"Moonstalker" aptly illustrates how and why the teen slasher ingloriously died at the end of the 1980s. Although always watchable and sometimes even reasonably amusing, it's a thoroughly uninspired and derivative effort. It starts with the opening credits music being yet another blatant rip-off of John Carpenter's iconic score for "Halloween". By the time "Moonstalker" got released, "Halloween" was more than a decade old, and literally the entire world had seen it, so find something new already! The next 10-15 minutes are hilarious, but mainly because the plot is so cliched and the performances are so atrociously bad. A middle-aged father (and heavy beer can consumer) insists on spending a primitive "back-to-nature" vacation with his reluctant family in a rusty old camper, so they install themselves at the edge of a wide backwoods area. The bickering family runs into an ogre named Pop, and he's hiding his psychopathic and bloodthirsty son Bernie in a caravan, tied up with chains and wearing a bag over his head. Pop occasionally lets Bernie out, for example to feast on dim-witted camper families, but then Pop unexpectedly dies from a heart-attack and Bernie suddenly finds himself unchained with the world at his feet! From then onward "Moonstalker" plays on familiar slasher turf, as Bernie heads straight towards a nearby camping site where a bunch of young summer camp counselors are having their annual initiation weekend. Freed from his dominant father, Bernie makes the terrible (albeit understandable) mistake of switching his strait-jacket and potato bag mask for a lumberjack shirt, a cowboy hat and a shiny pair of sunglasses. I reckon it's a far more comfortable outfit for him, but he does instantly lose all the charisma and scary effect of a savage backwoods killer, especially because the mask made him somewhat a look-alike of Jason Voorhees in "Friday the 13th part 2". Luckily his appetite for nasty killings is still there. The first few murders are dull and bloodless, but "Moonstalker" eventually meets the 80s gore quota thanks to several amputations, axe-murders and even a knife in someone's forehead. The sadistic campfire moment near the finale (you'll know it when you see it) is a delightful little horror detail, but it sadly doesn't rescue the film from sheer mediocrity.
22 Reviews
Weekend at Bernie's.
BA_Harrison10 November 2018
In a straight-jacket, hood, chains and brandishing an axe, Moonstalker's crazed killer Bernie makes for a memorably imposing maniac, which is why it's a shame when he swaps this distinctive garb for a cowboy hat, dark glasses and and a plaid shirt. But even though he loses a lot of his mystique with this change of outfit, the drooling psycho remains as mean as ever, killing off most of the film's cast before the closing credits. Along the way there's quite a bit of hokey gore (rubbery body parts and splashes of blood), just a little female nudity (one of the girls strips off to take a shower with a young man), and, with the film taking place at a wilderness counselor's camp on a snowy mountain, lots of sitting around camp fires (in the film's most macabre moment, even the dead enjoy a sing-song around a roaring fire).
It's certainly no classic, but as low-budget late '80s slashers go, you could definitely do a lot worse than Moonstalker: the film is never boring, the sub-zero setting is a nice change from the traditional summer camp, the characters are likeable (the girls are all very pretty, which helps), and no-one is safe, which makes it one of the less predictable examples of the genre. Only the score really disappoints: it's a third-rate rip-off of John Carpenter's iconic music for Halloween.
It's certainly no classic, but as low-budget late '80s slashers go, you could definitely do a lot worse than Moonstalker: the film is never boring, the sub-zero setting is a nice change from the traditional summer camp, the characters are likeable (the girls are all very pretty, which helps), and no-one is safe, which makes it one of the less predictable examples of the genre. Only the score really disappoints: it's a third-rate rip-off of John Carpenter's iconic music for Halloween.
Actually, an obscure slasher that deserves a chance.
insomniac_rod28 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I found this on the catacombs of my local video store after an exhausting expedition. This is a clear example of how the slasher genre died in 1989. Easily, one of the worst of it's kind. You will think about "Friday the 13th" and "The Burning" while watching this because of obvious references to both movies (family reasons to kill, the "story" of a deranged killer in the woods named Bernie, etc.). Bernie is one weird guy; not because of the killings, but his twisted behavior against sex! He's a serial killer with a high moral.
When I watched it, flashbacks came to me. I watched it first on "USA Up All Night" back in the late 90's. I can't remember exactly if it aired as "Moonstalker" though.
