Seventh moon (2008)

This is movie that must be seen under special conditions:

1. Be openminded and calm. Realize that shakycam can be a useful tool.
2. Under no circumstances have any lights or candles lit in the room.

I must say that I've been very impressed so far with what the Blair witch creators have done after the total smashhit they created and I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed Blair witch project 2. Daniel Muren directed The Believers and The Objective, both decent movies with above average scripts and he produced Rest stop and Alien raiders, bith unoriginal but well done horror movies. Eduardo Sanchez created the superior Altered and now we come to Seventh moon, the latest piece of horror. A good movie, with some flaws, but still a good one.

We follow a young couple on honeymoon in China. The husband is chinese but obviously born and raised in America and he doesnt speak much of the language. They have hired a guide to show them around in the countryside and taken a great liking to him, giving him presents before going out on a longer trip, while a Hungry ghost festival is being celebrated all around them. Being a bit drunk, the couple fall asleep in the car and dont wake up until late at night. Their guide has stopped in the middle of nowhere, telling them he is lost and is going to a small village nearby to ask for directions. But of course, he doesnt come back and they soon realize that there is more to this Hungry ghost festival than they would ever know. Soon they are running for their lives in the darkness, hunted by something straight out of a chinese legend...

I can understand why some people will not like this film for Sanchez has made a rather poor choice with the handheld camerawork and the fact that 95 percent of the movie is set in almost total darkness. The camera isnt still for one single moment and it can get somewhat annoying. It didnt detract anything from the entertainment from the movie, but I realize that for some, it will. Dont watch this movie with one eye on your computer. With that said, I really liked Seventh moon myself. The story is excellent, with the hints of what these creatures are sufficient to create a nice dread all over the happenings and the actors do really good jobs. The movie is basically one long extended chase scene and the surroundings are perfect for this, especially with the added alienness of the landscape with our heroes somewhere in a very foreign country not knowing where they are and barely speaking the language. The creatures themselves are mostly out of focus which works perfectly and when you finally see them in detail you realize that they are a marvel of perfectly simple makeupdesign. The last 15 minutes are as they should be, truly horrifying.

Seventh moon is a good little picture with an interesting premise, and if you can get over the fact that the camera sometimes is bouncing all over the place, you will suitably rewarded. Do not expect a high gore quota, there is some blood but not what a similar genrepicture would deliver. Not that it matters though, the chills are abundant. Recommended.