Review of The Howling (1981) by Stuart K — 24 Apr 2009
Joe Dante came from the Roger Corman school of filmmaking. He started out as an editor, before being promoted to director with the likes of Hollywood Boulevard (1976) and Piranha (1978), here he was given a bigger film, but this would be his ticket to bigger things, and he hasn't done a horror film like this anymore, which is a shame.
The film has Los Angeles newsreader Karen White (Dee Wallace Stone) going undercover to root out serial killer Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo), she is nearly killed by him, but the police shoot Quist dead.
White is traumatised by this, so she is sent with her husband Bill (Christopher Stone), to a rehabilitation colony near a coast, ran by Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee). However, nothing is what it seems, the colony is filled with strange characters, and they can shapeshift into werewolves!! :O It's a tongue in cheek horror, it does have it's moments of shock and the make-up effects by Rob Bottin are very effective.
It's cheesy fun, a product of it's day. Steven Spielberg saw this, and got Dante to do a segment for Twilight Zone: The Movie and then Gremlins, and the rest, as they say, is history!! :D.
This review of The Howling (1981) was written by Stuart K on 24 Apr 2009.
The Howling has generally received positive reviews.
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