Something interesting I found about "Moonstalker" is that you can't predict who will survive until the last 20 minutes. I don't know if it's something good but being a slasher, it's something that you rarely see.
The death scenes are amusing mainly because of the poor but effective gore effects. The shower death scene is my favorite.
I can't recommend this even to slasher fans but I know that A LOT of people like me enjoy watching horrible bad slasher flicks. Actually, "Moonstalker" is a recommended slasher obscurity. The forest at night is creepy because of the winter season. Check this one out slasher gorehounds.
When I watched it, flashbacks came to me. I watched it first on "USA Up All Night" back in the late 90's. I can't remember exactly if it aired as "Moonstalker" though.
Something interesting I found about "Moonstalker" is that you can't predict who will survive until the last 20 minutes. I don't know if it's something good but being a slasher, it's something that you rarely see.
The death scenes are amusing mainly because of the poor but effective gore effects. The shower death scene is my favorite.
I can't recommend this even to slasher fans but I know that A LOT of people like me enjoy watching horrible bad slasher flicks. Actually, "Moonstalker" is a recommended slasher obscurity. The forest at night is creepy because of the winter season. Check this one out slasher gorehounds.
Lacks focus and imagination
acidburn-1022 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"Moonstalker" is one of those well forgotten camp slasher movies from the 1980's and considering it came out in 1989, it was already stated that this formula had gone well stale by this point and this movie does nothing to rise above the dreck, although it does have a certain charm to it. The opening shot with the POV angle and the happy campers by the fire really did set the tone and mood for this flick, but it ended rather disappointingly, as the deaths were off screen and showed no imagination or thrills.
What really bugs me about this is the lack of focus, because after the opening deaths we get a family who I thought were gonna be the main characters of this movie, but then they are quickly dispatched, when an old man pulls up near them and tells them about what happened to his son and then we see him in his camper wrapped in a strait jacket and his face covered. Now I thought that this was an interesting angle to the storyline, but again that falls flat, as he quickly heads to another campsite where a group are on some sort of wilderness training or something. But that was way too late into the movie to suddenly introduce the main cast and even they were just as terrible as the previous cast members.
There just doesn't seem to be any effort put into this whatsoever, I know that Slashers aren't known for developing characters, but this is ridiculous, for a start there were just way too many to keep track off and the supposedly main ones were forgettable, even the final girl was awful, then there's the death scenes, or should I say lack off, despite 23 deaths, none stood out, mostly off screen which I hate. However I did like the setting and the dark atmosphere was rather creepy and the killer was pretty menacing at first, but once he took of the mask, it just kind of fell apart.
So all in all, see this only if you're a fan of 80's campsite slashers or if you're a fan of bad movies, but otherwise not a highly recommended effort and stay well clear.
What really bugs me about this is the lack of focus, because after the opening deaths we get a family who I thought were gonna be the main characters of this movie, but then they are quickly dispatched, when an old man pulls up near them and tells them about what happened to his son and then we see him in his camper wrapped in a strait jacket and his face covered. Now I thought that this was an interesting angle to the storyline, but again that falls flat, as he quickly heads to another campsite where a group are on some sort of wilderness training or something. But that was way too late into the movie to suddenly introduce the main cast and even they were just as terrible as the previous cast members.
There just doesn't seem to be any effort put into this whatsoever, I know that Slashers aren't known for developing characters, but this is ridiculous, for a start there were just way too many to keep track off and the supposedly main ones were forgettable, even the final girl was awful, then there's the death scenes, or should I say lack off, despite 23 deaths, none stood out, mostly off screen which I hate. However I did like the setting and the dark atmosphere was rather creepy and the killer was pretty menacing at first, but once he took of the mask, it just kind of fell apart.
So all in all, see this only if you're a fan of 80's campsite slashers or if you're a fan of bad movies, but otherwise not a highly recommended effort and stay well clear.
