Review of The Howling (1981) by Nick P — 05 Sep 2012
This weeks moon cycle has been amazing and me being me, I seized the opportunity (I'll take anything) to watch a werewolf movie. Following their wicked creature feature, Piranha, Joe Dante and writer John Sayles returned with The Howling.
An important rule when watching movies like this is to place yourself back at the time of it's release. As hokey as it might be now, The Howling was a damn effective and somewhat groundbreaking movie.
The special FX were powerfully innovative for 1981 and if it weren't for An American Werewolf In London overshadowing it's release at the same time, this would have wound up the definitive werewolf movie.
A television reporter is sent to a retreat after falling victim to a serial killer and unbeknownst to her, the retreat is a werewolf lair. Dee Wallace Stone headlined the movie at a time when she was THE scream queen of the 70s & 80s (screw Jamie Lee Curtis!).
Acclaimed make-up artist Rick Baker was signed do all of the werewolf fx but he jumped ship at the last minute to work on American Werewolf... he won an Oscar for that work. And so while the werewolf fx are good in The Howling, they are over exposed and left on screen just enough to lessen their potancy.
Less is more. But hey, the story is great, the gore is good and the movie is just heaps of fun.
This review of The Howling (1981) was written by Nick P on 05 Sep 2012.
The Howling has generally received positive reviews.
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