40 years later - The Howling.
LOWDOWN - There are certain films I still remember clearly that my mother introduced me to while growing up. As soon as I established that I was fascinated with horror movies, and could handle watching these films, my mother began renting me the classics to expand my palette.
One of these films was...
The Howling.
Spoilers ahead!!!
I think we can all remember watching the video store in Scream, and the girl asking Randy "What's the werewolf movie with E.T's mom in it?" A wonderful reference, to at least in my times one of the best modern day werewolf movies ever made. Arriving at the beginning of the 1980's, director Joe Dante (Piranha) already showed he had the stuff to make amusing movies that paid tribute to the classic monster/drive-in movies from the 1950's and 60's. Wanting to dabble in the classic tale of werewolves, Dante decided to put a spin on it.
Someone once said that The Howling to them was the "Se7en" of werewolf movies. Even though there's colorful lighting, eire sets, outdoor scenes full of fog, and beautiful color it seems almost as if it's straight out of a comic book or movie. Still, there's a grittiness beneath it all. The Howling was released the same year as An American Werewolf In London. In fact, makeup artist Rick Baker originally started doing the special effects for this film, before leaving to do AWIL. Rob Bottin, who had perviously worked on Piranha with Dante took over, and they pitched the movie to the studios for having the very first completely on screen transformation done completely with practical effects. This movie actually was released before AWIL and holds the special place for actually being the first in doing this. Before then transformations were done with cut aways, time lapse, or off screen. This time, Dante wanted to be a groundbreaker with his young talented cast and crew, and they truly set the bar for the werewolf boom which was about to hit the 1980's.
I feel a huge reason why this film after 40 years still holds up is due to Dante's direction. I truly believe this was the movie that launched his career, opening doors to him to direct bigger budget films (Gremlins) Here the movie has so many pop culture references (especially for werewolf films.) it's seriously like visual eye candy for the audience, spotting all the little references, and nods to these films throughout the movie. Another thing Dante did brilliantly as he did with Piranha was the perfect balance of humor sprinkled throughout. One second you're laughing, the next you're jumping out of your seat screaming. With the lovely Dee Wallace Stone as newswoman Karen White. I'm a huge Dee Wallace fan, and she's truly one HELL of an underrated scream queen. The Howling I feel even after The Hills Have Eyes was what turned her into a horror icon. She's soft, beautiful, and truly a great actress. You can't help but like her, and feel sweet towards her poor character who seems like truly such a good person, only to suffer extreme trauma after being attacked, unable and frustrated that she can't piece the clues together. Along side with her is the late Christopher Stone (Dee and Chris were actually engaged during this production, and clearly show onscreen amazing chemistry.) They would go on to act beside each other in several other movies, the one I remember best out of all of them was Cujo just a few years later. There's Belinda Balaski (who I remember best as the councilor who sadly gets eaten in Piranha.) as Karen's best friend, and fellow reporter Terry who sadly discovers more than she bargained for after discovering the truth. Dennis Dugan plays Terry's boyfriend, a producer at the same show as Terry and Karen who steps up in the final act, and you can't seem to feel awful for with the look that comes over his face in his very last shot.
You have greats like Patrick Macnee (who I remember best from Waxwork and Waxwork II) as Dr, Waggner, the psychiatrist who has just written a best seller book called The Gift, and runs a resort up North called "The Colony". Kevin McCarthy as the hilarious producer of the news program Karen, Terry, and Chris work at...and last but not least. The great Robert Picardo playing Eddie Quist, the insane serial killer who has fixed his sights on Karen, and puts this whole horrifying tale into motion.
The show opens with the titles being clawed open to spell out The Howling, before the black/blue glass the title sits on shatters into the audience, clearly stating this isn't any regular movie...