Slasher the shoulda, coulda, woulda been better
udar5522 November 2013
Not to be confused with MOONSTRUCK (1988), I was yelling "Snap out of it" and slapping myself in the face by the time this regional horror flick was done. An old man keeps his mentally unstable son Bernie (Blake Gibbons) locked up in a trailer, only unleashing him when pop wants some tourists killed for new appliances. Unfortunately, hauling the newly acquired microwave causes ol' dad to die of a heart attack and Bernie is on his own. Naturally, he heads home and begins offing winter camp counselors in training that are near his abode. You won't get much from this Nevada lensed slasher from writer-director Michael O'Rourke until the last half hour, where it turns surprisingly bloody as Bernie chops everyone with an ax. There is a pretty cool looking image of Bernie chained up in a straight jacket with a hood on, but that gets abandoned early on when he removes it and dresses in a cowboy hat (making him look like Powers Boothe for some odd reason). Surprisingly, Gibbons survived this mess and went on to be a featured played on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Helmer O'Rourke wasn't as lucky, disappearing from directing after this one (although he did script the truly bizarre HELLGATE [1990] the next year).
Frustrating but bearable backwoods slasher time-waster
Bloodwank23 May 2011
Oh Moonstalker. We could have had the world, could have had something beautiful. But sometimes these things aren't meant to be I guess. In terms of set up Moonstalker has everything there, dumb but somewhat likable cast, threatening killer with sad, chilling back story, snowy woodland setting, lots of death, it should be a winner and almost is. But the almost that the film falls into is a giant gap, wide enough to be well, a bit crap. The problem is that up to around the hour mark, the deaths are mostly off screen or bloodless and don't have enough in the way of set-up to make an impact despite being tame. The effect is of a tease and after a while it just gets really irritating, I don't necessarily care about bloodless or off screen kills so long as the presentation is germane to the film, but here gore was clearly necessary and for the most part just not really present. Sad thing is, when the film gets to the final block it warms up miraculously, slings a bit of bloodshed, mean spirit and even tension, fairly solid stuff that comes off multiple clicks higher than the rest of it. Still, there are little perks to the film as a whole. For one it pulls a fairly ballsy turn out of the first block and the heroine only gets introduced halfway through or so, plus it has no issues with randomly offing characters, making for some element of surprise, especially when more likable characters get nixed. For another there's a great bit of counter-intuitive costume design as the killer switches from creepy potato sack mask and neck chain get up into some gear nicked from a cop, immediately going from mildly unsettling to a down-market Psycho Cop riff. Oh and the repetitive, claustrophobic score has a certain punch. I think the characters are maybe the best thing here though, in a lot of these films the characters are nothing more than sacks of meat for the offing, but here a lot of them are actually pretty fun to spend time around. Which isn't to say that ultimately they aren't sacks of meat for the offing, but you know what I mean. For instance there's Bobby (Alex Wexler) a dorky sort of a guy who wants to get laid and miraculously for such a character, manages to ramp up a bit of sympathy. Then there's Regis (John Marzilli), running his wilderness survival training camp with drill sergeant demeanour and raising smiles along the way. The name of his girlfriend slips me but she's funny too, with a tigrish sexuality to her. The ladies of the piece are all pretty attractive and charming actually, which is handy. And towards the end, (sadly too late) we get a police officer who knows the score, played with fevered intensity by a Neil Kinsella. Its a fun bunch of people and I reckon the film would have been a lot better had it dropped the height of the body count and just hung around with them, gotten into their personalities and interactions. Sadly 'twas not to be, and so things are about two thirds 4/10 level frustration and one third low 6/10 chintzy fun. Feck it, I'll give a generous 5/10, its better than a poke in the eye with a wet stick so those who just have to watch it (you know who you are) won't have serious problems.
You're Typical 80s Slasher - Flawed But Fun
Rainey-Dawn14 May 2017
Flawed but fun typical 80s slasher. The film started out with a family and then we are introduced to "Pop". The family ends up hanging out with Pop the night they met him and Pop tells us the story of what happened with his son - but not the full story. Pop acts weird, the family leaves him, Pop goes inside his camper and we meet his son Bernie. Bernie is tied down with a chain, in a straight-jacket and special mask. Pop lets Bernie go to kill the people so they can steal their stuff. Bernie kills the family, Pop falls over and dies of ? (fright they said in the film but I thought maybe a heart-attack?) -- anyway Pop is dead and the killer Bernie is on the loose.
Next we are introduced to the main characters of the film. The main characters are part of some wilderness camp thing going on. Bernie makes his way to them and kills most all of them. Cops are also in the campgrounds investigating the murder of the family and Pop. And that's about it - minus the ending where the killer Bernie stole the cop's jacket and vehicle then drives way leaving it open for a part 2 or to simply show viewers he's still alive.
