Wolfen

Intelligent thriller about a police officer (Albert Finney) following the trail of a series of murders plaguing the city of New York which seemed to have been caused by wild wolves. Film has a great cinematography, a creepy atmosphere, some thought provoking statements and a fine cast, but yet it doesn't never quite connect. Rated R.

Werewolf movies were big in the early 80's and this is one of the good ones. This horror/thriller has striking cinematography and sound, fine direction, and a good script, and very good Special Effects.

A series of seemingly unrelated murders are being committed in New York City, from the penthouses of the super-rich, to the bombed out appearing South Bronx. Burned out detective Dewey Wilson (Finney) and terrorism expert Rebecca Neff (Venora) are brought in to solve the case. Coroner Whittington (Hines) finds a common thread.

Wolfen is one of the rare cases where lots of people working on one element improved the film, instead of hurting it. Four people are credited with the photography, six for the script, and eleven people worked on the Visual Effects. James Horner did the score for the film; a theme heard in another film he scored can be heard here, in an understated form.

Finney is good as the burned out detective. Venora isn't believable as a terrorism expert, but very believable as someone who doesn't have the sense to stay away from odd noises in the South Bronx. Hines is cynically funny as the coroner.

"Wolfen"is strong on technique, fair on acting. I'd recommend it.

Director and cinematographer Michael Wadleigh is best known for his three-hour counterculture epic Woodstock, the iconic document of the 1969 music festival. The Ohio native only made one non-fiction feature and that was 1981's phantasmagorical noir thriller Wolfen. Steeped in Native American folklore, the film sees a desert dry Albert Finney investigate a series of gruesome and strange murders in downtown Manhattan and the Bronx. With a serious head of hair, Finney's character Dewey Wilson is given some razor sharp one-liners. You'd have loved to see this protagonist in another movie. Wadleigh uses many thermographic steady cam shots to convey the otherworldly subjective point of view of the killer, a technique that would inspire future movies like Predator. And New York City itself has never looked so ominous, where every shadow might grow a pair of fangs and demonic red eyes. There's many other impressive elements, from Edward James Olmos' small but key performance as Eddie Holt, Gregory Hines as the coroner-cum-comic-relief, Gerry Fisher's dreamlike cinematography and James Horner's fine score. In one particularly gasp-inducing scene, Wilson climbs to the top of the Manhattan bridge to interview Holt, who's a construction worker. I've never seen that landmark used on-screen in such a startling, nail-biting fashion. Wolfen is a forgotten gem. Give it a look.

When a famous tycoon, his wife, and his bodyguard are brutally murdered in Battery Park, a cynical detective (Albert Finney) is assigned to the case. With help from a police psychologist (Diane Venora), a colorful coroner (Gregory Hines), and a weirdo zoologist (Tom Noonan), his investigation leads him to suspect a Native American connection to the killings.

A great thriller with horror overtones that's a different kind of werewolf film than any other (certainly at the time of release). Many argue it isn't really a werewolf film at all. I can see why they'd say that but I think it obviously counts as one. The film is directed by Michael Wadleigh, whose only other directorial effort was the Woodstock documentary. It's a shame he didn't do more because he does show a good deal of talent here. Predator fans will notice this movie uses a similar visual technique for the wolves' point of view, including similar sound effects, years before the first Predator movie. The cast is excellent and the script is pretty good, if a little packed. Nice cinematography from Gerry Fisher and use of actual Bronx locations helps in creating a fine atmosphere. It's a very interesting film that tackles a number of subjects (probably too many). Monster movie fans might balk at the lack of any "wolf men," but the strength of the movie is not in its special effects or gore, but in its story and how it's presented. Keep an open mind and give it a shot and I'm sure you'll find something to like about Wolfen. I've seen it a few times now and each time it gets better.

Wolfen is absolutely a classic of the horror genre. Released in succession after the likes of Altered States, The Howling and An American Werewolf in London it actually provides more tension than the rest because it doesn't overdo the creature effects. The Howling is probably the most famous of the three films yet after purchasing and watching the blu-ray I realized something 33 years later... It's just not scary. The transformations are graphic but feel too long and drawn out now. As an adult I find that werewolves just are no longer scary. Neither is Dracula. At least American Werewolf was funny and had a charismatic lead. Where Wolfen exceeds it's genre roots is in it's attention to plot details and character development. Albert Finney is believable as a burned out cop and Gregory Hines is a treat as his co- star/sidekick the coroner. There are scenes in this film that work on a suspense level that few others can muster and the abandoned tenements provide a creepy location for their two man reconnaissance. As far as 80's horror goes this is essential viewing.