Maman est un loup-garou

My Mom's a Werewolf is clearly an example of a film that came out in the wake of the success of Teen Wolf (1985). That latter film had been released with little fanfare only to become a surprise hit once Michael J. Fox became a superstar off the back of Back to the Future (1985). In fairness, Teen Wolf was a pretty clunky movie with an alarmingly stupid premise and quite a lot of general lameness about it. Yet it had a certain charm nevertheless, My Mom's a Werewolf also has some 80's appeal about it too, yet it's really not very good.

It's about a housewife who is transformed into a werewolf by a mysterious debonair stranger. Once she discovers her condition she tries to conceal her secret from her husband and daughter. The latter joins forces with her horror geek best friend to find a cure.

This one benefits from the presence of one of the all-time b-movie kings, John Saxon, in the role of the smooth werewolf stranger. Like he always does, he again brings some commitment and class to proceedings. It's technically a horror-comedy that definitely focuses on the comedy at the expense of the horror. Mainly, it is full of what can best be described as '80's cheese'. I can't pretend to think this is very successful as a comedy, yet it has a certain likableness about it that prevents me from actively disliking it.

The frustrated housewife Leslie Shaber (Susan Blakely) visits an animal shop to purchase a flea-collar. Unknowing that the owner (John Saxon) is a werewolf...

Diana Barrows (a "Friday the 13th" veteran) is a bit over-excited, but has the part of the die-hard horror fan. (I go to conventions, but I have no interest in every little thing like she does... that would be crazy.) Her presence cues us in from the beginning that this film is not a horror film so much as it is a love letter to horror fans.

John Saxon is great. While known best (probably) as the father from "Nightmare on Elm Street", he does a fine job as the werewolf, being both creepy and... well... more creepy. His scenes are really only beat by possibly the nightmare scene or the dentist scene, but Saxon steals the show.

Nice tip of the hat to "Prime Evil", whose poster shows up not once, but twice -- at the horror convention and in the girl's room.

My Mom's a Werewolf (1989)

** (out of 4)

Susan Blakely plays Leslie Shaber, a bored housewife whose husband doesn't pay too much attention to her. One day she stops into a pet store where the owner (John Saxon) comes onto her and after a couple drinks the housewife is seduced and bitten. Before long the mom starts to turn into a werewolf so it's up to her daughter and her friend to save her.

MY MOM'S A WEREWOLF comes from Crown International so one shouldn't expect too much. I've heard this film described as a kid's movie and perhaps that's true to a point. There's certainly nothing scary or shocking here and it's got a fun nature to it but at the same time there's a lot of sexual innuendo so I'm not sure this is for really young kids. With that said, there's certainly nothing special to be found here but there are two fun performances that will make it appealing to horror fans.

Both Blakely and Saxon are very good in their roles and I thought a better screenplay really could have made for a much better picture. The two actors are fun in their roles and especially Saxon who gets to play a romantic lover who of course is a werewolf. The werewolf effects are what you'd expect from a low-budget movie like this. Horror fans will enjoy some of the friend's nerd talk dealing with various horror magazines and movies.

In the end, MY MOM'S A WEREWOLF certainly isn't a classic but then again it's not the worst werewolf movie to come from the 80s.

Ah yes, My Mom's A Werewolf. Every time I see this movie I see all the stuff that made the 80's everyone's joke once the 90's came around.

Here's the story:

A mild-mannered suburban housewife goes out one day and meets up with a strange, dark, but quite handsome man, played by John Saxon. One thing leads to another and they end up at his apartment for a little "afternoon delight." He nibbles on her toe, and she screams out in pain and takes off.

What she didn't know was her afternoon playmate was a werewolf, and the bite has caused her to slowly transform into one. A previous review already mentioned the were-wife, were-house (warehouse) joke, which was quite corny but it sure did make me chuckle.

Now she has to hide her "hairy" situation from her husband, her daughter, and her daughter's best friend. I can sense the laughter coming. For the next hour or so, she succeeds.....but she can't hide it forever, you know.

In short, a great "USA Up All Night" kind of movie. A little screaming, some comedy, and a few tasteless jokes here and there.

Story: C Laugh Factor: B Acting: B- Overall: B

This is a "does what it says on the tin" type of comedy horror. It's about a suburban housewife who finds herself bitten by a werewolf and subsequently transforms into a hairy beast. There's little plotting here and zero characterisation, just a series of lame jokes and set-ups which have dated badly since first release.

I'm not sure whether this broad, scattershot spoof would have been funny at the time anyway. Crown International Pictures certainly had a history of churning out cheap-looking, poorly-acted movies and MY MOM'S A WEREWOLF is no exception. Susan Blakely was once a starlet in the likes of THE TOWERING INFERNO but is pretty poor in the titular role, it has to be said. John Saxon plays the urbane werewolf catalyst and is a lot better, even if you do feel a bit embarrassed for him.

One of the best things about this film is the inclusion of a horror-loving character who has all kinds of movie posters in their bedroom. Forrest J. Ackerman cameos and there's even a highlight in the form of an early visit to a horror store where cheesy old movies are discussed. This alone is what lifts MY MOM'S A WEREWOLF from the doldrums into a merely bad film. Check out the werewolf costumes, which are among the worst ever put up on screen.