Hey there, flapjacks! I hope you’re ready for a bloody good time because the “Bloody” Short Stacks continue. Although the list of horror movies with “bloody” in their title is shortening, it’s still difficult to decide which one to review next. As I laid in bed at night trying not to have nightmares about Delores’s terrible service or editing Scary Perry’s adlibbed Last Bites, I couldn’t help but notice the Full Moon Features logo shining through my window which led me to an epiphany. Of course, I should review Jesus Franco’s Bloody Moon!
We kick things off at a pool party at a language school, so of course there are topless women and couples wandering off to indulge in some carnal delights. Sounds like my kind of school! But a disfigured man pulls a Revenge of the Nerds and steals another guy’s mask and uses it to lure his girlfriend away. But when she finally lifts the mask and sees his horrible visage, she screams and he kills her. Fast forward a few years, and the disfigured man is released from the asylum and returns home to his sister and their cruel, wealthy, wheelchair bound, countess aunt. Did I mention that he’s in love with his sister? Maybe our Red Herring should still be locked up.
I wish my school had a pool surrounded by beautiful women.
But enough about that, because it’s time to meet our protagonist, Angela, who is attending the language school to improve her Spanish so she can star in future Franco films. However, the school just so happens to be owned by the countess, so our creepy, disfigured Red Herring is stalking her. What could possibly go wrong?
Apparently everything, as an unseen killer brutally murders her other friends at the school. The maniac even leaves some of the corpses in her room to frighten her. She rushes to her friends and the professor for help, but the bodies vanish without a trace. Naturally, they think she’s crazy and dismiss her. Maybe her and the disfigured guy can get a 2-for-1 deal at the mental institute?
A face only a sister could love... except she doesn't. Sorry, buddy.
With more of her friends being picked off and everyone ignoring her or, in the case of the professor, banging all the ladies, she must survive on her own and evade the crazed killer while trying to deduce who is behind this madness. Is it the disfigured man lurking behind every corner, watching her every move? Or is something more nefarious afoot with not-so-hidden motives?
She never "saw" it coming.
The twist of who the killer (or killers?) is and their motivations (cough, money, cough) in Bloody Moon is predictable, as the disfigured man is a blatant Red Herring. That said, this is still quite a fun movie with ample amounts of suspense using the tried-and-true killer POV shots. A disorienting score enhances the atmosphere and complements the scenes well. While not heavy on over the top (starring Sylvester Stallone) effects, they are still solid, well done, and very enjoyable. And while we clearly know she’s not insane, the killer toying with her is well executed and creates a feeling of inescapable dread for Angela. Overall, Bloody Moon is an enjoyable slasher with some fun twists, including a (bizarre) love triangle. It may not be a classic, but France knows what he’s doing and it’s definitely worth watching.
Well, I better track down Scary Perry so we can start working on the next episode of the podcast. J-Bones told me he saw him following Delores around. Wait a minute. Scary Perry, a man whose face is disfigured because of a terrible moustache, is stalking that hag? Call it a hunch, but I don’t think this is another Red Herring. I’ll just let this one play out, flapjacks.
Overall Rating: 3 and ½ Pancakes
