With a title like this, you might expect something to do with vampires or werewol es, but that is not at all what this movie's about.  Though I suspect the science in this tale might be a little fantastical, there are parts of the plot that are entirely believable - and chilling.

This is a movie about a deadly illness with a very fast course (people die within 2 or 3 hours of getting it) that breaks out in an airplane - in flight, of course.  For all its sappy cliches (of COURSE the pilot and co=pilot succumb!) it still kept my interest throughout.

I actually watched this on TV instead of video (my screen info dated the movie to 1999, not 2001 as is listed on the DVD) and hence I got quite a surprise when Daniel Baldwin appeared as one of the two main bad guys as he was not credited in the star listing on my Direct TV blurb (3 other less famous actors were).  If you don't want any plot details, that's enough for you; skip the next paragraph.

PLOT SUMMARY:
Two unsavory characters are rushing to catch a plane.  One sickens and dies in the bathroom at the terminal, and his buddy hides him and proceeds to board the plane at the last minute.  He, too, begins to get sick before beiing in flight 30 minutes.It's not a very full plane (was there a recession back in 1999?) but you do have your requisite older couplle in love, the young girl travelling alone, the super a-hole wealthy businessman who cares for no one but himself, and a military man who happens to be aboard.  And of course, a doctor and a young lady who happens to have a lkcense to fly a Cessna (this is a 737).  Haven't told you the scary part yet.  What is more worrisome (to me, the viewer) than the mysterious disease is that there's a government a-hole on the ground who somehow manages to be in charge of bringing this plane in (Danny Boy is such a wonderful bad guy, isn't he?)

Most of the actors do a very nice job.  Probably one of the most flushed-out characters is the rich selfish businessmn, who is so nasty that before the flight we learn that an hour working with him is "like a week in a dentist's chair."   Other main characters are also well-done, though we have very little back-story on them.  A couple of characters may have overplayed their parts a little, but not to the point where it detracted from the story line, in my opinion. 

There was at least one big action scene that I thought was handled well and seemed authentic, and probably accounted for most of the movie's budget and the presence of a couple of stunt doubles.  But most of the movie was more about psychological suspense than action. 

It was my misfortune to have watched this movie soon after reading a book about biological warfar/terrorism, so it was easy for me to make a few mental changes to the plot and come up with a REAL frightening scenario!

As for the title, the only reference made in the movie was in the last line or so, when the doctor pointed out that the night before had been a full moon.  This seemed as relevant as if the folks picked a title, made a different movie, and then tried to tie it to the pre-chosen title. 

Of course, this is fiction and the science of the disease itself doesn't have to be real, just sound feasible.  This is not a GREAT movie, and would only rate three stars except for one thought-provoking story line that involves Daniel Baldwin's handling of the situation.  Just for that I'm giving it an extra half-star, rounded up to four.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older