Theatre of the Less Obvious enters the home stretch with installment 15 of those lesser-known car-theme flicks that YOU might have missed! For this installment, I’m putting the spotlight on one of the little known John Carpenter flicks from the decade of neon and hair-gel. Carpenter did not direct this movie-that was done by a cat named Harley Cokeliss-but he did write the story, so fans of his better-known efforts from this, his most productive era, may want to check this one out! I myself didn’t see this one in the theatre when it came out, but I did see it a couple years later at home after picking it up at Video City as a rental VHS! Ah, the good times!
Black Moon Rising is a high-octane action thriller starring a young Tommy Lee Jones as Quint, a master thief hired by the U.S. government for a covert operation, but the main character in the movie is the Wingho Concordia II as the Black Moon…because…yes, believe it or not, it was a “real car!”
The premise is engaging—Quint, working under government orders, steals a crucial data tape from a corrupt corporation. When he is pursued by the company’s enforcers, he stashes the tape in the Black Moon, a revolutionary supercar developed by independent engineers. Before he can retrieve it, the car is stolen by Nina, a skilled car thief played by Linda Hamilton. She works for Ryland, a powerful and ruthless businessman who specializes in stealing and reselling high-end vehicles. Quint must team up with Nina, who gradually begins to question her loyalty, in order to recover both the car and the tape. What follows is a series of heists, fights, and high-speed chases leading up to an action-packed climax.
The film’s greatest strength lies in its cast. Tommy Lee Jones delivers a solid performance as the world-weary but sharp-witted Quint. He brings a gruff charm to the role, playing a man who is both highly competent and somewhat reluctant to be caught up in this mess. Linda Hamilton, fresh off The Terminator, adds both toughness and depth to Nina, a woman who finds herself at a crossroads between the criminal life she knows and the possibility of something better. Robert Vaughn, as the villainous Ryland, is effective but somewhat underutilized; while he exudes an air of cold-blooded authority, his character lacks depth beyond standard corporate greed: you get the feeling he’d be just as happy selling stolen paintings or collectible stamps as fine vintage and high-performance cars.
As always, the cars are what we’re here for, and while the number of exotics that appear on camera is a little thin, the ones that do are pretty impressive. So as I mentioned at the outset: the Concordia II, presented as The Black Moon, is actually a one-off custom job designed and built by Bernard Beaujardins and Clyde Kwokan and an outfit in Montreal, Canada called Wingho Auto Classique…a customizer that still exists today! A concept vehicle with a fiberglass body and a mid-engine layout (probably a 2.0L VW 4, although some sources say it was a Porsche), the car was a functional driver, and was originally painted bright yellow with black trim when it made the show circuit. When done up for the movie, it was repainted black with red trim. Although several duplicate shells were assembled for interior shots and a rather barebones version made for stunt driving, many scenes in the film feature the real car.
As the Black Moon, it was designed by Earl Windom (Richard Jaeckel) and his team of engineers, and is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and thus “runs on water.” It features propulsion technology that allows it to make impressive jumps and rapid acceleration bursts. The body of the car is heavily armored, making it resistant to gunfire and other attacks, a crucial feature in a movie filled with car chases and corporate espionage.
The Black Moon is more than just a flashy supercar—it’s central to the movie’s plot. Quint hides a stolen government data tape inside the car, which is later stolen by the car-theft ring working for the villain, Ryland. The entire movie revolves around Quint’s mission to retrieve the Black Moon and the data tape hidden inside, leading to high-speed chases and a thrilling heist-style climax. Supporting roles are provided by a ‘64 Studebaker Hawk and a ‘69 Jaguar E-Type series II roadster, while background eye-candy includes a mid-’50s Bentley R-Type, a Ferrari 246 Dino, and a DeTomaso Pantera.
Visually, Black Moon Rising has the sleek, neon-tinged aesthetic typical of 1980s action films. The cinematography and practical effects work well, particularly in the chase sequences, but there’s little in the way of truly standout direction. The score, composed by Lalo Schifrin, adds a fittingly suspenseful and electronic-driven atmosphere, though it doesn’t reach the iconic status of other ‘80s action film soundtracks.
Ultimately, this is a fun but unwhelming action-thriller. It has a compelling lead, some well-executed action, and an intriguing central premise, but it never quite reaches its full potential. Even so, fans of car-centric thrillers-or John Carpenter’s work-may find it worth a watch. It remains a somewhat forgotten entry in the decade’s lineup of high-octane cinema, but that’s exactly why its here on Theatre of the Less Obvious!
SO…Where can you see it?
Well, just about anywhere! Black Moon Rising is available as of this writing to screen for free in terrific quality at AppleTV, PlutoTV or Tubi! Its also available on Amazon Prime if you have that, and it has been released on both DVD and Blu-Ray….and VHS as well, if you wanna go really vintage! You’ll have no trouble finding it, so grab some snacks and waste 90 minutes on a trip back to ‘80s! Who wouldn’t enjoy that?
Watch Black Moon Rising (1986) – Free Movies | Tubi
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