Full Moon Fever

Had the pleasure of catching a screening of Full Moon Fever on the BIG screen with Director David Madison present last night 11/1 @ Flagship Cinema. Supporting independent Artists and Creators is extremely important to me. Everyone can see a big budget cookie cutter movie every weekend. However, not everyone can watch a original, fun, labor of love every weekend. Having the ability to create something that can star friends and family and see it play out in theaters is Awesome. That alone is impressive and an accomplishment in its own right. The movie filmed locally, which was a lot of fun seeing places you recognize up on the screen. David Madison took the time to introduce the movie beforehand and hosted a Q&A afterwards. You can watch the trailer for a synapses, I am avoiding giving away anything. Had a LOT of fun with it. Independent content all day, every day for me.

As many of us were, in a way, literally about to lose our minds during the "Covid-19" pandemic it's great to see an example of the kind of creative work this crisis stimulated amongst artists from different Genres and know that it's recorded for posterity.

Here is a new twist on the old "Werewolf" theme. Hunter Dunne is beyond an "Average Joe" with a daughter attending college. He is experiencing something usually reserved for exotic European locales.

The actors do a great job, and the scenery is beautifully shot as well. I was touched by scenes with his wife.

Scott Schiaffo from the cult classic "Clerks" is excellent as a sympathetic Psychologist. Schiaffo also performs much of the score as he is also a musician.

Full Moon Fever is a fun character study about a man dealing with loss and the increasingly primal urges associated with lycanthropy. The protaganist Hunter Dunne is portrayed perfectly by director David Madison as an everyman who encounters an extraordinary circumstance and shares his dramatic emotional experience with the audience. Showing his vulnerability and grief while slowly descending into the hallucination fueled madness of his affliction. This modern folk tale pays homage to werewolf classics like The Wolf Man and American Werewolf In London while staying true to its indie horror roots. The cast does a fine job of bringing this story to life with appearances by Marianne Hagan of Halloween 6 fame and CLERKS Chewlies Gum guy Scott Schiaffo as Dr. Larry.

Another noteworthy performance to look out for is Amanda Madison as Jackie Dunne. Sit back grab some popcorn and enjoy a late night Halloween inspired creature feature that explores themes of sanity, loss, the unintended consequences of brushes with the paranormal and satisfyingly different transformation scene.

Very well made movie! Heart and soul was put into it! We definitely need more movies like this! The beautiful scenery was amazing! Creepy scary!! Great actors! You all definitely need to see this movie! Watched it many times and I never get tired of it! Support independent movies! Those are the best ones!!!!! Special effects were spot on! There are other movies by the same actor David Madison..Mr. Hush, Wits End...check out those two films, you won't be disappointed!! Let's all get Full Moon Fever! I know I have it!!!! As a legend once said... Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright!!!

FULL MOON FEVER feels like a high school play or home movie. It has been shown regionally to family and friends and the first showing was called a "premiere" and while this sort of thing can have loopy charms, this simply wasn't very good. It was made independently on a shoestring.

The "film" is written by, directed and stars David Lee Madison. A big part of the trouble is he's not real good at any of those jobs. This is a standard werewolf tale with all the familiar cliches, borrowing a few bits and pieces from BAD MOON and other older films like THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF. It mostly resembles that last one which is a pretty cheesy werewolf flick us monster kids know from watching Dr. "There Will Be Fright" Shock on WPHL. The main character has the same sort of family as that last one, except he's got a daughter played by the Madison's real daughter. That sorta adds to the home movie feel about this thing.

Madison plays an average dude attacked by a werewolf who becomes one. That's really all there is to the story except for him trying to find out why and having ridiculous nightmares. The dreams stuff is all pretty cheesy and felt like a time filler. You've seen it all before and better, but that's not really fair since this really isn't a professional film with a bunch of no name actors in the cast. There are You Tube vlogs with amateurs pulling off better makeup effects than what is in here. The blood on screen looked fake and the dialogue is always super on the nose with a few clumsy lines that I would have laughed at but I was being polite. This film means no harm and was seemingly made by the people who made it to enjoy watching it with their friends and family who are in it.

There are a couple of actors with some actual pro credits in this, Marianne Hagan and Scott Schiaffo who also did the music. He plays an oddball shrink and if you close your eyes, he sounds like Dennis Hopper. He's pretty good and actually got some decent acting talent and worked with Kevin Smith a few times. I hope to see him working with Smith again or in better things. He deserves it and seems like a cool guy. Hagan delivers her lines believably which is made harder when she interacts with the non pros in the cast which includes David Madison, if that makes sense.

I don't know if this will play in theaters since it's a real cheap straight to video thing. It's pretty amateur and I'm guessing it'll show on Tubi on the screen that recommends other werewolf movies to watch if you watch one of the big ones like the one with Benecio Del Toro which is my fave and the GOAT. Seemed like some nice people got to feel like stars making these. One of the stars also runs a realty business and many of them work other jobs.