Howlers

I hadn't even heard of "Howlers" (aka "High Moon") prior to coming across it by random luck here in 2019. I picked it up and saw it being a werewolf movie, so naturally I had to watch it.

Well, the movie was sort of interesting, but at the same time it was frightfully cheesy and campy. I mean, a band of werewolves were killed sometime in the 1800s and then come back in 2018 along with the gunslinger whom killed them. Yeah, that was essentially the core of the movie, and it was a rather thin soup.

The movie was watchable for sure, but it wasn't an overly enjoyable movie. Not even by a long shot. I managed to endure it to the end, though I was starting to lose interest in the movie along the halfway point.

The werewolves in this movie were laughable to look at. It was nothing more than your generic biker gang members with added facial hair, contact lenses, prosthetic teeth and latex added to the faces. They didn't even remotely look anything like a werewolf or a lycanthrope of any kind.

The acting in "Howlers" was actually okay, taking into consideration the nature of the movie and the limitations of the storyline and script inflicted upon the actors and actresses.

Having sat through the entire movie, I can honestly say that this is not a movie that I will ever be returning to watch a second time.

Now i like Ray Harryhausen films using old-hat stop motion animation so whilst films don't need ultra brilliant digital effects and retro has its place, there is a fine line between retro and pants. This movie has effects that are pants, so much so that the film is ruined. Werewolf masks looking like budget store Halloween dress up have no place in 2018 and frankly made what was otherwise an OK film a painful experience to watch. OK action scenes, OK but contrived plot, OK cast. Its all serviceable but those wolf effects... Man what on earth was the director thinking allowing that nonsense on screen. Sorry to all those involved with the movie but it was embarrassing to look at those cheap masks and impossible to enjoy the film.

Seems most reviewers these days think every movie has to have a billion dollar budget to be watchable. I found this to be a fairly decent movie. The werewolves were a bit different than usual and make up could have been a little better. A couple of actors were a little wooden. I liked the plot it was different. I personally didn't care for the ending but it was a very watchable movie.

The summary sounds good, suggesting a good time with a silly but fun movie.

Yeah, well, um...

The "story" is pretty stupid and includes a couple of total what the heck-moments, without any thrills or comedy, except for the occasional unintentional moronic dialogues or bonkers plot additions. In terms of dramaturgy it can only be called a mess.

Blood is there, not really gore though, the action scenes feel rather cheap, and the werewolfs look a bit weird. Not sure what they spend the estimated $6,400,000 on.

The acting is OK by some of the cast, not so much by others, most likely due to the script I imagine. Some things can't be pulled off with what's been given.

Somehow, although I stand by the points I made, there was something that elevates Howlers in its total slightly above its sums, maybe because of the absurd plot.

Yet, probably only worth a watch for die hard fans of werewolf-"horror" or "gunslinger" stuff.

I was having quite a good time watching this SILLY movie. I was actually reminded of The Dead Don't Die on account of many of the characters being dorky small town cops and other people, plus the presence of an otherworldly character who knows all about the enemy, but shockingly I enjoyed this one more. That's possibly because I really thought The Dead Don't Die was going to be cool, thanks to Jim Jarmusch having directed Dead Man, an excellent black and white western/comedy starring Johnny Depp, but it really wasn't, while I fully expected this one to be trash, and it is! Just do what I did, which was kick back with my wife and giggle at the silly, corny, SO cheap werewolf action. This is NOT a good movie, have fun with it!