It's an okay time waster film, not grand but a watchable slasher. It has a few story flaws that most viewers will notice quickly but is a "B" slasher - and we all know what to expect of most of them.
Another reviewer mentioned the music of the film is similar to that of the classic Halloween 1978 - and that is true!! This film is not nearly as good as Halloween '78 but an alright watch.
5/10
Next we are introduced to the main characters of the film. The main characters are part of some wilderness camp thing going on. Bernie makes his way to them and kills most all of them. Cops are also in the campgrounds investigating the murder of the family and Pop. And that's about it - minus the ending where the killer Bernie stole the cop's jacket and vehicle then drives way leaving it open for a part 2 or to simply show viewers he's still alive.
It's an okay time waster film, not grand but a watchable slasher. It has a few story flaws that most viewers will notice quickly but is a "B" slasher - and we all know what to expect of most of them.
Another reviewer mentioned the music of the film is similar to that of the classic Halloween 1978 - and that is true!! This film is not nearly as good as Halloween '78 but an alright watch.
5/10
"You Could Watch Cartoons All Day Long, If You Had A Color TV!"...
azathothpwiggins9 June 2021
In MOONSTALKER, a group of young, partying campers are slaughtered by an ax-wielding maniac.
Some time later, a family arrives in their camper. Soon, an old man arrives in a gigantic Cadillac, pulling a trailer / camper. Is it any wonder why the alternate name of this movie is "CAMPER STAMPER"?
Horror erupts, when the oldster tells the unwary family about his "nervous" son, Bernie. Let's just say that the family vacation is over! Add in a nearby team of camp counselors, and the mayhem continues.
In all honesty, this movie is far more enjoyable than one might expect. The characters range from goofy to zany. The killer is ludicrous, yet entertaining. The plot is typical slasher fare, but doesn't take itself too seriously.
GOREHOUNDS TAKE NOTE: The gore / blood level is minimal, with the deaths occurring mostly off-camera. Although, there is the occasional arm or leg thrown around.
EXTRA POINTS FOR: The Sheriff's office, full of ten-gallon hats on half-gallon heads!
P. S.- You'll never hear "She'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain" in quite the same way again. Ever!...
Some time later, a family arrives in their camper. Soon, an old man arrives in a gigantic Cadillac, pulling a trailer / camper. Is it any wonder why the alternate name of this movie is "CAMPER STAMPER"?
Horror erupts, when the oldster tells the unwary family about his "nervous" son, Bernie. Let's just say that the family vacation is over! Add in a nearby team of camp counselors, and the mayhem continues.
In all honesty, this movie is far more enjoyable than one might expect. The characters range from goofy to zany. The killer is ludicrous, yet entertaining. The plot is typical slasher fare, but doesn't take itself too seriously.
GOREHOUNDS TAKE NOTE: The gore / blood level is minimal, with the deaths occurring mostly off-camera. Although, there is the occasional arm or leg thrown around.
EXTRA POINTS FOR: The Sheriff's office, full of ten-gallon hats on half-gallon heads!
P. S.- You'll never hear "She'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain" in quite the same way again. Ever!...
A bad to alright 80's slasher
The_Reanimator23 July 2005
This movie is a bad to alright rip off of Friday the 13th. The movie is about a killer named Bernie who kills people around a camp councilor training camp. He kills people because the camp councilor training camp is on land that was owned by his father, and when the police came to forcefully take his fathers land they accidentally killed his mother (Another F13th take off). The intro is seeing Bernie killing his first victims. Then we are introduced to a family going camping in the same woods, soon after they arrive they are joined by a strange old man who likes talking about his son. Later we learn that his son is Bernie and that he has him locked up in the back of his caravan after having broken him out of a mental institute. He sets Bernie after the family so they can take their stuff and then the chase is on.
This Movie is only recommended to those who enjoy B grade 80's Slashers.
This Movie is only recommended to those who enjoy B grade 80's Slashers.
