For several years now, I’ve been hearing about Jess Franco and how great he and all of his films are. Well, I can now say I’ve officially watched my first full Franco film with Severin’s Blu-ray release of 1981’s Bloody Moon.
Several girls are on vacation in Spain, boarding at a school where they are learning to speak Spanish. A mysterious killer is going around killing them off one by one… So, basically your typical slasher storyline…? Yes, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
Everything about Bloody Moon embodies the slasher sub-genre perfectly. An unknown killer, gore, and nudity. After watching the film itself, I really felt jipped though. I mean, after hearing all of these great things about Franco over the years, I felt very underwhelmed. Until the last 10 minutes of the film, there were only two deaths and the amount of nudity was nowhere near promised for a Franco film [not that nudity is necessary to make a movie good, but with Franco’s reputation, it is expected]. After I watched the accompanying interview with Franco himself, however, I really understood why he chose to make the film the way he did.
Jess Franco’s theory is that you can sometimes create more horror with one frame than with an entire two-hour movie. He wanted the short and sweet scares with almost guaranteed reactions from the crowd and that is exactly what Bloody Moon delivers. Although the deaths are few and far between, they certainly will get a reaction from you. I don’t want to spoil the methods of murder, but let me assure you that they are definitely worth the wait, and the last 10 minutes of the film will help fill any void you may feel throughout the rest of the film.
The special effects for this film are very impressive for an 80’s B movie, so if you’re a fan of early slasher films, you’ll definitely enjoy this movie. Severin’s new restoration of the film is the best you’re ever going to see this movie and I love the fact that they brought legitimacy to this lesser known slasher gem. It may not be the best of the sub-genre, but it is definitely worth your time. Pick up your copy from Severin’s official webstore on Tuesday, July 8.
I give this film 2.5 saw blades out of 5.
