"I'm not the Wookiee!" FULL MOON HIGH (1981)

Werewolves were certainly in vogue during 1981, with four feature films rooted in lycanthrope lore released during that year. Prolific filmmaker, Larry Cohen, plays the transformative subgenre entirely for laughs with his relentless comedy, Full Moon High, which is available now on Blu-ray in the UK from Eureka Entertainment

When a high school football player, Tony Walker, accompanies his father, a government employee, on a diplomatic trip to Romina, the teenager crosses paths with a creature of the night. Tony returns home with a new animal instinct, which he isn’t sure how to handle.

Full Moon High is funny, without question, but it’s over-saturated with jokes and silliness, seemingly under the logic that if enough is crammed in, the film is bound to work as a comedy. Granted, there are some great lines, some of which may be a little dated, but there is a lot of throwaway dialogue and zany antics from the characters. If the writing had been more focused, the film might have found itself more in the conversation among moviegoers like An American Werewolf in London.

Interestingly, the body count is zero, as our protagonist does not become a mindless killer when the moon is out. Tony’s still “good” despite his dual identity and only resorts to bites on the necks or cheeky nips on the buttocks, becoming nothing more than an odd annoyance to the various locations he wanders through over the course of twenty years. Adam Arkin is a believable teenager as Tony, and his constant state of bewilderment is more effective comedically than the more overt humour.

Alan Arkin shows up around the midway point as the film’s answer to Dr Van Helsing. He delivers all his lines as if he’s speaking to the audience, stopping just short of breaking forth wall. Despite a low effort performance, it’s nice to know he was a supportive father. On the other hand, though, Joanne Nail, as one of Tony’s prospective love interests, Ricky, embraced the film’s chaotic nature perfectly, stealing several scenes, while Elizabeth Hartman, as the more vulnerable Miss Montgomery, proves to be the grounding force Tony needs when he returns to his old high school, unaged.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Mute (2000 copies)
Limited edition 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 (2000 copies)
New audio commentary by Steve Mitchell, director of the 2017 documentary King Cohen
Archival audio commentary with director Larry Cohen, moderated by Steve Mitchell
Growing Pains – a new video essay on the history and evolution of the teenage werewolf on film by werewolf expert Kaja Franck, author of The Ecogothic Werewolf in Literature
Today’s Teenage Werewolf – a new interview with film writer Michael Doyle, author of Larry Cohen: The Stuff of Gods and Monsters
Original theatrical trailer

I can’t honestly see myself watching Full Moon High again, not for a long time at least, but once again, Eureka’s commissioning of intellectually rich extras almost makes me feel bad for not appreciating the film as much as werewolf expert Kaja Franck and Larry Cohen expert Michael Doyle. Both of whom cover a decent amount of ground relating to the genre’s history while providing an in-depth retrospective on Larry Cohen’s classic horror-comedy, which amounts to roughly 45 minutes in total.

VIDEO AND AUDIO

I dig the colour palette of Full Moon High, which consists of deep blacks and various shades of yellow and orange. Presented in the film’s original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, there’s a subtle matte finish to the image, which looks great in 1080p, and a high bitrate prevents posterization effects. Uncompressed LPCM audio (original mono presentation) is loud with decent bass and is crystal clear. Optional English subtitles are included.

Full Moon High is certainly a vibe, and while it’s not Larry Cohen’s best, does this B-picture deserve its average 4.8 rating on IMDb? Probably not, and even if you are left unfulfilled, this Eureka Edition overall is a worthy purchase.

FULL MOON HIGH
(1981, director: Larry Cohen)