Full Moon High Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Full Moon High Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 15, 2026

Larry Cohen's "Full Moon High" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic Steve Mitchell; new program with critic Michael Doyle; new video essay produced by critic Kaja Franck; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"You carry the curse of the pentagram." "Ah, I always wanted to go to the Pentagon." "Pentagram, stupid."

If you book a date with Larry Cohen’s Full Moon High, expecting it to make you laugh all the way until its final credits appear, prepare to be seriously underwhelmed. However, it will not be because Full Moon High fails to be the film it was meant to be. You will be seriously underwhelmed because you approached Full Moon High with the wrong expectations.

Full Moon High was not conceived to be a conventional comedy. It is a satire, of a very particular kind, which was enormously trendy between the 1960s and 1970s. Occasionally, Full Moon High is supposed to make you laugh, but its purpose is to force your mind to perform various comparisons and, ultimately, think.

On the other side of the Atlantic, satires like Full Moon High peaked in the 1970s. For example, in France, American director William Klein shot a few such satires that utilize many of the same tricks you would encounter in Full Moon High. In Klein’s Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?, a gorgeous Brooklyn-born model wreaks havoc while attempting to ward off various loopy insiders and a documentarian on a mission to expose the artificiality that dominates the local fashion industry. In Klein’s Mr. Freedom, an obnoxious American superhero lands in France to prevent a Communist takeover masterminded by the Chinese and Soviets, but soon after destroys the country. Across the border in Italy, Ettore Scola shot Ugly, Dirty and Bad in which an aging gypsy weasel loses an eye, gets a massive check from a local insurance company, and instantly becomes a target for several generations of ‘loving relatives’ sharing his crumbling home in one of Rome’s worst ghettos. Also in Italy, the great provocateur Marco Ferreri shot The Big Feast a.k.a. La Grande Bouffe in which four good friends retreat to a posh villa with several cheap prostitutes and begin eating themselves to death.

Full Moon High is easier to compare to Klein’s films for two reasons. First, it stretches in multiple directions at once and produces laughs almost by accident, quickly creating the impression that it is simply sampling different genre material. Second, it smears everyone and pretty much everything with a large brush, which is why its satire lacks a great deal of wit. However, unlike Klein’s films, its politics are only a minor nuance, which makes it easy to misinterpret as a bad comedy.

The story that channels the satire is predictably silly. During the Cold War, American dummy and popular high school player Tony Walker (Adam Arkin) visits Communist Romania with his father, Colonel William Walker (Ed McMahon), a very secret CIA agent, and gets bitten by a werewolf. On the way back to America, Walker, already a werewolf, devours several hijackers who attempt to redirect his plane to Cuba and becomes aware of the beast hiding inside his body. Then, at home, Walker struggles to suppress the beast and, after surviving several presidents and their agendas, eventually begins reconnecting with some of his high school friends, now adults with dysfunctional families. At the right time, Walker also gets a second chance to prove that he has what it takes to lead Full Moon High to victory against its greatest rival.

Contrary to what its critics have claimed, Full Moon High does work as intended. It satirizes relentlessly, with a rather admirable energy, too. The big problem with Full Moon High is that it aims to impress the wrong crowd, which is why it has been dismissed as a weak 1980s comedy. To avoid confusion and appeal to the right crowd, Full Moon High should have been scripted like Barry Shear's Wild in the Streets, which is another close relative of Mr. Freedom.

Full Moon High Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Full Moon High arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a healthy master with strong organic qualities. If I had to guess, I would say that this master was struck from an interpositive a while ago because some of the visuals it produces are slightly softer, revealing almost optimal subtle nuances. Additionally, in a few places, shadow definition fluctuates a bit. Color reproduction and balance are very good. A few small adjustments can be introduced to improve and stabilize saturation levels, but there are no anomalies. All primaries and supporting nuances are properly set, ensuring that the film has a convincing period appearance. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. I noticed various small nicks and blemishes, but there are no distracting large cuts, marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Full Moon High Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any serious anomalies to report in our review. Also, clarity, sharpness, depth, and stability are very good. Does this mean that there is no room for improvement? I do not think that there is any room for meaningful improvements, but a few enhancements may be possible. The music used to create additional excitement could be slightly uneven, and virtually all dynamic contrasts are pretty average, so perhaps modern digital tools can be used to help.

Full Moon High Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, Larry Cohen reveals what inspired him to shoot Full Moon High and comments on the different casting choices that were made, the film's sense of humor, the various locations that were chosen for it, etc. Cohen also shares a hilarious, but perhaps very valuable, piece of advice he gives all young girls.

• Commentary Two - this new audio commentary was recorded by critic Steve Mitchell, who directed the documentary King Cohen in 2017.

• Today's Teenage Werewolf - in this new program, critic Michael Doyle discusses Full Moon High. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Growing Pains - this new video essay was created by critic Kaja Franck. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Full Moon High. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring new writing on Full Moon High by film historian and disc producer Craig Ian Mann, author of Phases of the Moon: A Cultural History of the Werewolf Film

Full Moon High Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Larry Cohen's horror films have plenty of funny moments for the exact same reason Full Moon High has plenty of material that is not funny. All of Cohen's films are commentaries on the American way of life, presented in unique ways. In Full Moon High, the commentary is loaded with satire of the kind that was trendy on the other side of the Atlantic during the 1970s, which is why those who want it to be simply a conventional 1980s comedy are usually underwhelmed by it. I like Full Moon High, it is a nice piece of low-budget Americana. Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from an older, slightly uneven, but very good organic master. RECOMMENDED.