Full Moon High

Director Larry Cohen’s 1981 satirical werewolf spoof is part homage to the teen-orientated horror flicks predominantly from the 1950s while at the same time, it’s also a lighthearted criticism of the tail-end of the Eisenhower era, before the story continues some twenty years later.

The saga kicks off in 1960, to be more precise in the aptly named Full Moon High (you couldn’t make it up if you tried). Here, all hopes are pinned on rather unassuming star quarterback Tony Walker (Adam Arkin) whose formidable football skills promise to beat their rival team from Simpson High. Not only must Tony and his team mates put up with high school principal / football coach Cleveland (Kenneth Mars), who’s gay and flirts with his students but Tony is also ‘pursued’ by fellow student Jane (Roz Kelly) who has the mad hots for him. In turn, student Flynn (Bill Kirchenbauer) has the mad hots for Jane. This scenario is nothing compared to Tony’s father, Colonel William Parker (Ed McMahon), who is one of those Americans convinced that communism will take over and believes the enemy will one day soon drop the A-bomb (cue for numerous gags involving the ‘duck and cover’ routine). Oh, he’s also doing a bit of espionage work on the side and when the CIA sends the Colonel to communist Romania on a secret mission, he decides to take his son along for a special holiday.

While his dad seems to prefer frolicking about with the local ladies of the night instead of getting on with the real job, Tony, bored and alone in a restaurant, finds himself approached by one of them albeit not for sex, no. She reads his palm and predicts that he will live forever. Suffice to say, he doesn’t believe her and leaves the establishment. En route to the so-called ‘Museum of Mental Illness’ (yes, really) things don’t pan out as expected because… he gets bitten by a werewolf and of course, turns into one himself. Back in the US and in his father’s house, one evening he turns and is about to attack his dad, who reckons that he failed in bringing up his son properly (there’s also a gag during which the Colonel asks if he can remember his mum, only to be told that is was the maid he remembers). When the Colonel realises that his son really means business, that is to say he intends on doing what werewolves do (only difference is that Tom isn’t savage enough), the Colonel barricades himself in his makeshift basement bunker and begins shooting with a rifle. Unfortunately, one of the bullets ricochets and Colonel Parker is no more! After the funeral of his dad (cue for more shenanigans), Tony decides to leave town, much to the heartbreak of Jane and his football team, because who’s going to take on Simpson High now?

Twenty years pass, illustrated via a floating hourglass and framed pictures of various presidents since Eisenhower. Also displayed on screen are various newspaper headlines regarding the mysterious monsters attacking people the world over, although one gets the sense that the attacks are never that gory. Eventually, Tony returns to his hometown and it’s now 1980. He decides to revamp his old dad’s house, which is in dire need of repair and above all, make good on his promise to beat the Simpson High football team. There’s only one problem: everything and everyone around him has changed, only he still looks the same as he did twenty years ago. This leads to some madcap scenarios: Jane has since married Flynn, who now is a detective. When they encounter Tony, it’s perhaps only natural that they assume the young dude in front of them must be a son of Tony’s. However, since he hasn’t aged a bit, it’s not before long and Jane, now a mother herself, begins to lust after him… That said, she’s not the only one because Ricky (Joanne Nail), a female high school student from Full Moon High, also lusts after him, oblivious to the fact that Tony is not only twenty years older than he looks but an immortal teen-werewolf. Meanwhile, numerous attacks take place in the area, with Detective Flynn hot on the heels, though never close enough. Of course, Full Moon High has changed as well and so have its students, there’s no longer any sign of sixties beatnik counterculture and love n peace. It’s now sex and drugs and rock n roll, and a lot of violence. Bob Dylan was right when he sang “The times they are a changin”. The teachers try their best to get to grips with unruly students and one timid, bespectacled young teacher, Miss Montgomery (Elizabeth Hartman), is so frightened of her students, she barely dares walking along the building’s corridors. Her vulnerability touches Tony and they become firm friends. Suddenly, there’s three women in his life: Jane, Ricky and Miss Montgomery. Who will be the chosen one to spend eternity with Tony?

FULL MOON HIGH is a total riot and makes no excuses for its silliness and often vulgar gags. The film’s low production is only too obvious and as for the human to werewolf transformation scenes, don’t expect ace special effects such as in The Howling or An American Werewolf in London! The cast are not exactly household names though there are some exceptions like Alan Arkin (Adam Arkin’s real-life dad) as psychiatrist Dr. Brand, Edward McMahon Jr. and Kenneth Mars. Sadly, Elizabeth Hartman (‘Miss Montgomery’) took her own life six years after appearing in the film, suffering from depression for most of her life.

FULL MOON HIGH will be released mid-January in Blu-ray format and in a Limited Edition O-card slipcase (2,000 copies only), together with a collector’s booklet. Bonus material includes various audio options, audio commentaries, interviews, video essays and trailer.