Bad Moon (1996)

Full moon crescent moon quarter moon...each is a Bad Moon for Ted Harrison. By day he's a photojournalist enjoying a stay with family in the Pacific Northwest. By night he transfigures into a horrific half-human--a werewolf. Writer/Director Eric Red (The Hitcher Body Parts) delivers a new infusion of thrills with this roaring red-blooded shocker. Michael Pare portrays Ted hiding his accursed condition from his sister (Mariel Hemingway) and nephew (Dennis the Menace's Mason Gamble) Year: 1997 Director: Eric Red Starring: Mariel Hemingway Michael Pare Mason GambleRunning Time: 84 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR UPC: 085391491026 Product Description

CLASSIC, GREAT STORY AND PREFORMANCES

BAD MOON

I have been a werewolf kick lately going back through the collection to watch all my werewolf films. Of course The Howling collection is in there as well as others like the classic Wolf man and such. But when I came across this lost classic I had to watch it again, this is honestly one of the best werewolf movies of all time. Based on the book by Wayne Smith called "Thor" this film is a quick straight forward action packed werewolf flick. I really enjoy this movie every time I watch it; I recommend it to any movie fan out there.

The story is about a man that is attacked along side his girl by a werewolf and well he makes it out alive with a nice little bite taken out of him. So when he returns home to visit his sister he must try not only to fight the turning into a wolf but also the family dog named Thor. Of course this movie wouldn't be here if he failed at both ends of that statement. Actor Michael Paré is perfect in the role of the uncle turned wolf in this film, he really makes it believable. Same can be said for Mariel Hemingway who played the sister to the werewolf [I can see the net Howling title-Your Brother is a Werewolf], she is great in her role as well. Mason Gamble is good as the son in this film, but at times I swear he looks like a girl. Ken Pogue, Hrothgar Mathews, Johanna Lebovitz, Gavin Buhr, Julia Montgomery Brown round out a great supporting cast. But the real star here is Primo who is the dog who played Thor, the trainers and this dog should get a lot of credit for making this what it is. The dog is really what makes this film, and make this film stand out from other werewolf films.

A lot of credit should go to the make up and special effects department as well because as far as the time this film came out and on a low budget this film looks great. Cinematography is great as well on this, screenwriter/director Eric Red and all the producers of this film really created a classic in my opinion.

If you are looking for a good movie to watch one night check this out, matter of fact buy it don't rent. It really is that good.
September 8, 2008

Disappointing

After hearing about how Bad Moon was one of those "overlooked gems of the 90's", and realizing that Eric Red (one of the minds behind 80's cult classics The Hitcher and Near Dark) had directed it and wrote the screenplay, I finally decided to check it out. Werewolf movies are generally a dime a dozen, regardless of the era. Besides classics like An American Werewolf in London and the original Howling, there isn't a whole lot else that stands out in the genre. Bad Moon sadly isn't any different. 80's star Michael Pare stars as a photojournalist that gets bitten by a werewolf in Nepal, and soon enough begins going on a bloodthirsty rampage. After failing to find ways to cure himself, he decides that if he may rid himself of his curse if he spends time with his sister (Mariel Hemingway) and her young son (Mason Gamble). Naturally, that doesn't work out so well, as his dark secret is uncovered by the family's ultra-intelligent German-shepard Thor, and it isn't long before dog and werewolf have a bloody face-off. The story is predictable, and the only actor that comes across as remotely believable is Pare who is surprisingly good here. The gore effects are nice, as is the werewolf design, but Pare's transformation moment is utterly laughable as the CGI shows it's budget constraints. The film flies by in a breeze though, and die hard fans of the werewolf sub-genre may find some enjoyment here, but for other horror fans, there isn't much to see here. August 9, 2008

Lycanthropy: The disease that keeps on giving!

First off, I must disagree with many other reviewers. I think the acting in this film is mostly servicable and even quite good at moments and all of the actors in this film gave the director exactly what he wanted. I just think that what the Director (Eric Red) wanted wasn't very good (whether due to time/financial constraints or inexperienced directing I can't say). All of that said and despite Eric Red's rushed pace, Michael Pare had a couple of shining moments, the highlight taking place at the very beginning of one of the worst transformation scenes ever. This movie is very uneven, it goes from mindless logic (or at least too brief exposition as to why things are happening) to interesting and clever moments (mostly centered around the dog Thor/aka Primo). A fantastic lead into the final transformation turns into a werewolf fanboy's nightmare of comical made-for-TV CGI/Matte work. The fantastic werewolf suit in which Eric Red was proud to show off throughout the entire film, left me with a love/hate affection toward this piece as other moments seemed to lack any logic that even the best expostiton could explain. All in all though, if you are a fan of the werewolf genre, this one understands what John Landis said about a good werewolf film, (paraphrasing) Lycanthropy is like cancer except instead of killing you, it kills everybody else. July 9, 2008

An often overlooked horror gem.

I saw this in the theater when it came out.
I wasn't expecting much, another werewolf movie...whoopee!
I came away surprised and entertained.
A tad corny in places, but otherwise fast paced, well acted, and well written.
Worth a rental on a stormy summer night. June 13, 2008

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

Fierce. This is by FAR the best werewolf movie of all of them. I've seen most of them, I remember 80 when the big three came out...The Howling, Wolfen, and Bad Moon. I like all three, but this one takes the big trophy!! I also really liked American Werewolf in London, Ginger Snaps, Dog Soldiers and couple others are ok ("The Feeding" was just really bad though)...but Bad Moon? Takes place in a modern middle class suburban neighborhood...not in the city gutters or just deep in the forest or whatever. I love the originality and modern feel of this one, and ohhh those special fx! The family German Shepard in this even deserved an award, what an actor!! March 7, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...