Halloween certainly isn't the bloody cinematic feast it used to be.
There was a time when we could count on a slew of fun horror movies every mid-October, usually with at least one Freddy or Jason thrown into the mix. This year, all we have is a subpar Stephen King ("Thinner") and this anemic werewolf flick, which Warners snuck into theaters without press screenings. Look for this one to be gone before the next full moon.
"Bad Moon" stars Mariel Hemingway, who needs to put in a call to Woody Allen as soon as possible, and Michael Pare, whose performance here won't have Lon Chaney Jr. turning over in his grave. The film begins with a brief prologue in Nepal, where Ted (Pare) and his girlfriend are noisily making love in a tent (horror films always scores points with a nude scene in the first five minutes), much to the amusement of the natives. It isn't long before they are rudely interrupted by a wolf; we're talking about a big wolf, so big he can stand on his hind legs and throw a mean punch. Ted, as opposed to his girlfriend, manages to get away, but not before being badly mauled. And you know what that means.
Soon he's back in the Pacific Northwest, holed up in a trailer in the woods and venturing out in the evenings to ruthlessly slaughter wayward campers. Trying to cure himself with a dose of family therapy, he decides to stay with his sister, Janet (Hemingway), and her young son, Brett Mason Gamble of "Dennis the Menace"). Not so pleased is the family's beloved German shepherd, Thor, who knows a wolf in sheep's clothing when he sees one. A game of cat and mouse, or wolf and dog, ensues; it all starts when Thor pees on Ted's trailer. Banishing the dog to the pound, Ted celebrates by peeing on Thor's doghouse.
The best thing in the film is Primo, the beautiful shepherd who plays Thor. He's treated to more loving on-screen close-ups than anyone since Garbo, and why not? He's a lot more expressive, and his eyes are almost as beautiful.
BAD MOON
A Warner Bros. release
Presented by James G. Robinson
A Morgan Creek production
Director-screenplay Eric Red
Producer James G. Robinson
Executive producers Gary Barber,
Bill Todman Jr.
Co-producer Jacobus Rose
Director of photography Jan Kiesser
Editor C. Timothy O'Meara
Music Daniel Licht
Color/stereo
Cast:
Janet Harrison Mariel Hemingway
Ted Harrison Michael Pare
Brett Harrison Mason Gamble
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
There was a time when we could count on a slew of fun horror movies every mid-October, usually with at least one Freddy or Jason thrown into the mix. This year, all we have is a subpar Stephen King ("Thinner") and this anemic werewolf flick, which Warners snuck into theaters without press screenings. Look for this one to be gone before the next full moon.
"Bad Moon" stars Mariel Hemingway, who needs to put in a call to Woody Allen as soon as possible, and Michael Pare, whose performance here won't have Lon Chaney Jr. turning over in his grave. The film begins with a brief prologue in Nepal, where Ted (Pare) and his girlfriend are noisily making love in a tent (horror films always scores points with a nude scene in the first five minutes), much to the amusement of the natives. It isn't long before they are rudely interrupted by a wolf; we're talking about a big wolf, so big he can stand on his hind legs and throw a mean punch. Ted, as opposed to his girlfriend, manages to get away, but not before being badly mauled. And you know what that means.
Soon he's back in the Pacific Northwest, holed up in a trailer in the woods and venturing out in the evenings to ruthlessly slaughter wayward campers. Trying to cure himself with a dose of family therapy, he decides to stay with his sister, Janet (Hemingway), and her young son, Brett Mason Gamble of "Dennis the Menace"). Not so pleased is the family's beloved German shepherd, Thor, who knows a wolf in sheep's clothing when he sees one. A game of cat and mouse, or wolf and dog, ensues; it all starts when Thor pees on Ted's trailer. Banishing the dog to the pound, Ted celebrates by peeing on Thor's doghouse.
The best thing in the film is Primo, the beautiful shepherd who plays Thor. He's treated to more loving on-screen close-ups than anyone since Garbo, and why not? He's a lot more expressive, and his eyes are almost as beautiful.
BAD MOON
A Warner Bros. release
Presented by James G. Robinson
A Morgan Creek production
Director-screenplay Eric Red
Producer James G. Robinson
Executive producers Gary Barber,
Bill Todman Jr.
Co-producer Jacobus Rose
Director of photography Jan Kiesser
Editor C. Timothy O'Meara
Music Daniel Licht
Color/stereo
Cast:
Janet Harrison Mariel Hemingway
Ted Harrison Michael Pare
Brett Harrison Mason Gamble
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/4/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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