Timothy Spanos once again delivers another tremendous black comedy with "Moonlight & Magic". Once again he has cast Tim Burns as the bitchy, remedial hoodlum "Moonlight" who along with his accomplice "Moonlight", played by Prisoner's Bobbie Mitchell, Maxine Klibingaitis, tour the countryside stealing, attacking and discovering the dying country around them. Often very funny with some classic one lines, Tim Burns, who is always at his greatest alongside a former "Prisoner" actress (ie. Kerry Armstrong in "MDA", Jude Kuring in "Prisoner Queen") gives a captivating and mesmerizing performance. Although the character is indeed dubious, you can't help watching him and what will happen next. A scene where he steals a roast chicken off a shocked woman with a shopping trolley is hilarious. Together with Moonlight, a punked out child like woman with diabetes, they both try to survive being on the run by trying to find a beachouse. Along the way they meet some weird characters including a nudist played by Dallas Palmer. The film opens with a truly horrifying and engaging scene where both Moonlight & Magic enter a thrift shop and rob it of it second hand goods. The shop proprietor played by Elspeth Ballantyne (Yes, Meg Morris from Prisoner) turns in some classic one liners.; Her presence in the film is often very humorous. Moonlight has a tender side helping his diabetic friend along the way. Maxine Klibingaitis stretches her given material and is the perfect offsider to Burns' character. There are many references to popular culture and the film twists and turns, but never stops delivering an offbeat sensibility with some beautiful scenery and funny plot lines. I can't wait for the DVD release of another Spanos underground classic.
Review of Moonlight & Magic
