''Moonchild'' is a 1974 American independent
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
directed and produced by Alan Gadney. It was originally shot in 1971 as a student film (a Masters thesis project at the
University of Southern California). The film received limited commercial release under the title ''The Moon Child'', but failed to make much of an initial impression on audiences. It has since gained recognition among film enthusiasts who discovered it due to its impressive cast of character actors:
John Carradine,
Victor Buono,
Pat Renella
Pat Renella (March 24, 1929 – November 9, 2012) was an American actor. His motion picture debut was as an engineer in the space drama ''X-15'' (1961) starring David McLean and Charles Bronson.
Renella acted in the stage play ''Bullfigh ...
,
Janet Landgard
Janet Landgard (born December 2, 1947) is an American actress and model. She starred with Burt Lancaster in the 1968 film '' The Swimmer'' written by Eleanor Perry and directed by Frank Perry. Landgard was also a regular on the 1960s television se ...
and
William Challee.
Plot
A young man (The Moon Child) is reincarnated every 25 years, with each life ending in a stay at a mission hotel. There he meets characters from his first life, all of whom are doomed to relive their roles in his life (and death) as well. The cycle will end when his spirit reaches a state of perfection by purging its negative (violent) impulses. Actor
John Carradine is ''The Walker of The World'', an otherworldly poet who is there to observe, and record for posterity, the proceedings.
See also
*
List of American films of 1974
References
1974 films
1974 horror films
American independent films
American supernatural horror films
Films about reincarnation
Films scored by Patrick Williams
Theses
American student films
University of Southern California
1970s American films
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