Aullido

This classic werewolf movie is not as good as "An American Werewolf in London", however it is a pretty good horror movie in its own right. It is also one of the first (if not the first) to do an on screen transformation scene not using the old frame by frame technique. The story has a female reporter traumatized after she helps the police track down a serial killer. A friend psychiatrist sends her to a retreat known as "the colony" to help her unwind and get to the root of her problem. Well lets just say her first impulse was right as she really seems to think her and her husband are out of place in this retreat. I would agree, I do believe I would have left after seeing the first little beach party where the guy about to throw himself in the fire seemed the most sane. For the most part this movie has a bit of a slow setup, but once it gets going near the last 20 or thirty minutes it really gets going. The werewolves look rather good, there are a couple of scenes where they appear to be nothing more than cartoons or something, but for the most part they look like working models. There is a bit at the end which puzzles me as it seems to add humor into what was otherwise a movie that wasn't trying to garner laughs. However, for the most part you get a rather nice horror movie with lots of stars, something of a rarity this day and age.

After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a popular television newswoman called Karen White (Dee Wallace) suffers an embarrassing breakdown during the live broadcast. In an effort to recover from her trauma, Karen visits her psychiatrist, Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee). Meantime, Karen's colleagues Terry (Belinda Belaski) and Chris (Dennis Dugan), continue their investigation of "Eddie the Mangler". Then Karen is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem. It is a secluded retreat where the strange residents (John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Noble Willingham), are rather too eager to make her feel at home. There Karen and his husband (Christopher Stone) discover a weird form of lycanthropes. There's a pack of werewolves who are trying to keep a low profile and really hidden under ordinary villlagers. What she has witnessed, she cannot escape. What he has become, he cannot control. And what you experience, no one will believe until they come face to face with the inhuman fear that is the howling. All your nightmares are about to be transformed into one single inescapable fear! They're out there - and you're in the middle of your worst nightmare...When the howling starts... the horror begins! Beyond anything human. Imagine your worst fear a reality.

A classy horror movie that gives the quirkness and wit of the vintage wolfman genre. The motion picture displays action, suspense, terror with fun touches. Crammed with inside jokes, this horror-comedy pioneered the use of the body-altering prosthetic make-up (by Rob Bottin) now essential for on-screen man-to-wolf transformations. In ¨The Howling¨ stands out a great support cast cast with plenty of familiar faces, such as: Patrick Macnee, Belinda Balaski, Dennis Dugan John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Noble Willingham, Robert Picardo, Kevin McCarthy,Kenneth Tobey, Dick Miller, among others. The motion picture was competently directed by Joe Dante. Rating: 7.5/10, better than average.

Followed by six sequels: ¨The Howling 2, your sister is a werewolf¨ 1985 by Philippe Mora with Christopher Lee, Sybil Danning, Marsha Hunt, Reb Brown. ¨Howling 3, The marsupials¨ 1987 by Philippe de Mora with Barry Otto, Michael Pate, Frank Thring Jr. ¨The Howling 4, The original nightmare¨ 1988 by John Hough with Romy Windsor, Michael T Weiss, Anthony Hamilton. ¨Howling 5, The Rebirth¨ 1989 by Neal Sundstrom with Philip Davis, Ben Cole, Victoria Catlin. ¨The Howling 6, The Freaks¨ 1990 by by Hope Perello with Michelle Matheson, Brendan Hughes, Antonio Fargas. ¨The Howling 7, New moon rising¨ 1995 by Clive Turner with Romy Windsor, Jacqueline Armitage, Clive Turner, Elizabeth She.

Yes! For a change in the horror genre this film does deserve all of the praise, hype, cult following and respect it receives, even from the critics. I would go so far as to even admit that I find this Joe (Gremlins, Innerspace, The 'burbs, Matinee, Small soldiers) Dante flick one of his best crafted works, followed by PIRANHA.

It's always been a toss up between THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON for the most effective lycanthropy picture of postmodern horror cinema (anything since Psycho). Where John Landis used comedy more blatantly, the humour in THE HOWLING is far more satirical and subversive. Undoubtedly, Rob Bottin's effects steal the show as well as they did for John Carpenter's THE THING. The transformation of Eddie Quist, especially on the revamped DVD is something to behold.

