Score: 6 Out Of 10
I know what you're thinking. It is a made-for-TV-movie, there is no way this one could be any good. There is no real violence, no profanity and no nudity. What could possibly be good about it? What makes this movie shine is a cast that turns in some pretty solid performances (even if the dialogue isn't quite there) and a story that forty plus years later still manages to draw you in. "Moon of the Wolf (1972)" was directed by Daniel Petrie and stars David Janssen (the guy from "The Fugitive..." No, the TV show), Barbara Rush and Bradford Dillman. I am a pretty big fan of werewolf movies and honestly finding good werewolf movies is kind of a challenge. Thankfully this movie did not let me down. What makes this movie good is actually what made horror movies from the nineteen thirties, forties and fifties good and that is above average acting, story and editing (although if you watch it on Netflix you'll see on screen cues that say "Place commercials here").
There is one technique used in this film, however, that I both loved and hated. You do not see the actual werewolf until the last thirty minutes or so. The whole movie you are left anticipating the unveiling of the monster and in a way it really adds to the suspense of the film. The problem is that when you see the monster it is a let down. I get that it is a TV movie, but could they not get a little more budget to at least make the monster believable? This just looks like a hairy guy with long nails and a black smudge on his nose. If you are willing to ignore a cheesy monster and some noticeable errors then this movie really is not that bad. I have seen some really terrible TV movies in my time and this one is actually pretty good by comparison.
Love,
The B-Movie Guy.
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