The Werewolf Horror Classic Getting Left Behind By Younger Generations
The werewolf has been an often-overlooked movie monster, its due overshadowed by vampires, demons, and supernatural spirits. Over the decades, some notable horror films have cast the cursed creature as a film’s antagonist, with Universal’s The Wolf Man, An American Werewolf in London, and Underworld standing out as successes at the box office. One werewolf film that seemed never to achieve full appreciation was the 1981 film The Howling, a truly terrifying tale of bloodthirsty changelings.
The Howling Is A Classic
The Howling opens with television reporter Karen White, a Los Angeles-based news anchor who is being stalked by a ruthless serial killer named Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo). Karen agrees to help the police trap the murderer and lures the predator into a porn theater in the city. While there, Karen sees Eddie’s face and screams, hinting that there is something a little more off about the fellow than his penchant for violence.
Eddie is shot dead by police, and Karen has suppressed part of the memory of that fateful night. Her therapist, Doc Waggner (Patrick Macnee), prescribes a lengthy stay at his retreat in the woods. Karen and her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) pack up and arrive at the Doc’s colony, setting off some bizarre and horrifying events that quickly unfold as The Howling continues.
Opps! All Werewolves!
As it turns out, the retreat that dear old Doc Waggner runs is a colony of werewolves. Unlike the werewolves that only change in the light of the full moon in most films, the beasts in The Howling can shapeshift at will and do so at an alarming speed. After Bill is bitten, Karen raids Doc Waggner’s files and uncovers some horrifying secrets that her therapist has been harboring, leading to her getting help from a friend outside the colony.
A Success But Should Have Been Bigger
The Howling takes some interesting twists and turns and gives audiences both an intense climax and an incredible ending. Though the film made more than 10 times its $1.5 million budget, its timing at the box office seemed to have held it back from being a bigger success. Filmgoers that year had other werewolf films in theaters, with An American Werewolf in London far outshining and overshadowing The Howling in nearly every aspect.
Classic Horror Names In The Cast
Great names in horror make up the cast of The Howling, adding to its essence. John Carradine (House of Dracula, The Sentinel), Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Piranha), Dick Miller (A Bucket of Blood, The Terror), and Dee Wallace (The Hills Have Eyes) bring their combined skills and horror film experience to make a wonderfully chilling production. The Howling was director Joe Dante’s second foray into the genre, his 1978 horror comedy Piranha setting the pace for a great sophomore experience.
As a fairly new director, one might not think that Dante had the chops to pull off the intricacies and massive amount of detail that would go into a horror movie of such a high caliber. Dante outdid himself here, guiding his cast to make the terror of The Howling as realistic as possible and lining up transformation shots that are the stuff that nightmares are made from.
Available Through Amazon Prime
REVIEW SCORE
The Howling gets high marks for great acting, particularly from Dee Wallace and Robert Picardo. Dante’s direction, combined with John Hora’s much-overlooked cinematographer skills, added layers to the film that elevated it above and beyond the screenplay. The film is deserving of 3.5/5.0 stars and is a must-see for werewolf fans who might have overlooked it in the decades since its release.
You can stream The Howling On Demand with Prime.
