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7.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Shine on Harvest Moon remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, that depends on if you like vintage animation or if you’re just bored on a Tuesday afternoon. If you’re a fan of the Fleischer style, you’ll dig the weirdly elastic physics happening here. If you hate old-school music or can't stand when things don't have a "serious plot," you should probably skip this one. It’s not trying to win an Oscar; it’s just trying to fill a few minutes with song and dance. 🎶
There is this one moment where the characters move in a way that feels almost too fluid, like the ink is fighting to stay on the page. It is fascinating to watch. You can tell they were really pushing the limits of what those animators could handle back then.
It’s a musical, plain and simple. The animation matches the beat so perfectly that it starts to feel a little bit like a fever dream after a while. It’s way more rhythmic than, say, The Rag Man, which had a totally different vibe altogether.
I noticed the backgrounds are surprisingly simple, almost like they were an afterthought. The focus is entirely on these bouncing, singing characters. Sometimes the background just disappears into a flat color, which is a bit jarring, but maybe that was the point? Or maybe they just ran out of time.
It feels a lot less weighed down than The Man Hater. That one had so much dialogue and baggage. Here, everyone is just kind of vibing to the harvest moon theme. It’s nice to just let the visuals wash over you without needing to keep track of a dozen different plot threads.
Is it perfect? No. Is it charming? Sure, if you don't mind things looking a little rough around the edges. I think I watched it twice just to see if I caught all the little quirks in the background. Spoiler: I probably didn't. 🌕