Moonchild. La marca de la luna

Its easy to see why Moonchild has a 2.1 average rating on this site and very few reviews. Marketed as some kind of low budget horror, its actually more of a psychological mood piece conducted with creepy atmosphere than something easily digestible. It apparently began life as a student film and I can well see that, it feels the product of a student brain, brain like dope softened sponge, heavied to dripping with ideas and questions, gripped in slipping hands that know not what to do. The concept and underlying themes are distinct but the execution less so, it ends up a head film that isn't really thought out well enough. The story, such as it is, follows a young student who come to a mission turned hotel in his search for perfection of art. There he comes into contact with an array of strange persons whilst facing the resurgence of his past. Its all rather vague until a final act that brings things into a manner of focus, powered mostly by talk and some interesting visuals. Talk of the meaning of life and death, of art and love and god and man, multiple views entwining and arguing, on paper and indeed to the recollection it seems nothing more meaningful than a spewed up half digested morass of philosophical talking points, but due to some sterling performances and a consistently weird, anti commercial tone the film actually manages a rather engaging atmosphere, snaked through with unease and unpredictable currents of tension. Plaudits are deserved by more or less all the key performers. Victor Buono as the hotel maitre d', a pious bon vivant with certain sinister edge, Pat Renella as the straight and stern manager, William Challee a kindly old man and alchemist, and a good sized role for John Carradine as a wandering keeper of words, guide of sorts. Mark Travis is slightly stiff as the student at the centre but he does his best and is suitably bewildered by things. His unshowy turn actually works nicely, as those around him bring the portentous dialogue to strange life he gives a good impression of being trapped in some Kafka-esque prison of twisted language and impossible questions, a prison of abstract thought overlaying the actual confines of the hotel. The effect comes to somewhat resemble Last Year In Marienbad, albeit a less assured, more New Age and nebulous approach to similar themes, the hotel, its geography and inhabitants all uncertain, perhaps all mind born phantasms. The use of eerie organ drones at times seems a direct reference to the Resnais film, as well as some of the tracking shots. Moonchild goes in for many more jolt edits though, and its notions of mind, memory and destiny are less clear edited, they appear as if viewed through clouds. The audience for a film such as this is undoubtedly small, and in what it sets out to do it is not entirely successful. But it's watchable, and it's interesting and decidedly strange. Fans of the genuinely unusual in cinema could do worse than give it a look, those seeking standard issue genre kicks or easy viewing will doubtless find it a terrible chore.

While watching this strange 70's gem, it struck me that could have been the inspiration for the Eagles hit song Hotel California. The movie came out a few years before and is full of parallels to the song. I did a quick web search and was amazed to see there is no connections between the two.

Weary traveler in a desert highway hearing Mission Bells and Checking in to a hotel that he can never leave.

Yes, I'm aware the Eagles have stated the song is about their experiences in Hollywood, but keep an open mind and check this out for yourself. It's actually pretty eerie. You won't be able to keep the idea out of your head while watching it!

"Moonchild" ran on German TV under the title "Im Jenseits ist die Hölle los" (roughly translated as „All Hell breaks loose in the hereafter"), which led many viewers to expect a horror-comedy, since a zillion comedies ran under the moniker 'All Hell breaks loose …' (you just need to fill the blanks). Having recorded it on video tape and watching it many month later, I was surprised to find that this was neither a horror film nor a comedy – in fact, at the time I couldn't have put it under any genre apart from, say, experimental film.

I don't want to say much about the story; this is one of those cases, where the viewer is best left to his own conclusions.

The movie shouldn't be based so much on the story (which should really be left to the interpretations of the viewers) but rather on the excellent atmosphere: despite taking place in the seemingly endless, sun-showered desert, the atmosphere throughout is gloomy, claustrophobic, even suffocating. Although it is obvious that the director is young and inexperienced, there are traces of Bunuel, Kenneth Anger and even the "weirdness" of Salvatore Dali.

While Carradine seems frail and sickly, bent by age. Victor Buono, as he does in most performances, hams it up to 11, swinging easily from gentle, benevolent giant to steely eyed and threatening menace. Over-acting isn't for everybody, but it has always worked for Buono. A similar thing could be said for Pat Renella with piercing eyes and sharp, chiselled features, there is an air of violence about his character throughout, until revealing a strange gentleness at the end of the film; evidence of a very distinct, versatile actor, making one sad that Renella hasn't gotten many bigger roles in his career.

On the other hand, Mark Travis isn't altogether convincing as protagonist and it's no surprise that he only appeared in a handful of TV-shows after "Moonchild" – let's just say that acting isn't for everybody. Same goes for Janet Landgard and Frank Corsentino, whose performance as Homunculus is plain embarrassing. So, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Buono and Renella easily steal the show.

Compared to many contemporary, over-ambitious and self-important student- and experimental-films, this film is a little, albeit almost forgotten gem, even though it's probably not everybody's cup of tea. Highly recommendable if you're into "weird movies".

A young man (The Moon Child) is reincarnated every 25 years, with each life ending in a stay at a mission hotel.

There he meets characters from his first life, all of whom are doomed to relive their roles in his life (and death) as well.

The cycle will end when his spirit reaches a state of perfection by purging its negative (violent) impulses.

Actor John Carradine is The Walker of The World, an otherworldly poet who is there to observe, and record for posterity, the proceedings.

Supposedly this was shot as a student film. I find that hard to believe considering the impressive cast. This film is not going to wow you, but it sure does deserve a better than 2.0 rating that it currently has here on IMDb. And certainly deserves to re-discovered for a cult following.

It's well filmed and very strange in a compelling sort of way. It's shocking that the director never worked again! Wish there was more info on him somewhere. He was talented.

Even if this movie wasn't a hit, the directing alone -- as a student film -- should have gotten him offers. Hell, David Lunch went on to make a movies after that Eraserhead which put me to sleep!

It's so well filmed (even if you can see the boom mike shadow in a scene or two). The framing is spot on and the color is superb.

It's a weird surreal trippy film. Give it a chance.

Shot in 1971 as a student film under the title FULL MOON and given a brief theatrical release as THE MOON CHILD by Filmakers Limited in 1974, Alan Gadney's sole directorial effort tells the story of a student (Mark Travis) whose pursuit of artistic perfection leads him to a desert mission-cum-hotel where a wandering `keeper of words' (John Carradine) introduces him to a small society of odd personalities – the pious Maitre D' (Victor Buono), the granite-faced Manager (BULLET's Pat Renella), a kindly old man (William Challee, from BILLY THE KID MEETS DRACULA) and his beautiful daughter (THE SWIMMER's Janet Landgard). Before the youth has passed his first night under their roof, his wildly combative hosts set themselves in fervid competition for receipt of his immortal soul.

As far as overeager allegories go, THE MOON CHILD isn't bad and predates Stanley Kubrick's somewhat similar THE SHINING by nearly a decade (it also can be said to anticipate other full circle thrillers as ANGEL HEART and THE SIXTH SENSE, albeit taking a less horrific tack in favor of New Age notions of circularity and karma filtered through the visions of Jean Genet, Samuel Beckett and Luis Bunuel). Long neglected, and too often written off as a bad horror movie (a classification it does not deserve), THE MOON CHILD is, if not entirely persuasive, at least a refreshing reminder of a time when film students sought to use the medium for a purpose higher than attention-getting.