Bad Moon (1996)

Director:

Eric Red

Writers (WGA):

Wayne Smith (novel)
Eric Red (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Half man. Half wolf. Total terror.

Plot:

One man's struggle to contain the curse he hides within... and his last-ditch attempt to free himself with the love of family...

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf | Dog | Thor | Trailer | Human Animal Relationship

Cast

Mariel Hemingway	...	Janet
Michael Paré	...	Uncle Ted (as Michael Pare)
Mason Gamble	...	Brett
Ken Pogue	...	Sheriff Jenson
Hrothgar Mathews	...	Flopsy
Johanna Lebovitz	...	Marjorie (as Johanna Marlowe Lebovitz)
Gavin Buhr	...	Forest Ranger
Julia Montgomery Brown	...	Reporter
Primo	...	Thor

Also Known As:

Thor (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and gore, brief language and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 (video premiere) | USA:R (certificate #34872) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Ansmore Village, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

A few seconds of sex and gore was cut from the opening scene in oder to avoid an NC-17.

Goofs:

Factual errors: On the dates that were apparently a full moon, the moon was new (or nearly so).

Quotes:

Janet: [to Ted, when the dog Thor is reluctant to approach him] What did you do, spit in his Alpo?

Movie Connections:

Features Werewolf of London (1935)

Decent enough werewolf flick

The problem with werewolf movies is that there's so few good ones. Since the dawn of the millennium, we've had two good ones; Ginger Snaps and Dog Soldiers, and then there's the 80's duo of An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, not to mention the Universal and Hammer takes on the legend...but seriously, the werewolf tale is a classic story and it deserves more good films than just the aforementioned. Bad Moon, while certainly not a bad take on the story, is hardly one to add to the illusive list of good ones; but it's still an enjoyable ride for the werewolf fan. It has all the elements to be a success; decent effects, a change sequence, some interesting characters and even a bit about the legend itself. We follow Uncle Ted; a man that has been bitten by a werewolf and decides to go and stay with his sister and her son, in order to beat the curse with family love. However, one thing he hasn't counted on is the family dog; Thor, who could end up being the family's one last hope of survival.

The special effects in a werewolf film are very important as the monster is the centre of the tale, and bad effects can easily bring a whole movie down. This movie is lucky enough not to suffer from bad effects and while the wolf isn't exactly lifelike; it looks good enough and it also appears in the film quite often, which is a nice bonus. The change sequence is a little suspect and has nothing on the change scenes in the werewolf films of the 80's, but it's always good to see in a film of this kind. Aside from the werewolf element, Bad Moon also draws on the idea of a strange uncle invading a film home for it's scares, and the idea works quite well. Another idea that works better than I thought it would is having the main hero be a canine. Dogs are sensitive animals, and the film also draws on the idea of a dog wanting to protect the family home from threats. It's also admirable how they managed to get the dog to certain things for the camera, as I imagine that sort of thing wouldn't be easy. While this film isn't a great example of a take on the werewolf legend, it's entertaining and I reckon that people who like werewolf movies will find lots to like about it.