Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Lansley Plays
This is a three act play set in a hotel room.Act I - A prostitute arrives at a hotel room and meets a handsome but coy client. He prefers dinner and talk, though after they have exchanged some personal revelations they do end up having softcore sex. She goes to the bathroom and discovers a bag of stuff suggesting he is a criminal. She knocks him out with a hypodermic needle and calls her pimp. (Lights down)Act II - The brutal pimp arrives and beats her, then ties the unconscious client to a chair. He leaves to get tools to crack open a safe the client has in the room, leaving the prostitute guarding the client. (Lights down)Act III - The client revives and explains that he is a werewolf about to transform unless he can contact his maverick doctor who can treat his symptoms. He relates his backstory ...The brutal pimp returns at the end and attacks the prostitute again just before the client turns into a wolf. The pimp is killed and the prostitute gets bitten on the leg. The doctor enters to treat her wound and hand her his business card for future services.Unfortunately, this sort of thing just doesn't work as film despite the neat, tidy, predictable ending. Most of the runtime consists of close-up conversation, with the prostitute and client telling what the film should be showing. As a play it would work quite well.
Matt Kracht
Unfortunately, some movies don't really have the budget to truly bring the script to life. A low budget movie will necessarily have some problems when it comes time for a car blow up or a building to crumble to debris. I'm willing to overlook that. It's not their fault that they couldn't get a big studio to hand over tens of millions of dollars. However, I'm less forgiving when it comes to acting, pacing, writing, etc. These things are (generally) under their control, although it's obvious that you're not going to have many reshoots or famous, A-list actors, either.The setup is interesting and something that could have really gone somewhere, but I don't want to sound too critical. I like where it went; it's just that I couldn't help thinking of some other movies I liked which really stretched out the tension, forcing you to give your complete and utter attention to every little thing going on. I mention this because I was somewhat distracted by a friend showing up while I watched Half Moon, and, to my disappointment, I felt as though the most intense scene in the movie played out somewhat flatly, allowing me to concentrate more heavily on talking to my friend. Was I bored? No, not at all. However, I wasn't entranced, and that's what I was looking for.Anyways, the bulk of the movie concerns the "is he/isn't he" mystery of a possible serial rapist/killer and an abused hooker who finds a veritable "rape kit" hidden in some guy's hotel bathroom. When the guy claims that he's a werewolf and the rope, tranquilizer, and tape is to restrain himself, things get pretty weird. I liked the werewolf guy better than the hooker, but looking at her credits shows that she's actually a porn actress. Well, she was quite a lot better than I might have expected, but I'm not entirely convinced that she's got a mainstream Hollywood career lined up. Who knows. Stranger things have happened.If the premise sounds interesting to you, I suggest that you check this out. Just keep in mind that it's low budget. There's a little bit of nudity and violence, but nothing shocking.
