TheHowling

The Howling (1981)

Genre vet Dee Wallace Stone plays a reporter named Karen White who is working with police to track down a serial killer at the opening of this movie. See the killer has contacted her and wants to meet, which with the police trailing her she does. But when she sees something so traumatic before the killer is shot by the police her mind blocks it out. With her boyfriend she heads off to a retreat run by a friend for a few days of rest and relaxation. What she doesn’t know is that the retreat is filled with werewolves, and they want to add her to their number! Only her friend Chris can save her, but will he be able to piece together what is going on in time?

1981 was a great year for werewolf movies, and unfortunately The Howling gets overshadowed a bit by the years other werewolf outing An American Werewolf in London. Where that one played much of the movie up for laughs The Howling is a straight horror film. This is a very entertaining movie with a story that jumps right into the action and never lets up, which makes for an exciting movie from start to finish. Speaking of the finish this movie has one of the most shocking endings for any horror film that I’ve ever seen and is killer the first time you see it! This movie also has some of the best cameos that I’ve ever seen in a movie. They are very natural and not in your face, but pay attention because there is a long list of horror icons in this one. The most obvious aren’t really cameos and that would be John Carradine (too many credits to mention) as a member of the werewolf retreat, and Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) as the station manager. These two genre vets aren’t really given much to do, but it is cool seeing them onscreen. Also the great Patrick Macnee from the Avengers T.V. show is fun as the doctor who is trying to tame and control the werewolves. Also showing up in bit parts or cameos are producer/director Roger Corman, Kenneth Tobey (It Came from Beneath the Sea), Dick Miller (whose character is even named after his Bucket of Blood role), and Forrest J Ackerman of Famous Monsters fame! You have to love director Joe Dante and his appreciation for the old school horror movies! But again these cameos aren’t ever forced and don’t bog down the movie with a “Hey kids look who it is” vibe.

The special effects here are solid, which is what I would expect from effects whiz Rob Bottin. He does a great job with the transformations and the look of the werewolves. Though they do seem a bit static and there isn’t that iconic blow your doors off effect that American Werewolf in London sported. Still you can’t argue with the results here, which are still far better than we normally see.

This is another good movie that I hadn’t watched in a very long time. I’m happy to have reacquainted myself with it. If you haven’t checked it out in a while or haven’t ever seen it then you really need to do so. The Howling is highly recommended.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer