to place a female in the serial killer role, he told me that it was writer C. Courtney Joyner’s brilliance. Erin’s kills are fierce, they’re bloody, and they’re extremely sexual. She associates herself with Jack the Ripper, which is a strong choice to make in today’s climate of the “man vs. bear” discussions on social media. For those who aren’t aware, following the overturn of Roe vs. Wade in the United States earlier this year, women began to postulate the question “If you were alone in the woods, who would you rather meet? A man or a bear?”. The overwhelming response from women was ‘the bear’ because at least they knew what to expect from a wild animal. It has become a social experiment, meant to show that even in 2024, women (in general) still do not trust that random men won’t hurt them, given the chance.
In Quadrant, Erin is the ‘man in the forest’. She is the sexual predator feasting on women. She’s not just a psychopath, she’s the walking embodiment of the most notorious ‘man in the forest’ in history: Jack the Ripper. While the movie was completed well before this online conversation began, its release later this month is timely. The world is analyzing the safety and bodily autonomy of women in today’s divisive climate, and Quadrant’s unintentional message could be interpreted as this: How does it feel when the roles are reversed, and a woman behaves like the ‘man in the forest’? There are theories, after all, that Jack the Ripper may have been a woman.
The idea behind Quadrant began in the 1980s when Mr. Band saw an image of a submarine and imagined a film based on its ability to travel to other dimensions. That version was never made for several reasons, which is good for us because the vibe would have been very different under the Full Moon Features banner. Adding humor to such a dark story may have detracted from the central theme, exploring the mind of a female serial killer. Stylistically, Quadrant is very definitely a Charles Band movie. It’s quick-paced, full of action, and focuses more on grabbing your attention than building character backstories. Although he admits that he doesn’t have a lot of experience with VR gaming, he does a great job creating “uncanny valley” style digital worlds for Quadrant users to explore. The monsters and scenery are not as crisp as current video game animation standards, but because this is still a low-budget movie, they’re pretty impressive.
The action begins within the first few minutes of the film, and there are plenty of topless lady scenes for those who enjoy that aspect of horror. There are five main characters to follow, but only Erin is given much of a backstory. Near the end of the film, though, another character’s surprise reveal hints at the possibility of a sequel, which is something Mr. Band hopes to create. If there can be 9 Evil Bong movies, Quadrant can just as easily become his next serial franchise. I hope it is, because I feel like I just read chapter 1 in a novel that’s going to become rich in brand-new techno-lore.
Mr. Band told me that he decided to launch Pulp Noir to attract younger viewers who are not familiar with Full Moon films. As he explained, back in the 1980s and 90s, his movies were stocked alongside big-budget horrors in video rental stores. When people went there to pick up a few movies for the weekend, they were just as likely to select one of his films as any other. Personally, I remember binging Friday the 13th and Puppet Master on a Friday night as a kid, then sleeping with the lights on for a week. In those days, it was easier for small production companies to make money, which meant that Mr. Band could keep pumping out his “escapist” movies. Today, direct-to-streaming films get buried under those bigger-budget movies, and small production companies earn far less than they used to. Pulp Noir aims to be more visible than Full Moon Features by sharing its films to all streaming platforms as well as producing Blu-ray copies. Quadrant will also be releasing on VHS, which will ensure older viewers are still paying attention!
As a fun add-on, Full Moon Features/Pulp Noir now has a Patreon account that offers fans some amazing perks with tiers for every budget. At the top tier, members will be given executive producer status in future films, and their names will show up in the end credits as well as on IMDb. Lower-level tiers offer free access to the Full Moon Features streaming channel, a Blu-ray of the month, and a free Tiny Terror collectible. Mr. Band also records behind-the-scenes footage on his iPhone while filming, and sends the recordings out to his Patreon members in real-time, giving them the truly unique experience of watching the production process through the eyes of the director, as it happens.
Mr. Band is genuinely excited to be making horror films after decades in the business, and his passion shows in the end product. He believes in the talent of his stars and his crew and thoroughly enjoys his time with them. He chuckled while he told me about some of the behind-the-scenes footage for Quadrant, in which viewers can hear everyone laughing along with him while he drives Barnes’ character to be more vicious, a true testament to his team’s amicable cohesion and the respect he is given as their director.
Quadrant is a fascinating exploration into using technology to improve mental health and understanding that women can be predators, too. In no way does the film suggest that women should NOT be on guard or choose the man over the bear. On the contrary, at least to me, it suggests that evil can and does live inside women, too.
Quadrant releases on your favourite streaming service and Blu-ray/VHS on August 23, 2024.
*The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only, and do not represent the beliefs of any other member of the Grimoire of Horror team. Special thanks to Charles Band for allowing us to speak with him candidly and openly about his life in movies, the formation of Pulp Noir, and his new release Quadrant (2024), coming to your living room on August 23, 2024!
Charles Band’s Full Moon Universe Patreon Link
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Kate’s love of all things dark began as a child and deepened when she realized what being an adult meant. She was born with a pencil in her hand and loves nothing more than writing horrific stories to tantalize her inner demons. Kate lives in Hamilton, Ontario Canada with her husband and her boys, stirring up trouble wherever she can.