Mom (1991)

During a time when the city of Los Angeles is terrorized by animal attack style murders, a kindly elderly lady provides a nomad with room and board. It turns out that he is a werewolf and ... See full summary »

Director:

Patrick Rand

Writers:

Patrick Rand (story), Kevin Watson (story),

Stars:

Mark Thomas Miller, Jeanne Bates, Brion James

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Thomas Miller	...	Clay Dwyer
Jeanne Bates	...	Emily Dwyer
Brion James	...	Nestor Duvalier
Mary Beth McDonough	...	Alice (as Mary McDonough)
Art Evans	...	Lt. Hendrix
Stella Stevens	...	Beverly Hills
Claudia Christian	...	Virginia Monroe
Maray Ayres	...	Carla
Christopher Doyle	...	Baxter
Tim Trella	...	Daniels
Ed Johnson	...	Virginia's Father
Wendy Gordon	...	Anchorwoman (as Wendy Jill Gordon)
Charles Martinet	...	Mr. Hernandez (as Charles Martinez)
Gary Marks	...	Meterman
Harry Landers	...	Bartender

Storyline

During a time when the city of Los Angeles is terrorized by animal attack style murders, a kindly elderly lady provides a nomad with room and board. It turns out that he is a werewolf and is responsible for the recent killings. He bites the elderly woman, turning her into a hungry werewolf. Now her adult son must try to prevent the both of them from doing any more harm.

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Plot Keywords:

werewolf | monster | independent film

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Taglines:

Call her mad, call her a monster, just make sure you call her once a week!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mama diabolica

Company Credits

Production Co:

Epic Productions, Smoking Gun

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Seven Hours Later"
Music by John Debney
Performed by John Debney
Tifin Productions (ASCAP)

User Reviews

Poor Clay has the mother of all problems.

When his elderly mother Emily (Jeanne Bates) is attacked by her lodger Nestor Duvalier (Brion James) and turns into a cannibalistic monster, TV news reporter Clay Dwyer (Mark Thomas Miller) struggles to keep dear old mom from satisfying her hunger.

Although the above plot summary conjures up images of trashy, over-the-top, 80s horror titles such as Flesheating Mothers and Rabid Grannies, Mom actually turns out to be a refreshingly original take on the werewolf/vampire/zombie mythos (exactly what Emily becomes is never really clear, but it ain't nice!), as well as a touching study of the close bond between mother and son: Clay's devotion to his mother leads him to abandon all of his other responsibilities, including his job and his relationship with pregnant girlfriend Alice (Mary Beth McDonough), whilst Emily's love for Clay ultimately drives her to self-destruction.

Technically, the film could be sharper, with more stylish direction and better effects (the shots of the creature are kept very brief, so as not to disappoint), and certain more experienced members of the cast frustrate with terribly cheesy performances (Yes, Brion James and Stella Stevens, I AM referring to you); fortunately, however, the strong emotional undercurrent in the well constructed story is enough on its own to ensure that Mom is an effective, compelling, and occasionally shocking tale—one which I have no hesitation in recommending to those looking for something a little different.