The Tale of the Full Moon

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Midnight Society

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Air Date: Saturday, August 21, 1993

Intro:  This one takes place on the (loose) anniversary of Frank's (Jason Alisharan) first story, 'Phantom Cab,' which everyone seems to remember fondly, complete with Kristen (Rachel Blanchard) and Kiki (Jodie Resther) paraphrasing Dr. Vink's (Aron Tager) catchphrase; "Dr. Vink, with a v-v-v-v!" On the anniversary of one of them joining the group, they have to have a story ready, as it becomes a tradition to do so. Frank enthusiastically tells them he's got the perfect one for the perfect night; the night of a full moon!

Story: Jed Harris (Dominic Zamprogna) and Hughie Downs (Jesse Lavendel) are a couple of aspiring young pet detectives who specialize in missing pets. Jed wants a pet dog, and is using their small business to save for one. While working a case on a missing cat, Jed is led via trail of kitty collars to his neighbour's house (Peter Colvey), where the suspicious activity starts. Soon enough, Jed comes to the realization he's living next door to a werewolf, and this werewolf also seems to become his Mom's (Ellen David) new boyfriend.

Review: This is another one of my favourites, altogether. Not only is it spooky in the classic monster movie way, but it gives nods to so many different things including 'Fright Night,' 'Rear Window,' and just to make it fun for the kids watching, a sprinkle of 'Monster Squad' as far as the humour goes here. Further to that, there's that slow realization after the episode that a whole bunch of neighbourhood cats were turned into meat. For as much as I'm a cat-lover and loathe the idea, I can't deny that it "goes there," either, and that adds a certain level of psychological horror to things.

Closing/Moral: Frank ends his story, the Midnight Society applauds, and Gary (Ross Hull) brings up Frank's anniversary surprise, as he produces a skewer, suggesting they'll be having "roast Frank," which, to the relief of Frank, ends up being hotdogs. Morally, it's about not judging a book by its cover, not being nosey, and it even teaches acceptance to a degree.

4/5

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