‘Bloody Moon’ Blu-ray Review
Stars: Olivia Pascal, Christoph Moosbrugger, Nadja Gerganoff, Jasmin Losensky, Corinna Drews, Ann-Beate Engelke, Peter Exacoustos, María Rubio, Antonia García, Beatriz Sancho Nieto, Alexander Waechter | Written by Erich Tomek | Directed by Jess Franco
What would you expect from a Slasher directed by Jess Franco? The chances are it would feature nudity, be bloody and feel different from the rest of the films that were being churned out in the eighties. Bloody Moon is just that, and may just be one of Franco’s best films.
Severin Films have released this full uncut version of the film and the first thing you notice is the impressive picture quality. There are some scenes where the quality does dip, but it is safe to assume that these are ones that had been cut out and were later added in. One of the most infamous scenes, the ‘stone mill power saw’ sequence doesn’t suffer this degradation in quality so you can experience it in full gory quality.
The story of Bloody Moon focuses on the story of Miguel (Alexander Waechter) a man easily recognisable by the scar on his face, and just happens to be a psychotic killer. Let out of a hospital into his sister’s care it is not long before he tries to resume their incestuous relationship which caused him to become mentally unstable in the past. When she tells him the only way they can do that is to rid themselves of everybody around them, are the students of a boarding school for girls where they are staying in danger?
Bloody Moon takes the basic slasher concept and adds some Jess Franco flair to it. We have nudity, gore and an artistic edge that sets it apart from most other horror films of this type. Another interesting aspect to it is the script, that at times makes it reminiscent to Pieces for its almost comical choice of words. The twist at the end also flips things around in an impressive way. It’s not hard to see it coming, but it also isn’t disappointing in the way it takes place, and what it leads to.
If you are a fan of Jess Franco you do know what to expect from him, his style is unapologetic and blunt. In these politically current times, some may frown on what is on show here, but for those looking for a classic horror experience, you can’t go wrong with Bloody Moon. The level of gore is high, and impressive for the time showing some Hollywood horrors to be tame in comparison to what is on show here. This may be the European style at work, which is never a bad thing.
In terms of special features there is an interview with Jess Franco about the film and he reveals some interesting details. The highlight of this Severin Blu-ray release though is the quality of the film itself and how good it looks in HD. As mentioned there are certain scenes where this does dip, but it appears to be the goriest scenes, which were obviously the ones cut from the original release. What this does is let the audience see which are the scenes that were removed and which weren’t. Bloody Moon is worth seeing in its uncut form, especially for the spectacular power saw scene.
Bloody Moon is a quality release from Severin for fans of horror and as one of the best Jess Franco films. For fans who want to see it in its uncut form, this is the perfect chance to snap it up.
****½ 4.5/5
Bloody Moon is available in the UK now on Blu-ray, courtesy of Severin Films.
