This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

'Moon of the Wolf' is actually a cool, sulfurous, sharp _teleplay, marshes, bayou, malaria, TV done as B cinema, a genuine discovery, and it has the atmosphere of its plot, and not a generic Louisiana atmosphere. Peasants and gentry, Dixie feudalism, the sheriff impersonates Widmark nicely, he's a temperate loner. Dillman is mostly looking desolate. Someone wrote that there were quite a few of similar TV movies intent to look like 'Kolchak'.It's not scary, but suspenseful, intriguing; it gives the feel that the events are eerie, but entirely real, and this thanks to the many good things in this _teleplay, an intrinsically likable movie, what an awesome, unassuming chiller, far-reaching TV. There are tropes, but they are appealingly used. The cast of the _teleplay is extraordinarily enjoyable, including 'Andrew', the werewolf.

"Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) covers the Louisiana bayou country and is faced with a mysterious death. The victim appears to have been attacked by a vicious animal, until the medical examiner determines the death was actually a murder. Using the circumstances of the crime and the evidence he uncovers, Sheriff Whitaker concludes a werewolf is responsible for the killing and must discover who the monster is before any further deaths occur," according to the DVD sleeve description. Responding to Dan Curtis' wildly successful "The Night Stalker", ABC-TV set director Daniel Petrie and writer Alvin Sapinsley werewolf hunting. The resulting "Moon of the Wolf" filled their prime fall "Tuesday Movie of the Week" timeslot. Familiar guest-starring faces include beautiful Barbara Rush (from "Peyton Place"), brother Bradford Dillman, and bedside-mannered John Bernardino (of "General Hospital"). Leading the pack, Mr. Janssen (formerly "The Fugitive") looks for the hairy left-handed suspect.*** Moon of the Wolf (9/26/72) Daniel Petrie ~ David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Bradford Dillman, John Beradino

Creepy little tele-movie concerning a highborn Louisiana family with a dark secret. After a local girl is found mutilated in a nearby bayou, local sheriff (Janssen) must use all his detective skills to solve the crime. His investigation leads him to an old flame (Rush) and her aristocratic brother (Dillman) who are both keen for the culprit to be caught, but for different reasons. Everyone's a suspect including the local medical examiner (Beradino), who can't seem to determine the cause of death, while the paranormal activity leads to more mysterious victims. Tense, with a sometimes unsettling mood, the southern tones and textures make this an offbeat little suspender that belies its meagre TV budget.The leading trio succeed with their characterisations and experienced feature director Petrie constructs an intelligent plot woven with effective twists and surprises. Appropriately, the romantic undertones between Janssen and Rush fail to flourish, and so the core narrative never loses momentum. Able support from Lewis, Dano and Chandler in particular, as the oafish yokels, suspects and victims, add capable depth to the cast & characters. Decent cinematography, apt dialogue and some effective chills ensure the end product is beyond the typical mid week tele-movie experience, and although the make-up effects are 'limited', this doesn't undermine the picture.Lycanthropy devotee or not, the occult themes shouldn't deter you from investing 74 minutes in this modest mystery, entertaining despite its small screen threshold.

"Moon of the Wolf" is a good example of a an early 70's made for TV horror film. This werewolf saga succeeds admirably due to the efforts of the cast, some good location shooting and a better than average screenplay (for TV at least). Actors like David Jansenn,Bradford Dillman and Barbara Rush do their professional best to put this story of lycanthropy in the south across and it manages to be both interesting and somewhat exciting despite some cheesy make up effects. It is a good way to pass an hour or so, and for my money is just as captivating as the kind of PG-13 horror fare that is ground out today to entice teenagers to go out to the multiplex.