The Howling (1981) Dir:  Joe Dante Cast:  Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Elisabeth Brooks, Christopher Stone, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Robert Picardo, Kenneth Tobey, Dick Miller. Rated R, Approx: 90 minutes. MGM, Video and DVD

"Imagine Your Worst Fear A Reality."

Still The Ultimate Werewolf Movie After All These Years...

The modern werewolf.  It seems like a genre that would surely lend itself to a plethora of fascinating and terrifying horror films, but that's not really the case.  Though other contemporary werewolf films run the gamut from average (Wolfen), to downright miserable (Werewolf), two films emerged in 1981 that would set a standard in the genre.   Both John Landis' comedic monster movie An American Werewolf in London and this horror film helmed by Joe Dante (Gremlins & The 'burbs ) dropped jaws around the world.  Thanks to some wonderful performances, plenty of scares and surprises and of course, the incredible special effects that featured something audiences had never seen before:  a man transformed into a wolf right before their eyes.  These films set a standard and raised a bar that has yet to be met.  Featuring some stunning effects work by Rob Bottin, a great cast of performers, a slyly humorous script from John Sayles calumniating with a unique style lent to the film by director Joe Dante, this film remains a definitive entry in the horror genre and easily one of the best werewolf films ever made.

The film opens with Karen White (Dee Wallace), a Los Angeles television reporter, being used as bait to catch a brutal serial killer (Robert Picardo of Star Trek-Deep Space Nine and Gremlins 2 fame).  When all does not go as planned, Karen is left emotionally distraught over the event and at the behest of her psychiatrist (Patrick Macnee) is sent to a recreational support community in rural California.  While her chances of recuperation go right out the window, Karen's problems are much larger than the town vixen (the late Elisabeth Brooks) that's seducing her husband (Christopher Stone).  What she doesn't realize is that she's vacationing in a village that's a haven for werewolves.

Scripted by John Sayles, The Howling both scary and subtly hilarious.  The film is jammed with in jokes so sly that it's hard to notice them if you aren't worth your weight in classic werewolf films.  Characters in the film are named after horror filmmakers such as William Neil, Freddie Francis, Terence Fisher, Roy William, George Waggner and many more.  Adapted from the "Salem's Lot"-style novel by Gary Brandner, Sayles takes Brandner's excellent source novel and gives it a major face lift, still mildly recognizable, the film itself is crafted into a loving homage of the genre and plays out less straightforward than the book.  Joe Dante directs this film with a straight face, infusing this film with some incredibly scary moments, the humor of Sayles' script is hidden beneath horrific proceedings winking only at knowledgeable horror fans while still functioning as a straightforward monster show for all else to equally enjoy.

While the cute in-jokes are certainly welcome and amusing, Sayles' story is also incredibly smart and acid-tongued (and those familiar with the screenwriter probably won't be surprised by this).  The idea of setting the film against a support group for emotionally distressed people who happen to be werewolves by and large probably sounds ridiculous and I'm sure that's the point.  Around the time of The Howling's production, these institutions had become trendy (chic if you will).  In establishing a colony of werewolves who in addition to being carnivorous monsters, also feel the need to seek therapy for that reason, Sayles statement speaks volumes.

While the brilliance of The Howling may lie in equal parts of John Sayles' script and Joe Dante's direction, perhaps the most memorable moments in the film are provided courtesy of effects wiz Rob Bottin.  Originally to be created by Rick Baker (who had to leave the project when John Landis went into pre production on American Werewolf), Baker had begun designs only to be replaced by Rob Bottin.  It could be argued that Baker laid out the groundwork and all Bottin did was step in and work from Baker's blueprints, but that's completely unfair.  Bottin's effects showcased in the film steal the show, while somewhat similar to Baker's work in Landis' film Bottin still had to do the footwork, and create the effects from scratch.  Both films feature absolutely incredible transformation sequences as a man turns to werewolf right before our eyes.  In  The Howling, the effect is showstopping (Bottin would outdo himself one year later when working on John Carpenter's The Thing) and its impact can't be denied.

Lots of The Howling's impact in fact, can't be denied.  Twenty years later, the film still looks as fresh and state of the art as it did when it was originally released in 1981.  From the incredible fx to the clever screenplay, the film is an incredibly fun movie going experience.  In turns funny (Dick Miller has a great role here as a book keeper) and creepy, it's a uniquely satisfying horror film that should win over any appreciating horror fan looking for a great time-even today.  Followed by six sequels beginning in 1985 with Howling II:  Your Sister is a Werewolf.

Matt's Rating: * * * * *  out of 5 Reviewed by Matt Serafini  1/22/02