Review by Peter Syslo
KILLER'S MOON (1978 - UK ) is a recent DVD release from Salvation Films/Redemption USA (www.salvation-films.com). It is a film that is more on the exploitative side of things but it isn't so offensive that it is a chore to sit through. Sometimes, I just don't enjoy watching some of those films that revolve around torture, rape, etc. However, this was an exception; it may sound strange, but the film is actually a light-hearted approach to some very dark material and the result was a more user-friendly sort of exploitation.
KILLER'S MOON is directed by Alan Birkinshaw and the film stars Anthony Forrest, Tom Marshall, David Jackson, JoAnne Good, Georgina Kean, Nigel Gregory, Jane Hayden, and Alison Elliott.
The film is about a schoolgirl singing group, which is traveling through the countryside. They encounter some trouble with their bus and unfortunately, they have to make their way through the woods in search of an inn. With the help of a woodsman, the arrogant teachers lead the girls to a remote inn were they encounter a very strange innkeeper. At this point, a group of four escaped mental patients fall upon the woods and, before long, they infiltrate the inn where the schoolgirls are staying. People start to disappear, two nearby campers start to investigate the area around the inn, the schoolgirls finally meet the unsavory escapees, and it is all wrapped up in an exploitative fashion.
I did like KILLERS MOON, even though I wasn't crazy about the subject matter. In all honesty, the stalking and violating of young teenage girls just isn't my "cup of tea" and it's a little weird to watch because these girls do look young regardless if they are in fact, of age, the depiction still bothers me a little bit. However, the film (somehow) does not dwell upon these depictions and, like I mentioned earlier, it does take a lighter approach to the material (I know that sounds crazy, but let me explain).
The reason I say that the film takes a "light-hearted" approach is that the four psychiatric patients are a bit "cartoonish" and I couldn't help but laugh at various points, in the film. There was a pervasive sense of danger, but the antics of the men, in their LSD-induced dream state, were quite comical. In a way, they are reminiscent of and a parody of the group from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, through their behavior and dress (one even wears a bowler). By the same token, though, the band of men are not exactly portrayed as being vicious killers (except for the ring-leader, he seems to attack anything in his path). On the contrary, they are viewed as being victims of an ill-informed/half-assed attempt at rehabilitation that has gone awry. Actually, there is some truth to the use of LSD, cocaine etc. for psychiatric treatment and this film addresses some of the dangers of that kind of experimentation with psych patients.
Regarding other details of the picture, the cinematography was beautiful and the atmosphere, which was created, really supported the subject matter. The night shots created that spooky feeling of "a-group-of-schoolgirls-trapped-in-a-countryside-inn", which is the basic scenario of many slasher films. In certain shots, of the campers, you could tell that it was a painted background, but that didn't bother me in fact, it gave it that British "stage" effect that you see in Brit-coms, "Dr. Who", etc. As far as the acting goes, the schoolgirls were the best actors in the film the four men are decent in their roles, but they tend to "lose" their convincing quality with some of the comedy (again, except for the lead psych patient his performance was pretty menacing and convincing). Lastly, the exploitative elements were all in place, and whether I liked it or not, the film did manage to be shocking I was surprised at some of the violation scenes they aren't horribly violent, but they are graphic and the nudity is pretty "in your face".
Cutting to the chase: KILLER'S MOON was a decent exploitation film, which contained some very familiar elements but it had a lighter approach to it. This isn't AUGUST UNDERGROUND (which deals with a lot of the same subject matter); it is a lot easier to take in and it has a little of that nostalgic feel of 1970s British horror, where nudity, blood, and usually something about Satan would be thrown into the mix. Again, the schoolgirls are not necessarily "my thing" but it is done in a way that makes it a little less threatening to watch (as opposed to a more "hardcore" horror/exploitation film). But, it still does have shock, the kills are fairly bloody, and the story is pretty solid and it is all done with a bit of humor and style (and the jazz/marimba score is great). If you like films like 1970s Christopher Lee films, A CLOCKW ORK ORANGE, LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, or exploitation films in general, then you may like KILLER'S MOON. I give it a 6/10.