Unheard of late 80s campfire slasher
kyleallencole98 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I just randomly came across this late 80s slasher and I had never heard of it before. It was strangely filmed, but the creepy winter setting at night in the mountains was a nice touch. It had a pretty forgettable killer, but some nice death scenes and the campfire music scene towards the end was awesome!! Its moreless about a mental patient who is set loose and terrorizes a family who are on a camping trip. The killer then sets his sights on a nearby camp counselor training session. He then stalks and kills the teens off one by one. The film does offer some sort of backstory to the killer as well.
I cant believe you even looked this one up!
fanqarm16 October 2004
IT IS So Sad. Even though this was shot with film i think it stinks a little bit more than flicks like Blood Lake, There's Nothing Out There & . The music they play in this is the funniest stuff i've ever heard. i like the brother and sister in this movie. They both don't try very hard to sound sarcastic when they're saying stuff like "My friends are going to be so jealous!" Hey, whats with the killer only wearing his mask in the beginning? Thats retarded! I practically ignored the second half of this. My favorite part about this movie is the sound effect they use when the killer is using the axe. The same exact sound for every chop!
A fun low-budget horror film
spnkngman19 February 2005
It's a shame that this film is not currently available on any video format because it is actually an enjoyable piece of '80's horror. The night winter forest locations look great and the cast appears to be having a fun time making the film. The females in the cast are all attractive and fine actresses, and some of the men (specifically detective Taylor and Harry, the father) are just plain hilarious. The gore effects are primitive but serviceable, and there are moments of genuine emotional connection between the characters that was rare for the genre at that post-"Halloween" time. Watching this film brings one back to a more innocent time when real effort was put into the exploitation genre.
Surprisingly good horror film
zombieoutbreak-741995 December 2020
It IS on DVD!
Scott_Mercer12 November 2006
As far as I can tell you, in spite of earlier comments posted by other commentors, this film IS currently available on DVD. I found it only a few weeks ago.
It is on the Value DVD label and I paid the grand total of 98 cents plus tax for it. I found it at a 98 cent store among racks of plastic bowls and disposable chopsticks. Now don't you people who shelled out beau coup bucks for the super-duper Swedish import limited edition version feel like you were had??? I thought so.
This film was indeed well worth 98 cents. 99 cents, I might start to argue with you. But clearly worth 98 cents. And remember that saying about getting what you pay for. For slasher film mavens only.
It is on the Value DVD label and I paid the grand total of 98 cents plus tax for it. I found it at a 98 cent store among racks of plastic bowls and disposable chopsticks. Now don't you people who shelled out beau coup bucks for the super-duper Swedish import limited edition version feel like you were had??? I thought so.
This film was indeed well worth 98 cents. 99 cents, I might start to argue with you. But clearly worth 98 cents. And remember that saying about getting what you pay for. For slasher film mavens only.
Ugh
BandSAboutMovies31 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Pop and Bernie have a good angle. Pop saddles up to campers and tells them how much he misses his dead son, who is really insane and kept in a straightjacket in a trailer until the campers trust his dad and then he is unleashed. Pop gets their gear, Bernie gets to kill, we have a movie called Moonstalker.
This is a movie nobody talks about because, well, who was watching slashers other than mutants like me and you in 1989?
Also known as Camper Stamper, A Demon Is Loose (Brazil), Bloody Moon (Mexico) and Terror Camp (Argentina), It also rips off John Carpenter both visually and audibly. About the only cool thing I can call this out for is Marcie, who wears a camp bikini, carries a whip and gets off to Wagner. So there's that at least.
You may not care now, but when the Vinegar Syndrome $59.95 slipcase edition comes out, you will.
This is a movie nobody talks about because, well, who was watching slashers other than mutants like me and you in 1989?
Also known as Camper Stamper, A Demon Is Loose (Brazil), Bloody Moon (Mexico) and Terror Camp (Argentina), It also rips off John Carpenter both visually and audibly. About the only cool thing I can call this out for is Marcie, who wears a camp bikini, carries a whip and gets off to Wagner. So there's that at least.
