The Howling

Director: Joe Dante Joe Dante

Overview

This groundbreaking, darkly comic horror film from director Joe Dante changed the look and feel of werewolf movies in ways light-years distant from Universal's horror classic The Wolf Man. The story begins with television reporter/anchor Karen White (Dee Wallace) taking part in a dangerous police operation intended to trap psychopath Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo). When confronted by Eddie face to face, she witnesses something horrifying enough to trigger selective amnesia. Plagued by a series of violent nightmares, Karen decides to admit herself to a posh recovery resort known only as "The Colony," run by her eccentric New Age therapist, Dr. Waggner (Patrick MacNee), and brings along her husband, Bill (Christopher Stone), for support. The night after they arrive, Karen and Bill are unnerved by eerie howling in the woods. Back in the city, Karen's co-workers Chris (Dennis Dugan) and Terry (Belinda Balaski) have been investigating Eddie's background after discovering that his body has disappeared from the morgue. Sifting through Eddie's possessions, they find a strange collection of artwork depicting wolf-like creatures, and decide to consult with Walter Paisley (Dick Miller, of course), the owner of an occult bookshop, on werewolf lore. Though he claims not to believe in the stuff he's selling, Paisley nevertheless convinces Chris to purchase a handful of silver bullets...just in case. Back at the colony, Dr. Waggner has organized a hunting party after hearing Karen's account of the nocturnal howling, but the men find nothing but a rabbit, which Bill is told to bring to the cabin of the sultry Marsha (Elisabeth Brooks) to prepare for dinner. After resisting Marsha's less-than-subtle sexual overtures, Bill is attacked by a wolf while returning to his cabin. The following moonlit night, the sleepless Bill wanders outside to find Marsha waiting and the two make love by the campfire, their bodies undergoing a frightening transformation. Just as Karen is beginning to suspect that her husband is hiding a secret far more threatening than marital infidelity, Chris and Terry have come to realize -- too late, in Terry's case -- that Eddie Quist is not only still alive, but not quite human...and he knows he's being followed. Chris arrives at the colony too late to save Terry, but manages to find Karen just as the colony's residents -- all of whom are werewolves, including Dr. Waggner -- are assembling to decide her fate. Dante fills his film with heartfelt homages to The Wolf Man and other classic horror movies, as well as a few clever visual puns and in-jokes from his tenure with Roger Corman, but never strays from the path to genuine horror, particularly when Rob Bottin's chilling monsters are onscreen.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/14/2018
UPC:	0826663189209
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dee Wallace	Karen White
Patrick MacNee	Dr. George Waggner
Dennis Dugan	Chris
Christopher Stone	R. William "Bill" Neill
Belinda Balaski	Terry Fisher
Kevin McCarthy	Fred Francis
John Carradine	Erle Kenton
Slim Pickens	Sam Newfield
Elisabeth Brooks	Marsha
Margie Impert	Donna
Noble Willingham	Charlie Barton
James Murtaugh	Jerry Warren
Jim McKrell	Lew Landers
Kenneth Tobey	Older Cop
Don McLeod	T.C.
Steve Nevil	Young Cop
Herb Braha	Actor
Joe Bratcher	Radio Man
James MacKrell	Actor
Dick Miller	Walter Paisley
Robert Picardo	Eddie
Bill Sorrells	Kline
Meshach Taylor	Shantz
Chico Martinez	Man on Street
Michael O'Dwyer	Drunk
Wendell Wright	Man at Bar
Bruce Barbour	Stunt Player
Marneen Fields	Stunt Player
John Moio	Stunt Player
Forrest J. Ackerman	Bookstore Customer (Uncredited)
Roger Corman	Man in Phone (uncredited)
John Sayles	Morgue Attendant (Uncredited)
Sarina Grant	Hooker

Technical Credits

John Sayles

Terence H. Winkless

Joe Dante	Director,Editor
David Allen	Special Effects
Daniel H. Blatt	Executive Producer
Rob Bottin	Associate Producer,Makeup Special Effects
Jack Buehler	Costumes/Costume Designer
Robert A. Burns	Art Director
Jack Conrad	Producer
Jack Cummins	Asst. Director
Pino Donaggio	Score Composer
Michael Finnell	Producer
Roger George	Special Effects
Mark Goldblatt	Editor
John Hora	Cinematographer
Steve Lane	Executive Producer
Steven G. Legler	Production Designer,Set Decoration/Design
John Sayles	Screenwriter
Robert Singer	Producer
David C. Thomas	Production Manager
Gigi Williams	Makeup
Terence H. Winkless	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

With this witty update of the age-old werewolf genre, Roger Corman alumnus Joe Dante (Gremlins) helped breathe new life into a dormant myth -- An American Werewolf in London would soon follow. Dee Wallace-Stone (E.T.) portrays a TV news anchor whose harrowing brush with a supposed serial killer has left her deeply shaken. Recovering at the country retreat of a new age guru (Patrick Macnee), Stone's character ultimately learns that the hills are alive with far more than the sound of music.... Dante fleshes out this modern tale of terror with plenty of throwaway humor -- copies of Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again and Allen Ginsberg's Howl are seen lying around, and nearly all the main characters are named after directors of other werewolf movies. But Dante doesn't for a moment shortchange the central horror elements, which are enhanced immeasurably by his own brisk editing and Rob Bottin's state-of-the art makeup effects in the transformation scenes. John Sayles (Lone Star), who'd previously collaborated with Dante on the Corman-produced Piranha, cowrote the playful script -- most trenchant in its satirical swipes at consciousness-raising groups like est -- and contributes a funny performance in a bit part as a morgue attendant. Fans of classic horror will enjoy seeing the great John Carradine and Kevin McCarthy in small roles, as well as veteran character actors Dick Miller and Slim Pickens (playing -- who else? -- the local sheriff). And if you pay extra-close attention, you'll even notice Corman himself in a brief cameo, waiting outside a phone booth.

Barnes & Noble - Donald Gray

Without question one of the most visceral and satisfying werewolf movies ever released, director Joe Dante's knowing lycanthrope classic is sure to get a few jumps, as well as a few chuckles, out of even the most jaded horror fan. From the smart and innovative script from screenwriter John Sayles to solid performances all around, The Howling is a rare example of a werewolf film that likely would have succeeded even if Rob Bottin's groundbreaking makeup effects hadn't been so terrifyingly convincing. Endless in-jokes and film references are bound to keep cinephiles constantly on their toes, and even if you're not up to the task of weeding out all the fine details, this fast-paced chiller isn't likely to leave you bored -- and that's an extremely difficult weight to balance. From television news reporter Karen White's (Dee Wallace Stone) mysterious and terrifying initial encounter in a cheap porno shop to the dark secrets of the "colony" she retreats to in hopes of escaping the nightmares that plague her, Dante and Sayles keep things moving at a lean pace that is notably enlivened by Patrick Macnee, John Carradine, and Slim Pickens' colorful supporting performances. If the makeup effects seem slightly outdated from a revisionist standpoint, the images they create (the image of sharp, talon-like claws growing out of the main werewolf in particular) are hard to shake regardless of the technological advancements that have aided effects artists since The Howling's debut in 1981. These unforgettable images, combined with a clever script and tight direction, make for a film as self-consciously fun as it is truly unsettling.

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan