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Retrospectives  Reviews  Review: Moonstalker (1989)  Writer:
Thomas Ellison   Watching Moon Stalker is like beating your head
against a wall. You feel dizzy and think "Why did I just do
that" when it's finally over. Bernie, a crazy mountain man,
kills campers with an ax. He's a little slow and often mistakes
campers for firewood. And Bernie loves chopping firewood.
Michael O'Rourke, the writer/director of this paint-by-numbers
slasher throws in one or two twists on the old formula. First,
the killer takes off his straightjacket and potato sack mask
early in the film. Bernie looks much less threatening wearing a
cowboy hat and sunglasses. Actually, he looks like an extra from
one of the Smokey and the Bandit movies. Secondly, the heroine
isn't introduced until the midway point. O'Rourke is still
introducing characters and victims 10 minutes before the end,
which really kills any momentum and leaves little room for
character development.  Moon Stalker is mor