You may not care now, but when the Vinegar Syndrome $59.95 slipcase edition comes out, you will.
could have been the next jason
godinamachine3 December 2022
HEY EVERBODY ITS ME (4) and today we review ...80's horror slasher film #500183
yup its that time of year again, the leaves are changing colour and falling, the air is becoming crisp, and the birds are flying south SO that means time to watch a bagillion different slasher styled films lost to time ..... and here we have "MOONSTALKER" and I have to say the first 20 minutes or so had me hooked , having a slasher with an outfit/mash looking like he was from the cover of a quiet riot record ALSO from the 80's lol.... BUT THEN tragedy strikes !!!!!! The monstrous villain becomes ..... a ...normal ... looking cowboy with sunglasses ? ..... WOW that was a let down, probably a bigger let down than what my wife had on our wedding night .....
now over all its just a stander basic 80s slasher flick ..... for better or worse , nothing new , nothing special, so you know EXACTLY what to expect and what your getting, so if you love those styled films BAM heres another one to add to the list ...if your not into the classic tropes of "kids in the woods getting hacked up " then skip ....
sadly I don't have much to "review" here, everything is middle of the road safe, the acting is meh nothing too bad nothing too good , the lighting , nothing too bad nothing too good , the story ....middle road ....just everything is riding that center line trying to play it SUPER safe and they did , probably why this guy never became the next jason or freddy ...well playing it safe and HE TURNS INTO A COWBOY IN SUNGLASSES !!!!!!!!!!!! Literally an awesome character design in a straight jacked with this REALLY weird almost jackolantern with square eyes and mouth kind of head going on ...and an axe ....into .... urban keith ??? Boot scootin around just hacking up campers ? ...come on now .... so much potential just thrown out the window
so sadly ... imma HAVE to give this one a middle of the road score at 5/10 BUT wait theres more ! Because the ytook a great slasher look and then ....countrified it .... you get 2 points deducted ....so
3/10.
yup its that time of year again, the leaves are changing colour and falling, the air is becoming crisp, and the birds are flying south SO that means time to watch a bagillion different slasher styled films lost to time ..... and here we have "MOONSTALKER" and I have to say the first 20 minutes or so had me hooked , having a slasher with an outfit/mash looking like he was from the cover of a quiet riot record ALSO from the 80's lol.... BUT THEN tragedy strikes !!!!!! The monstrous villain becomes ..... a ...normal ... looking cowboy with sunglasses ? ..... WOW that was a let down, probably a bigger let down than what my wife had on our wedding night .....
now over all its just a stander basic 80s slasher flick ..... for better or worse , nothing new , nothing special, so you know EXACTLY what to expect and what your getting, so if you love those styled films BAM heres another one to add to the list ...if your not into the classic tropes of "kids in the woods getting hacked up " then skip ....
sadly I don't have much to "review" here, everything is middle of the road safe, the acting is meh nothing too bad nothing too good , the lighting , nothing too bad nothing too good , the story ....middle road ....just everything is riding that center line trying to play it SUPER safe and they did , probably why this guy never became the next jason or freddy ...well playing it safe and HE TURNS INTO A COWBOY IN SUNGLASSES !!!!!!!!!!!! Literally an awesome character design in a straight jacked with this REALLY weird almost jackolantern with square eyes and mouth kind of head going on ...and an axe ....into .... urban keith ??? Boot scootin around just hacking up campers ? ...come on now .... so much potential just thrown out the window
so sadly ... imma HAVE to give this one a middle of the road score at 5/10 BUT wait theres more ! Because the ytook a great slasher look and then ....countrified it .... you get 2 points deducted ....so
3/10.
A strapping shoestring slasher
drownsoda901 July 2023
"Moonstalker" follows a group of wildlife survivalists holding a training camp session in the woods in rural Nevada. Nearby, an elderly hermit and his son, previously incarcerated in a psychiatric facility, are about to wreak havoc.
A minor majorly low-budget effort in the slasher canon, "Moonstalker" is routine in many ways, but then again, aren't most slashers? While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, the film does offer some working parts that make it very enjoyable: The murky nighttime cinematography, the snowy mountain terrain, and a fair number of inventive murder sequences (with varying degrees of special effects) are notable strengths.
There are a lot of characters in this film, which at times leaves it feeling unfocused and jumbled, but most are introduced for the simple purpose of being dispatched that it's not a significant detraction. The film's villain, Bernie, is perhaps the most unique thing that "Moonstalker" has to offer; he is first introduced in a bizarre ghostlike straightjacket before breaking free and impersonating one of the expected campers, donning sunglasses and a cowboy hat. His image and the way he is filmed (his face just bathed in enough shadow to keep his features obscured) adds a certain menace and variation from the typical masked killer we see in these films. The film also plays up the common theme of rural poverty coming up against city slickers in the woods, which is integrated here in a subtle and interesting way.
While the hacking and slashing begins almost from the start, the last half-hour of "Moonstalker" is where it goes into a fever pitch that is quite a bit of fun, and features one of the more memorable multi-corpse set pieces of any '80s slasher film in memory. Though far from a masterwork, "Moonstalker" is a decently-made shoestring slasher. The sum of its working parts may not constitute a highbrow experience, but the working parts themselves are rather solid given the film's regional origins. 7/10.
A minor majorly low-budget effort in the slasher canon, "Moonstalker" is routine in many ways, but then again, aren't most slashers? While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, the film does offer some working parts that make it very enjoyable: The murky nighttime cinematography, the snowy mountain terrain, and a fair number of inventive murder sequences (with varying degrees of special effects) are notable strengths.
There are a lot of characters in this film, which at times leaves it feeling unfocused and jumbled, but most are introduced for the simple purpose of being dispatched that it's not a significant detraction. The film's villain, Bernie, is perhaps the most unique thing that "Moonstalker" has to offer; he is first introduced in a bizarre ghostlike straightjacket before breaking free and impersonating one of the expected campers, donning sunglasses and a cowboy hat. His image and the way he is filmed (his face just bathed in enough shadow to keep his features obscured) adds a certain menace and variation from the typical masked killer we see in these films. The film also plays up the common theme of rural poverty coming up against city slickers in the woods, which is integrated here in a subtle and interesting way.
While the hacking and slashing begins almost from the start, the last half-hour of "Moonstalker" is where it goes into a fever pitch that is quite a bit of fun, and features one of the more memorable multi-corpse set pieces of any '80s slasher film in memory. Though far from a masterwork, "Moonstalker" is a decently-made shoestring slasher. The sum of its working parts may not constitute a highbrow experience, but the working parts themselves are rather solid given the film's regional origins. 7/10.
A little blood and a Linnea Quigley lookalike!
jonleemc8 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I had been searching for this slasher film for a while. Apparently it's pretty hard to find (or at least used to be), anyway... The film is not as bad as some say, I did enjoy it.
There is a blond woman that really reminded me of Linnea Quigley, even my wife thought so! The first thirty minutes I found a little boring as we are treated to a whiny family listening to an old man talking about his son 'Bernie'.
Bernie turns out to be around and soon finds a group of counselors in the middle of nowhere and the mayhem begins. The first several murders are pretty bloodless, but later on we are treated to some limbs chopped off, a knife through someone's head, and a fairly well done hanging.
For those who watch these for the T&A, two of the girls take showers, but I think the DVD I got had the scenes blown-up so that we couldn't see boobs (you can tell the images were blown-up).
7 stars out of 10
There is a blond woman that really reminded me of Linnea Quigley, even my wife thought so! The first thirty minutes I found a little boring as we are treated to a whiny family listening to an old man talking about his son 'Bernie'.
Bernie turns out to be around and soon finds a group of counselors in the middle of nowhere and the mayhem begins. The first several murders are pretty bloodless, but later on we are treated to some limbs chopped off, a knife through someone's head, and a fairly well done hanging.
For those who watch these for the T&A, two of the girls take showers, but I think the DVD I got had the scenes blown-up so that we couldn't see boobs (you can tell the images were blown-up).
7 stars out of 10
A must see for 80s slasher fans that just missed out on being a cult classic due to needing a little more gore in the kill scenes
kevin_robbins1 August 2023
Moonstalker (1989) is a movie that was highly recommended by @jvetrano1 (Jeff) and is currently available on YouTube. The storyline follows a group that decides to go camping in the winter. They didn't know the area they picked is on the land where some historical tragic events took place for a family...and the family is still there. Some members of the family are in better shape than the others, and this may be the chance for revenge the family has been looking for.
This movie is written and directed by Michael S. O'Rourke (Deadly Love) and stars Blake Gibbons (Dexter), John Marzilli (Tales from the Darkside), Michael Capellupo (A Promise) and Kelly Mullis (How I Met Your Mother).
