Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Bloodmoon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 1, 2024

Had William Castle been alive and working in Australia in the 1990s, he might very well have released something like Bloodmoon, or at least the version included on this disc with a so-called "Fright Break", which supposedly gave theater attendees a 30 second or so window to exit to the lobby and get a refund before the final mayhem unspooled on the screen. It's a kind of silly artifice that mimics any number of other gimmicks that producers like Castle and any number of others would offer audiences in order to have some kind of build in promotional appeal (the Harry Alan Towers co-produced 1965 version of Ten Little Indians had more or less the same "break" gimmick as this film, though considerably later in the story, and ostensibly to give the audience a chance to figure out who was killing whom, rather than to demand a refund). Unfortunately, though, when even the gimmick seems to be as cliché ridden as this one, it probably doesn't portend a riveting viewing experience to begin with, and when co-star Christine Amor mentions in a contemporary interview included on this disc that she finds the film "appalling", expectation levels should probably be set accordingly.

Bloodmoon doesn't exactly aim for anything new or innovative in this quasi-slasher (a garotte more than a blade is the weapon of choice of the killer), including having the film be set in a Catholic girls' school which is rather close to a boys' boarding school (how else can those amorous teens have assignations out in the woods where they'll probably be slaughtered?). This by the numbers approach has a few allusions to perhaps discarded plot points, and there's even a passing allusion or two to some nefarious activity on the part of some of the girls that is never really developed. Instead, a soap operatic supply of stories includes not just the students but also new headmistress Virginia Sheffield (Christine Amor) and her husband Myles (Leon Lissek), who is on hand as the school's science teacher. Suffice it to say that the "mistress" part of headmistress is part and parcel of the Sheffield's marital dysfunction, and that may make what's going on in terms of murders only too obvious, though that said, the film is not particularly adept at hiding the killer's identity (a very early victim burial scene clearly shows the culprit in silhouette, and let's just say there's only one character in the film with that basic body type). The "real" reveal of the killer also comes surprisingly early (if still more or less in the third act) for these kinds of films.

There is some passing beautiful scenery, and a glut of naked girls and women (Amor kind of shockingly recounts being required to take her shirt off in her audition in order to get her role), and the score by Brian May (not that one) has some nicely effective moments, but there's surprisingly little suspense in the film and some may use that aforementioned "Fright Break" for either a quick trip to the refrigerator or even the bathroom before the murderous maelstrom picks up again.

Bloodmoon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bloodmoon is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The back cover kind of buries a bit of technical information in its verbiage, offering a "scanned in 4K from the negative at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and complete with 'the Bloodmoon Fright Break Challenge' for the first time ever in America. Once some opening roughness involving some of the optically printed credits is gotten through, this is often a surprisingly supple and pleasing looking transfer. The palette is nicely suffused and detail levels are typically quite good, at least when lighting conditions allow (per slasher tradition, some of the forest scenes take place in darkness, of course). There's a very slight yellow undertone to a lot of the color timing that can give a just slightly jaundiced appearance to flesh tones in particular, but it's not overly distracting, and some of the bright primaries, like all important reds, are still vivid and life (and/or death) like. Grain resolves without any issues.

Bloodmoon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bloodmoon features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono audio. Composer Brian May, probably best remembered for Mad Max, offers a synth laden score that has moments of energy, and there's also the seemingly required "dance" scene where a glam rock band plays, and all of the music sounds nicely full bodied and problem free. Ambient environmental effects are occasionally noticeable in some of the outdoor material, including the climax where some torrential rain adds to the anxiety factor. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Bloodmoon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Play Film (1:41:14) and Play Film with Fright Break (1:42:52) options are accessible under the Play Menu.


• Film Buffs Forecast Audio Interview with Leon Lissek is an audio supplement that plays to the film like a kind of audio commentary track. This stems from 2000 and was moderated by Paul Harris and Mark Hartley. Lissek is rather interesting throughout, and offers some great biographical tidbits, like the fact that he got his start as a child working in Yiddish theater (who knew Australia even had Yiddish theater?).


• Interview with Actress Christine Amor (HD; 4:44) is culled from the 2008 documentary Not Quite Hollywood. Suffice it to say, as alluded to above in the main body of the review, Amor is evidently not a huge fan of the film.


• Trailer (HD; 1:19)


• Fright Break Trailer (HD; 00:34)

Additionally, packaging features a reversible sleeve.

Bloodmoon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Producer Stanley O'Toole had some undeniable A list material in his quiver (including such gems as The Last of Sheila and The Boys from Brazil), and according to the interview with Christine Amor on this disc, Bloodmoon was apparently O'Toole's effort to jumpstart the Queensland film industry, but O'Toole might have been more successful with a more innovative project. This is a kind of interesting curio, though it's decidedly on the smarmy side. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements kind of snarkily enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.