Seventh Moon

Seventh Moon
Directed by Eduardo Sánchez
Produced by Chen On Chu
Matt Compton
Robin Cowie
Bob Eick
Gregg Hale
Ann Lu
Written by Eduardo Sánchez
Jamie Nash
Starring Tim Chiou
Amy Smart
Dennis Chan
Music by Tony Cora
Kent Sparling
Cinematography Wah-Chuen Lam
Edited by Michael Cronin
Johnny Rice
Production
company
Distributed by Ghosthouse Underground
Paradiso Home Entertainment
Rok Americas
Seventh Moon Partners
Release dates
  • September 20, 2008 (Austin Fantastic Fest)[1]
  • October 6, 2009 (United States)
Running time
 87 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Seventh Moon is a 2008 American horror film written by Eduardo Sánchez and Jamie Nash, and directed by Eduardo Sánchez. Part of Robert Tapert's Ghost House Underground DVD series, the film is based on the Chinese legend that on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell open and the dead can enter the realm of the living.

Plot

Melissa and Yul, Americans honeymooning in China, come across the exotic 'Hungry Ghost' festival. When night falls, the couple ends up in a remote village, and doesn't know where they are. Plunged into an ancient custom they cannot comprehend, the couple must find a way to survive the night of the Seventh Moon.

In accordance with the Chinese Myth, on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell open and the spirits of the dead are freed to roam among the living. Melissa and her husband Yul are spending their honeymoon in the month of the ghosts in China, where they intend to visit his relatives. They participate in the Senwun (Ghost Festival) during the day where they drink and celebrate. Then their driver Ping heads to Anxian when the nights falls. A couple of hours later, Ping parks his car and tells them that he is lost. He asks the couple to wait for him in his car while he asks for directions in a small village in the countryside. One hour later, Melissa and Yul decide to seek out Ping in the village, and they see the houses closed with live offering and the locals saying something in Cantonese. Yul does not understand what they are saying and the couple returns to the car and drive away trying to find the way back to the city. They then meet a stranger, Wei, wounded on the road and Melissa decides to help the man. They are attacked by creepy creatures and they discover that the spirits of the dead are hunting the living. Melissa and Yul try to find a way to protect themselves and survive the hellish night.

Cast

Release

The film was originally released on September 20, 2008 at the Austin Fantastic Fest.[1] It was released on DVD October 6, 2009.[2]

Reception

Based on just two reviews, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that the film has a rating average of 4.9 out of 10.[3] The more favorable of the two reviews, from Steve Barton at Dread Central, stated that "Seventh Moon is a badass and at times downright chilling little movie that deserves its rightful place in your home video collection."[4] By contrast, David Nusair at Reelfilm felt that "Seventh Moon ultimately comes off as a missed opportunity that squanders the relatively promising nature of its setup."[5] Elsewhere, genre critics were enthusiastic, with Film School Rejects claiming that the film was "what I Am Legend would have been without CGI. That’s a good thing."[6] Brett Cullum of DVD Verdict called it "an inventive horror flick that reimagines the Asian ghost genre one more time."[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Siebalt, Joshua (August 8, 2008). "Seventh Moon, Feast 2 & More at Fantastic Fest". Dread Central. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ Moore, Debi (October 5, 2009). "DVD Releases: October 6, 2009: Trick 'r Treat with The Children in a Dark Country". Dread Central. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Seventh Moon (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  4. ↑ Barton, Steve (October 6, 2009). "Seventh Moon (2009)". Dread Central. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ Nussair, David (June 25, 2010). "Seventh Moon (2009)". reelfilm. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ Sweeney, Adam (September 25, 2008). "Fantastic Fest Review: Seventh Moon". Film School Rejects. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ Cullum, Brett (October 6, 2009). "Seventh Moon". DVD Verdict. Retrieved December 4, 2013.

External links