Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts, and Gonzo Filmmaking

As a longtime director and producer of hundreds of B movies and exploitation films—including Ghoulies (1985) and Puppet Master (1989)—Band has always been a master storyteller with a genius imagination, a flair for the macabre, and a killer instinct for creating art that crosses genres and boundaries. Here, with coauthor Felber (Schrödinger’s Ball), Band tells his own story with candor, including his unusual childhood spent mainly on movie sets in Italy. He recounts developing a passion for directing; making forays into studio ownership (first Empire Pictures, then Full Moon Features); and even buying a 12th-century castle in Umbria. A true actor’s director, Band helped launch the careers of future stars, including Demi Moore and Helen Hunt; in his memoir, his affection and respect for his coworkers are refreshing. Band refuses to gloss over his tough times (two failed marriages, ongoing money troubles, an arrest); instead, the director writes with charm and self-deprecating humor about his trusting naivete and his penchant for spending money he doesn’t have.