The first half of the movie has a compelling set up that will remind you of "In The Heat of The Night", a film made five years earlier. The story diverges pretty rapidly though in the second half, preceded by an ominous breathing pattern that heralds the first hint of the title character. By that time, you should have had enough hints to figure out who the "loup-garou" was, though for the life of me, I could have sworn old Hugh was talking about a 'lucaruk'. No matter, when Louise Rodanthe (Barbara Rush) reaches for her brother's scholarly text on lycanthropy, you know it's only a matter of time before Andrew (Bradford Dillman) reveals his hairy side.
The story makes use of some tried and true werewolf lore, like death by burning and silver bullets, and throws in some new ones like sulfur induced seizures. I particularly enjoyed the reference to Black Water Fever as an offshoot of malaria to describe Andrew's medical problem. However I don't recall Lon Chaney ever being this strong; those iron jail cell doors were ripped right out of their brick wall moorings with no effort at all.
If there were to be a remake of this made for TV flick, I would suggest they tone down the werewolf wardrobe a bit. The pressed slacks and fitted shirt were suitable attire for the daytime Andrew, but didn't really go with his after hour activities. Ditto for the well groomed facial hair and manicured nails. But then again, this was a refined Southern werewolf, so maybe it makes sense.
"Moon of the Wolf" has some well known folks doing a pretty good job in their respective roles. David Janssen is suitably methodical in his investigation as Sheriff Aaron Whittaker, and unwilling to rush to judgment. Fine character performances are turned in by Geoffrey Lewis and Royal Dano, who look as comfortable in their bayou locale as in any of the Westerns they appeared in. With a stronger second half, the film might have achieved a more memorable name recognition than it has today.
The story makes use of some tried and true werewolf lore, like death by burning and silver bullets, and throws in some new ones like sulfur induced seizures. I particularly enjoyed the reference to Black Water Fever as an offshoot of malaria to describe Andrew's medical problem. However I don't recall Lon Chaney ever being this strong; those iron jail cell doors were ripped right out of their brick wall moorings with no effort at all.
If there were to be a remake of this made for TV flick, I would suggest they tone down the werewolf wardrobe a bit. The pressed slacks and fitted shirt were suitable attire for the daytime Andrew, but didn't really go with his after hour activities. Ditto for the well groomed facial hair and manicured nails. But then again, this was a refined Southern werewolf, so maybe it makes sense.
"Moon of the Wolf" has some well known folks doing a pretty good job in their respective roles. David Janssen is suitably methodical in his investigation as Sheriff Aaron Whittaker, and unwilling to rush to judgment. Fine character performances are turned in by Geoffrey Lewis and Royal Dano, who look as comfortable in their bayou locale as in any of the Westerns they appeared in. With a stronger second half, the film might have achieved a more memorable name recognition than it has today.