Sometimes I feel like I come across relics of a long forgotten era. Films that few have considered and seemingly none have mentioned over decades as they've faded into irrelevancy, whether through being just forgettable or just buried by the changing times of Hollywood. The sheer number of films out there waiting to be seen just increases in large number by the day. I often browse through the Internet in search of such films, always curious and hoping to catch some of those forgotten films; I find that often enough these films have the most impact on me. Showing the era of which they were shot in tremendously and only more seeming like another world as the clocks push forward. This doesn't just span into the world itself as times change and culture shifts, but also looks at the ways in which technology has massively changed in the past few decades. The boom from retro looking science fiction to the very real minimalist look of technology we see now. I find older science fiction films to be fascinating for their designs due to this.
Having seen a John Carpenter film recently, I decided to check out some films he had worked on that I likely hadn't seen before. Feeling that 80s Carpenter style and wanting more, I roamed across his IMDb page and came across films he hadn't directed, but had worked on in other capacities. Black Moon Rising, initially had me thinking he had directed it, was actually a film he had worked on the screenplay for. Checking the reviews, it seems the film didn't really win critics over, and I can understand why. It's a very typical mid budget film that went to video. Most likely a big reason as to how it slowly disappeared. Though fortunately there is a bluray version and it has been preserved. Perhaps it has some sort of niche cult audience, and it wouldn't surprise me with some of the science fiction elements that make the film slightly enjoyable despite its weaknesses.
In regards to spoilers: come on, we've had forty years now to check this out! And you're not going to watch it anyway!
Black Moon Rising
It may sound a bit bad, but I often forget that Tommy Lee Jones both exists and is still alive going into old age. I can't recall seeing many films with him in and I'm sure most remember him purely for his performances in Men in Black. It came to a big surprise to see the younger Tommy Lee Jones around his 30s in this film, though still looking a bit aged. I think this is the first time I've seen a film with him in where he can be considered young, and it was quite unexpected. Not only is he young, he's actually Black Moon Rising's lead. Playing the role of a thief for the FBI that ends up hiding evidence in a highly advanced prototype rocket car, chasing it down across Los Angeles in search of it; while at the same time some other parties are displaying interest in this new technology and trying to obtain the car for themselves. The film's story is by far the weakest part of it all, and it was losing me quite a bit. The idea is fine, but just didn't manage to really pull me in with the drama that filled the runtime.
Though Black Moon Rising is full of unexpected greatness. For a film heavily disliked by critics, I actually found the film to be very visually creative. With a very modern and immersive directing pursuit, particularly in the cinemaotgraphy that takes advantage of unique camera perspectives and techniques. The film continues to impress through all of this despite being a mid budget concept. To begin with, Black Moon Rising is about the Black Moon car, based on an 1980 concept car; though this car has the ability to reach incredibly high speeds. This adds a very futuristic feeling to the film, connecting the idea of a high tech environment and a gritty low tech Los Angeles city. Though our backdrop is often a wide, open brutalism look on the city with large warehouses and underground locations. Very much industrial and immersive. I found myself looking into the background quite often and appreciating the chose of locations for the film, and feeling nostalgic for the time that these sort of films really went out of their way to find places that the average person doesn't see.
Shot on some cheap 35mm film stock, the film had a very dated but colourful look, and it absolutely adds to the directing and environments. The scenes look dark and warm under the Los Angeles humidity, and the 80s music that plays throughout repeats and relies on this repetition in moments of tension and action, adding to the ambience of being in the locations we witness. Despite the story, the film is visually beautiful with many uses of tracking shots that take us through the locations as we follow characters in their movements throughout it too; we even get fun perspectives as the camera is fixed to cars, by the wheels or from the view of the front of the car. Sometimes to emphasise speed or to just add to the immersion of the futuristic approach it has. All of course lit under the blue and green tones of the 80s Los Angeles streetlights. I found myself taking lots of screenshots but unfortunately with poor timing, I'll have to go through it again at some point to really capture and appreciate it. And that's the type of film it is! To want to return to it purely to capture reminders of its creative designs and camera angles.
While I can praise the visuals and music plenty, I do again have to mention that its story is the weakpoint. The pacing is all off and the story almost seems confusing at parts, having you question what's actually going on and why. But the film pursues action anyway, full of fun explosions and gunfire. Where again some budget was definitely utilised well. It almost distracts you from the fact that you don't quite remember what's going on. Perhaps I'm missing something and this is merely some type of advertisement for the concept car itself, hoping it would catch on somehow. This wouldn't surprise me, given it does feel this way now that I think about it. Though I do not think this is the case. And even so, all this film managed to do was surprise me and have me want to find more like it. Wanting more of that futuristic, cinematic 80s goodness on 35mm grainy film stock. Looking back at a time of fast technological growth and the optimism that followed as people guessed as to what the next big thing was to come next. I don't think we really get this anymore, instead we get a reflection of we already have; rarely a glimpse at concepts.
And that's another thing to appreciate here. This is a film that is really just about a fast car. Everything surrounds the car. And it's incredibly niche. Yet here it is existing, like a time capsule showing the future what the past thought it would be. For that, I just can't hate it. It is one of the many great things about filmmaking. The ideas and the sharing of them with the world, no matter the decade.
