MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Horror/ Stars: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo, Margie Impert, Noble Willingham, Dick Miller, James Murtaugh, Jim McKrell/ Runtime: 91 minutes
I feel if there ever was a crucial myth that has been integral to the cultures of the world since the beginning of time, I feel that shapeshifters would be a part of that list due to their representation of the dual nature of man as being both civilized and animalistic in equal measure and depending on the situation. Now for those of you who don’t know a shapeshifter is a creature who has the ability to change from a man into an animal. However amongst this group, there is one type that is most known and that is the one that most audiences know as the werewolf. Suffice it to say then that the werewolf has proven to be so popular that they truly are a staple of the world of horror. Yet even though Lon Chaney’s The Wolf Man is the most regarded due to how it by itself contributed a lot of the foundation of the modern tales about werewolves, it wasn’t until 1981 that this mythical beast was given the opportunity to sharpen his fangs and claws and given new life. That is because in 1981, audiences were given a trio of films which really changed how people approached the werewolf in fiction. These 3 films were Wolfen, An American Werewolf in London, and the movie that is the subject of this review: The Howling. Indeed it isn’t too much to say that the unique and wonderful twists that this trio of films provided to the mythos of the werewolf have managed to be quite significant to the point that in the history of horror cinema, 1981 will always be known as “The Year of the Wolf”. Yet even though lovers of horror cinema have since that fateful year constantly debated about which of the 3 is the best of the trio, and I always lean toward An American Werewolf in London for my answer, I still find myself enjoying The Howling quite a bit. Indeed that is because The Howling is, in my opinion, a very underrated classic that despite a gauntlet of bad sequels to its name, has still managed to keep its magic intact all those years.
The plot is as follows: The Howling tells the story of a woman named Karen White. Miss White, we quickly discover, happens to be a newscaster of some renown and popularity who has managed to become the subject of obsessiveness by a deranged fan who also happens to be a serial killer. Deciding to use her popularity with this lunatic for a good purpose, Karen decides to help the cops set up a trap so they can finally catch him. Of course it isn’t too much of a spoiler to say that the plan goes awry, but Karen is still saved though not before developing a severe case of selective amnesia about the immediate events that led up to the killer being gunned down by police. Flash forward a few months and Karen is really struggling to get back into the swing of things so her psychiatrist suggests a vacation of sorts. This “vacation” involves her and her husband Bill going up to a retreat colony that the doctor set up in the middle of the woods for a week so that way hopefully Karen can relax and finally begin to remember what happened and move on from her trauma. Thus Karen and Bill set out for the colony and suffice it to say that upon arriving everyone there really gives them the warmest welcome imaginable and is just kind and supportive as all get out. Yet as the days go by, strange things begin to happen and we quickly begin to see that something is seriously amiss in this colony and that Karen and her husband may have just walked head on into a nightmare….
Now even though this film is based off a novel by the same name, it should be known that the majority of what makes this movie shine as well as it does can be attributed to film writer John Sayles who picked up the torch following an early crack at the script by a Terence H. Winkless. Suffice it to say that Sayles managed to give a distinct sense of flair all his own to the narrative as he manages to give the movie a slyly hint of both dark comedy as well as delightful odes to the long and storied past of werewolves in the movies. With that being said, not everything has been altered from the source material since the novel’s distinct retooling in regards to brutality and the suggestive nature of the creature is still quite potent in the movie thus providing the movie with an enjoyable sense of sliminess. The movie’s story is also remarkably constructed as it manages to work remarkably well with the organic enigma and unease that is present in the original source material albeit it does not possess the wonderful growth of a few of the key support characters in the story. Suffice it to say then that even though it is not the same in a few ways, this is still a wonderful adaptation and a terrific movie in its own right.
Now following his wonderful efforts at the helm of a trifecta of B-Movie King Roger Corman’s more known to the public cult classic movies in the 1970s, I think it is safe to say that Joe Dante came on board this movie with a distinct eye for how he wanted to approach everything; suffice it to say it’s an approach that works out perfectly. Indeed I think it is safe to say that Dante manages to showcase in this movie significant skill in not only bringing to life an aura that is both evocative and full of dread in equal measure as well a thorough comprehension of the ironic attitude within the film’s script. Also by the terrific utilization of some wonderful special effects, the director manages to create a fantastic movie that certainly looks a lot more stylish than even movies with higher amounts of money to play with. Yet a film is not all about the quality of the effects at play within the film, and Dante knows that. To that end, he wisely takes a note from Spielberg’s Jaws and decides to keep the creatures off-screen for long stretches of the film in order to make the moments where they do show up that much more potent. Also even though it is a smidge too dark for its own good while also possessing that weird glistening and sleek look that was quite the cliché for quite a few movies made in the 80s, cinematography is quite well done as it manages to provide the movie with a style that, similar to The Wolf Man, makes the viewer feel as if they are in the midst of a nightmare. Finally I also have to give credit to this film’s score even if it’s a little bit of a mixed bag. This is due to while some aspects work absolutely brilliantly whilst other aspects feel a little bit out of left field, and not in a good way.
Now even though they are not particularly surprise-worthy, this film’s cast overall is actually quite potent and actually an improvement over the typical horror cinematic outing. This of course starts with Dee Wallace in the lead role of Karen White as she manages to give audiences a wonderful lead turn in this that is a brilliant blend of ever-growing terror yet also dignity as well. Sadly the same can’t fully be said for Christopher Stone in his role of Karen’s husband Bill. It’s not that Stone’s acting is terrible; rather it’s the fact that Bill’s arc is so one-note and predictable that it really brings the movie down a little bit as a result even as Stone does everything he can to liven up the material. Thankfully among the supporting cast of players we get fantastic turns from Patrick Macnee, Elisabeth Brooks, Dick Miller, Don McLeod, and even screen icons John Carradine, Kevin McCarthy, and Slim Pickens manage to pop up throughout the course of the runtime and really manage to elevate the movie significantly through their work on it. Thus I definitely feel that when looked at as a whole, this is one cast that is very well-chosen and pretty much everyone involved, despite some questionable character creation decisions, really manages to bring their A-game to this production.
All in all The Howling really truly is a fantastic little film that also manages to serve as a top-notch exercise in how to best make a horror film with the help of a dependable cast, and truly wonderful work from the crew with particular regard to the director as well as the special effects department. Yet at the end of the day, even if you don’t like horror, I still feel that this is a movie worth checking out for anyone who enjoys a good movie period. Just make sure to keep some silver with you just in case. After all you never know who or what might be near; one thing’s for sure though: you’re bound to have a howling good time regardless…..on a scale of 1-5 I give The Howling a solid 3.5 out of 5.
