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In the woods, a deadly party takes place leaving a vicious biker group riding into a hangover, only to stumble upon one of their party members dead. A vile force lurks behind the curtain as they suspect each individual in the group. This is Sean Cranston’s The Full Moon Fathers.
The rise in box office numbers came partly due to the increase in the number of exploitation films in the 60s but the full budget was never allocated which resulted in poor production quality. Instead of casting experienced professionals, B and C-list actors were given roles in movies revolving around a set niche. The genre alone was centered around unusual sex and violence, therefore, making it a low-production B-grade horror movie. The term grindhouse refers to that type of exploitation cinema, much like how Full Moon Fathom is mixed with violence and photography. This genre took centerstage in the 50s, particularly after Marlon Brando rode his Triumph Thunderbird in The Wild One. What makes Cranston’s film unique from others is the supernatural prowess, in addition to the psychological disturbances that stem from the life of a biker.
In the movie that was set in 1979, there is a police raid that occurs on The Full Moon Fathers’ latest hideout. Full Moon Fathers is a violent biker gang consisting of ex-World War II and Korean combat veterans. A nomadic biker gang formed out of vengeance. And, as the police come almost close to capturing them, the group sets a trap that backfires and kills them all. The rest of the movie follows our bikers on the run from the law, hiding in the woods. But while the authorities are looking for them, it becomes clear that they are not the only problem.
The first thing you notice with The Full Moon Fathers is that Jim Powers’ cinematography is excellent, many interesting compositions see good use of blocking, especially when the gang is all together. The use of sound effects strengthens and builds up tension together with feelings of eeriness that accompany the supernatural elements. The pecking order within the group is also revealing each and every member seems to have an assigned status that gives them a certain degree in the quasi-hierarchy. Accompanying and amplifying this is the mix of visuals and sound, as with the rest of the film, blending real-world and supernatural feelings.
In this case, it’s a group of older outlaws succumbing to their age in a time and world in which they remember fondly, unlike the vivid wild to which they no longer belong. The outlaws are only known through the classic The Wild Bunch so it’s somewhat difficult to believe the majority of the elderly cast could portray vicious murderous bikers. The carryout of art in the film by the cast is fine in that it’s most of them portray forgettable muscles but the articulate anger shows with no reservation bounds.
Having a musician such as Cranston as a director greatly benefits the movie as he can compose some great tracks, and the music in the film is a plus. The movie has guitar riffs that are similar to David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. The film also has heavier vocal music to further underline the suffering and angst that the older criminals have to deal with.
Through The Full Moon Father’s director, Cranston captures the essence of the old grindhouse pictures. While his film does seem to be a little padded, it still manages to be captivating and imaginative. Overall, it is an enjoyable film that falls into the biker/western/horror genre.
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