Maman est un loup-garou

In continuing to review werewolf movies chronologically, we're at 1989 with this Crown International Pictures flick. Susan Blakely is a neglected woman since her hubby John Schuck usually stays at work and when he's at home, he's always watching football on TV with friends. So the wife meets a man at a pet shop who manages to make her feel like a woman again but there's a price...The man is played by John Saxon and he and Ms. Blakely are probably the funniest things in the film but the script seems to go everywhere and nowhere at the same time as you both laugh and cringe at how funny some scenes are and how unfunny others are despite some good comediennes like Ruth Buzzi and Marcia Wallace (Ms. Wallace does provide some amusement while Ms. Buzzi does not). Also, singer Marilyn McCoo appears in a straight role as a reporter and she doesn't do much either. There's also a couple of teen girls-one of whom is the daughter of Blakely and Schuck and the other is a horror movie fan-who aren't very funny either but they both have some energy so there's that. So on that note, My Mom's a Werewolf is partly amusing, partly not so it's at least worth a look if you're curious enough...

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

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.

My Mom's A Werewolf is self-explanatory, a lonely housewife on her way to the pet shop one day meets a strange man who gives her the bite that turns her wolfen. But, the town hardly notices, including her oblivious husband. So, her teenaged daughter solicits the help of a fortune teller and her friend, well-versed in monster trivia, to help her mom out.

The movie is out and out corny. I mean, the idea that someone's mom turns into a werewolf is certainly comical fun, except nothing really seems to happen other than that. There's no real hijinks or amusing events that set off a whole series of funny consequences. It's more like, okay, so you're mom is a werewolf.

But, I criticize with caution because I'm watching this in my twenties, reminiscing the fun horror/comedy days of the late 80s. But I'm sure it was aimed for kids, or at least approved for the whole family kind of movie. So, pre-teens are probably more likely to get a kick out of it than I would (although they might miss some of the subtle humor such as "Toe Job" and "Cavity Empor"). But what the heck.