The storyline for this is absolutely perfect for the slasher genre - there's a great backstory, worthwhile settings and eerie circumstances. Even the background music was well selected and it possesses a relatable motivated killer. Unfortunately, the kills aren't as good as the setup, and this definitely could have used a special effects guru like Tom Savini to pull this through to iconic status. There was some cool scenes, like the "coming around the mountain" song ending. I also loved the final scene with the killer, which was classic 80s.
Overall, this is a must see for 80s slasher fans that just missed out on being a cult classic due to needing a little more gore in the kill scenes. I would score this a 6/10 and strongly recommend it.
This movie is written and directed by Michael S. O'Rourke (Deadly Love) and stars Blake Gibbons (Dexter), John Marzilli (Tales from the Darkside), Michael Capellupo (A Promise) and Kelly Mullis (How I Met Your Mother).
The storyline for this is absolutely perfect for the slasher genre - there's a great backstory, worthwhile settings and eerie circumstances. Even the background music was well selected and it possesses a relatable motivated killer. Unfortunately, the kills aren't as good as the setup, and this definitely could have used a special effects guru like Tom Savini to pull this through to iconic status. There was some cool scenes, like the "coming around the mountain" song ending. I also loved the final scene with the killer, which was classic 80s.
Overall, this is a must see for 80s slasher fans that just missed out on being a cult classic due to needing a little more gore in the kill scenes. I would score this a 6/10 and strongly recommend it.
A moving American masterpiece...
nothingbutmyharp27 January 2005
I discovered "MoonStalker" in a dollar bin in a local gas station. I think my life might never be the same. This 1988 thriller (filmed entirely in Nevada) might be one of the most touching horror films of all times. The emotional story comes with Pop, a man driven from his home and his wife when unspeakable tragedy occurs. His son Bernie will never be the same. Bernie, who's character frankly re-defines the horror movie slasher, stops just about every couple in the film from engaging in nudity and fornication. Yes, this movie has all the highs and emotional lows of an edited for TV USA up-all-night. Thank you for slashers of high moral fabric like Bernie, who helps rid our state parks of fornicators and forest fire.
Fun slasher flick
Woodyanders1 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A family of tourists vacationing in the woods and a group of young camp counselors training in the same forest both find themselves being terrorized by a vicious unhinged psycho (a creepy portrayal by Blake Gibbons). Writer/director Michael S. O'Rourke keeps the familiar, but still enjoyable and effective story moving along at a steady pace, makes nice use of the wintry sylvan locations, builds a good deal of tension, elicits acceptable acting from the decent no-name cast (Alex Wexler in particular contributes an amusing turn as obnoxious horndog Bobby), takes time to develop the colorful and generally engaging characters, brings an admirable pull-no-punches approach to the subject matter (there's a really high body count and certain characters one expects to survive don't), delivers a satisfying smattering of gore, and adds a few neat quirky touches (the kinky S&M couple are an absolute hoot!). Michael Goi's polished cinematography makes cool use of a prowling hand-held camera for the killer's POV shots. The spirited shivery score by Douglas Pipes hits the stirring ooga-booga spot. Worth a watch for fans of 80's slice'n'dice fare.
Silent Killer
Punk1917 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
As you watch this you'll notice that the father Pops keeps his son in a trailer connected to the back of his car. Soon Bernie(Blake Gibbons)is set free. He's only allowed out during night. Pop lets him out to cause trauma of the campers and takes their belongings. Soon Bernie is out killing camp training students and camp instructors. A twisted ending soon prevails.
So when you watch this remember Michael Myers from the series Halloween and Jason Voorhees from the Friday The 13th series. Not for young children. Young adults and adults only should watch this.
The ending is a shocker. Is a sequel to be coming soon? Bernie wasn't caught. He is still free. What's up with that? I guess a good movie should have a good enough sequel. Like Halloween and Friday The 13th. I also recommend Nightmare On Elm Street series and Child's Play series.
So when you watch this remember Michael Myers from the series Halloween and Jason Voorhees from the Friday The 13th series. Not for young children. Young adults and adults only should watch this.
The ending is a shocker. Is a sequel to be coming soon? Bernie wasn't caught. He is still free. What's up with that? I guess a good movie should have a good enough sequel. Like Halloween and Friday The 13th. I also recommend Nightmare On Elm Street series and Child's Play series.
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