‘Half man. Half wolf. Total terror.’
Bad Moon is a 1996 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Eric Red (Body Parts) and produced by James G. Robinson. It is based on the novel Thor by Wayne Smith, which mainly tells the story from the dog’s viewpoint.
The movie stars Mariel Hemingway (Rise of the Zombies; Tales from the Crypt ‘Loved to Death’), Michael Paré (Bridge of the Doomed; Abbatoir; Bone Tomahawk; Sicilian Vampire), and Mason Gamble.
A few seconds were cut from the opening scene in order to avoid an NC-17. The film was a box office flop – grossing just over $1 million domestically on a $7 million budget – although it has since built up a growing cult following.
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Bad Moon was released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on July 19th 2016 with the following special features:
The high-definition theatrical cut of the film, plus a new director’s version supervised and approved by Eric Red (30 seconds difference – there’s slightly more gore and nudity in the prologue, while the digital transformation at the climax is trimmed down)
“Nature of the Beast: Making Bad Moon” featuring interviews with writer/director Eric Red, actors Michael Pare and Mason Gamble, Special Effects Make-up artist Steve Johnson, and stunt coordinator Ken Kirzinger
Audio Commentary with writer/director Eric Red (Director’s version only)
Audio Commentary with writer/director Eric Red and actor Michael Pare (Theatrical Cut)
The unrated opening scene from the Director’s first cut (Sourced from VHS)
Three Storyboard sequences
Original Theatrical Trailer
Plot:
While on assignment in the jungles of Nepal, photojournalist Ted Harrison (Michael Pare) and his girlfriend are savagely attacked by a hideous beast which tears the woman to shreds and leaves Ted badly mauled.
He later returns to the States to live near his sister Janet (Mariel Hemingway), nephew Brett (Mason Gamble) and their German shepherd Thor, hoping the presence of family will dispel the horrific memories… until the inevitable effects of a werewolf curse begin to surface.
As Ted’s humanity begins slipping away, only the family dog begins to suspect something is wrong — but poor Thor ends up being the chief suspect in a string of recent murders…
Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Reviews
Bad Moon doesn’t have what one would call a complicated story. The wayward brother becomes a werewolf and moves in with his sister. That’s it. But the werewolf makeup was great and the kills were fantastic. The hot babe who gets it at the beginning was appropriately bloody and, of course, the big climax scene with Thor was great.” Dr Gore’s Movie Reviews
“While it is constantly dragged down by the complete lack of logic and shoddy performances, there are two distinct features that make this a hit amongst fans: Christopher Allen Nelson’s gory effects and one of the most convincing costume designs ever conceived” I Like Horror Movies
“Michael Paré does a damn good job as villainous Ted, working hard to convey a sense of rotted humanity within him, doing the work until Red reveals the werewolf in the light, and then the bang-up special effects complete the transformation. Considering the budget and period, the special effects and monster of Bad Moon still looks incredible in motion and Red’s strong direction matched with the excellent editing offer up a wonderful climax…” Cinema Crazed
“Bad Moon isn’t a great film, but it is a competent one with enough inspiration and individuality to impress. It is easy to see why it has built up an affectionate little following over the last few decades.” The Blu File
Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
“It’s impossible to hate any movie in which the hero is a magnificent German Shepherd, but that angle is about all that Bad Moon has going for it … extremely thin on the narrative side, and Paré‘s character fails to make consistent sense, but the effects aren’t bad.” Creative Loafing
For YouTube reviews please click the page 2 link below
MOVIES & MANIA provides previews, our own film reviews and ratings, plus links to other online reviews from a wide variety of trusted sources in one handy web location. This is a genuinely independent website and we rely solely on the minor income generated by internet ads to pay for web costs and cover yet more movies. Please support us by not blocking ads. Thank you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a very tiny amount from any qualifying purchases.