Bad Moon
Director: Eric Red
Cast: Mariel Hemingway, Michael Paré, Mason Gamble
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons
It used to be that werewolf movies were the redheaded stepchildren of the horror world. Yes, there were some good ones, but they were heavily outnumbered by the bad ones. However in recent years there have been more and more good lycanthrope flicks coming out like Late Phases, Were, Howl, and even the silly (but very funny) Wolfcop. Now, Bad Moon isn’t a new movie (nope, it’s from the way back yesteryear of 1996), but it has been largely forgotten and overlooked for decades. Was there a reason for that? Is this another bad dog that needs to be put down? Or is it a criminally underrated slice of shapechanger cinema that needs more love? Let’s find out.
A man is in the jungle with his girlfriend and a bunch of guides doing exploring science stuff when, uh-oh, werewolf attack! The man, Ted, is wounded by the werewolf and everyone else dies. He returns home and yeah, you know exactly where this is going. He comes home to the Pacific Northwest where his big sister, her young son, and their dog Thor, invite him to stay with them for a bit. Once a few mangled bodies are discovered all around his place, he takes them up on their offer.
Yeah, there are no surprises here. Uncle Ted is a werewolf. Now a few new things are done in this flick that are welcomed additions. For one, Ted gets hairy every night, not just on full moons. Also, the focus is on the dog in this movie. Only makes sense, I guess, as this movie is based off a novel with the same title as the dog’s name. Some have tried to sell this movie as a boy and his dog vs. a werewolf, but honestly, it’s all about the dog. The boy, and even the mother, take a backseat to this four-legged, tail-wagging defender. So if you are a dog person, this is the werewolf movie for you.
Oh, and if you like practical effect werewolves, this is also the movie for you as the hairy beast we get here looks amazing. It is one of the best werewolf costumes ever to be used in film, so big huge kudos go out to the make-up effects people that brought it to life. Sadly, the same cannot be said of those responsible for the horrible, horrible, horrible looking CGI man-into-monster transformation scenes. Yes, this was 1996, but if they didn’t have the technology or budget to pull it off well, they just shouldn’t have done it. All they do is cause fits of laughter from anyone that sees it, and it stops the movie dead in its tracks. Really, even in the faded yesteryear of 1996, no one could have seen this and thought it looked good. No one.
On to the hair-raising extras and goodies on this new Blu-ray from Scream Factory. First, man oh man does this movie look good. Scream Factory always make their releases look good, but this time they have gone above and beyond. There is also both the director’s cut and the theatrical cut here, and choice is always a good thing. The director’s cut adds some more nudity and gore, and both of those things are also good things. Then there’s a director’s commentary with Eric Red, a making of featurette that’s 35 minutes long, and the unrated opening sequence, which is pretty much the same opening you get in the director’s cut, so I wonder why it’s included here. The theatrical trailer is also included, as are three storyboard sequences spotlighting the werewolf transformation, the Thor werewolf fight, and Thor stares down Uncle Ted.
Bad Moon isn’t a werewolf classic, but neither is it a mangy mutt. It deserved better than to have been forgotten, so three cheers to Scream Factory for giving it a top notch release. For serious lycanthrope lovers, this is a get. For other horror fans, I’d still say give it a go, as there is still enough fun here to give it a recommendation.