For anyone with a passing interest in the horror genre this is a film to include on that 'TO SEE' list. For fans of werewolf movies this should go on that 'MUST SEE' list.

Joe Dante is a great fan of the horror genre, and most of his films are dedicated to that passion directly, as in his film creations, and indirectly, with his use of inside jokes and references and his use of beloved figures from the genre itself in small roles. It is this passion and love that makes his films special, and The Howling is no different. It is a boost for the relatively weak sub-genre of lycanthropy. It has marvellous special effects which are still quite good by today's standards, some good humour, well-choreographed chase scenes, and some good acting. The script is weak and laden with cliches, but remember it is a parody in ways. Dante names characters using the names of great horror directors(his idols I imagine) such as Terry Fisher, Freddie Francis, and Erle Kenton. Forrest J. Ackerman, Roger Corman, John Sayles, Dick Miller, John Carradine, Kenneth Tobey, and Kevin McCarthy make appearances. Patrick Macnee is quite good in his role, and Dee Wallace is excellent in her screaming way. Overall a fine film!

Following news reporter Karen White's (Dee Wallace) cooperation with the police in taking down stalker and serial killer Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo), Karen is still reeling from the events with the trauma affecting both her career and relationship with her husband Bill Neill (Christopher Stone). On the advice of Dr. Waggner (Patrick Macnee), the two travel out to a secluded wellness hideaway known as The Colony in an effort to allow Karen a space to heal, in spite of mysterious howling in the surrounding woods. Meanwhile back in L. A., Karen's friends Chris (Dennis Dugan) and Terry's (Belinda Balaski) investigation into Eddie Quist reveals he may have been a more literal type of monster.

The Howling is a 1981 horror film loosely based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Gary Brandner. The film was brought into existence by theater chain owner Steven A. Lane who had wanted to get into film production and being an avid horror fan took an interest in the howling after seeing a blurb from Stephen King on its cover. Pursuing the rights to current holder Jack Conrad, the two set the film up at Avco Embassy Pictures. After creative clashes between Conrad and Avco Embassy both Conrad and Lane stepped back into an executive producing capacity with then Avco Embassy President Robert Rehme hiring Joe Dante and John Sayles as writer and director respectively having had a positive working experience with the duo at New World Pictures on Piranha in 1978. The Howling not only proved a hit with audiences earning $18 million against its $1.5 million budget, but also from critics many of whom appreciated the update on werewolf tropes with a healthy does of dark humor and social satire. The Howling is undeniably a welcome addition to the werewolf canon even if there's a few rough spots courtesy of its low budget.

As The Howling opens, you can feel the modern influence of urban cinema on its approach as the gothic structures and foggy moors have been replaced with the kind of sleazy corridors of urban rot that characterized many films of the 70s and 80s in various crime films. Dee Wallace is really good as Karen White who helps take down her stalker with the help of the police, but even after her nightmare is seemingly over it still lingers with her. The chemistry between Wallace and her real life husband Christopher Stone is well done and you do care about them as characters and become unsettled by the building tension over the course of their time at the Colony. The movie features a rich level of satire from the "wellness retreat" like atmosphere of the Colony that gradually becomes more sinister to the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of the TV news, to even commenting on the rise of pop psychology in the form of Dr. Waggner played by Patrick Macnee. If there's one thing I feel could've been revised a little I think it would be in the characters of Chris and Terry who initially feel very detached from the main plot for much of the running time and don't become as integral as they should until about the 50 minute mark or so. There is a bit of a feeling of budget based story compression going on as the audience is really thrown into the whole Eddie Quist setup pretty quickly which didn't allow me to get my bearings as quickly as I would've liked.

The Howling sees Joe Dante continue to refine his style of dark comedy with B-movie thrills in a entertaining and often intelligent modern re-dress of werewolves. While it has clear signs of rougher edges due to a low budget and tight turnaround time, it puts its limited resources to good use to make something that walks the line between funny and thrilling.