Murder by Moonlight (1989)

After a nuclear war on Earth, the Soviet Union and the U.S. both establish outposts on the Moon. When a murder occurs on the outpost in 2015, both U.S. and Soviet investigators are forced to work on the case together.

Director:

Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Writer:

Carla Jean Wagner

Stars:

Brigitte Nielsen, Julian Sands, Gerald McRaney

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brigitte Nielsen	...	Maggie Bartok
Julian Sands	...	Maj. Stepan Gregorivitj Kirilenko
Gerald McRaney	...	Dennis Huff
Jane Lapotaire	...	Louise Mackey
Brian Cox	...	Voronov
Alphonsia Emmanuel	...	Dr. Isabelle Klein
Celia Imrie	...	Patsy Diehl
David Yip	...	Chang
Michael Shannon	...	Ivanov
Stuart Milligan	...	Contarini
Stephen Jenn	...	Kevin Faber
Georgina Hale	...	Allison Quinney
Ricco Ross	...	Alvarado
Berwick Kaler	...	Dr. Trifonov
Tomasz Borkowy	...	Sorokin (as Tomek Bork)

Storyline

After a nuclear war on Earth, the Soviet Union and the U.S. both establish outposts on the Moon. When a murder occurs on the outpost in 2015, both U.S. and Soviet investigators are forced to work on the case together.

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Plot Keywords:

tape over mouth | z movie | euro trash | trash movie | exploitation film | 

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Genres:

Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 2015.

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Goofs

There are numerous references to the Soviet Union, indicating it was still around in 2015. Not so - it fell in 1991, just two years after this movie aired.

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Quotes

Maggie Bartok: Don't get Russian on me, Kirilenko.
Maj. Stepan Gregorivitj Kirilenko: But I am Russian...

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Patrick Swayze/Garry Shandling (1989)

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Soundtracks

Sleepwalk
Performed by Santo and Johnny

User Reviews

Lethargic futuristic murder-mystery.

Set in the near future, American and Soviet mining companies have set up moon-bases. A murder happens and a KGB man is teamed up with a NASA investigator to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Murder by Moonlight is a TV movie whose limited budget is never disguised. It has some name actors in fairness, yet they don't contribute much. Brigitte Nielsen sports massive shoulder pads but gives a very weak performance, Julian Sands sports an over-done Russian accent but is also somewhat lacking, while the usually reliable Brian Cox has no more than a clichéd support role as a Soviet official. The two principals Nielsen and Sands are the sleuthing duo who, as is customary, begin at logger-heads with each other but gradually get to like one and other. They even go as far to develop a romance, which it has to be said was very unconvincing and lacking in any chemistry. Matters are also not helped very much by a cheap tinny soundtrack that constantly reminds you of how low budget it all is. I do like a murder-mystery but this one was handled in a somewhat dull manner, although I will give it credit for at least having a memorable culprit.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Murder by Moonlight

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Weekend Television (LWT), Tamara Asseyev Productions, Viacom Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1