The film follows Karen White (Dee Wallace) a newswoman who has been receiving calls from a man named Eddie, who she believes is actually a serial killer who's murdered dozens downtown in the last few months. Teaming up with the news station, as well as the police she becomes involved in a string operation to be the bait in order to catch this crazed killer who always leaves his calling card at the scene of the crimes (a smiley sticker). Karen is fitted with a wire, and goes to a very seedy part of downtown LA that night with police cruisers on patrol around the area. Sadly due to all the neon, the signal gets scrambled and the news team and police aren't able to exactly pinpoint where Karen is. Karen's husband Bill becomes increasing worried, not knowing if his wife is safe or not. Karen, believing that the police and news team can still hear her, finds one of Eddie's calling cards on a payphone (remember those guys?) and waits for his call. Here he tells her he'll meet her in a downtown porno shop a few blocks away. Entering, the store, Karen wanders to the back where there are private movie booths, where she sees one of Eddie's stickers on the outside, showing her this is the one he wants her to enter. Going inside, and sitting down in the darkness, Eddie appears behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, not allowing her to turn around as he places a quarter into the machine, and a violent film of a girl getting raped plays before them. Here Eddie claims that his victims never really felt anything since they weren't "real" people. He then tells her he's going to light up her entire body. Stepping back into the shadows, Eddie's voice starts to change to a low growl, before telling Karen to turn around. She does, and is unable to even scream at what horrifying display she's witnessing right before her very own eyes.
Unknown to her, right outside the police have figured out where Karen is and suddenly hear a scream. One of the young officers open fire killing Eddie, and leaving Karen hysterical and in shock. Afterwards, the entire shop has become a crime scene, and one of the head lieutenants demand to know why they opened fire since Eddie didn't have any weapons on him? His body is bagged up, and as Karen is led outside by her husband she claims she can't seem to remember anything that happened inside the movie booth.
Plagued by terrible nightmares of that night, Karen is unable to even continue working after freezing up completely on the live 6 o'clock news. Here Dr. Waggner, who's had been helping Karen while she was receiving her phone calls from Eddie. Here he believes she's suppressing the actual memory of what happened. Here he recommends that she come up North to visit his resort called The Colony, where she can relax, meet other people dealing with anxiety, and perhaps try to remember what happened. Heading up with her husband, Karen meets some of the quirky residents of The Colony the first night on the beach during a BBQ, including couple Donna and Jerry, dramatic old man Erle, and strange siblings TC and Marsha. The entire time Karen feels TC's eyes on her, and watches in disbelief when Erle after one too many drinks threatens to kill himself by jumping into the giant bonfire crying "It's the only way! I gotta burn!" Dt. Waggner reassures her that everything is totally fine, as Karen befriends Donna who's cabin she'll be staying at is right beside her own. Near the punch bowl the very attractive Marsha hits on Bill.
That night in the cabin Karen is plagued by more nightmares, and is woken by the sound of howling.
Back in Los Angeles, Terry and Chris track down Eddie's apartment where he lived while working as a dishwasher in the city. Inside they find dozens of newspaper clippings from his murders, as well as tons of sketches of people drawn as half human, half wolf. While searching for pieces to use for a big story, they find two sketches of of Karen. One that's regular, the next that appears to be her sketched as a wolf. Feeling uneasy, Terry tells Chris she believes they should call the police. Chris then finds a large sketch of a beautiful bay, but the destination is unknown. They bring the sketches to Dr. Waggner who is helping them as they gear up for an hour special "Inside The Mind Of Eddie Quist." The doctor seems puzzled over how they discovered his last name. Here Terry and Chris point out that he signed all of his artwork. The doctor seems surprised looking down at one of the copies of artwork before smiling and muttering "So he did..."
Back up North Karen is still trying group therapy in order to remember that night, but whenever she tries thinking back on Eddie's face that night in the booth, her mind completely goes blank. That evening while smoking out on her porch with Donna they hear strange animal sounds, which Donna claims is just cattle from a nearby ranch. They take flashlights to explore before finding a mutated cow laying in the woods. Shaken, Karen heads back to her cabin, where she thinks she hears noises in the bushes. She ventures out of her cabin, only to find a tiny piece of her clothing hanging from one of the outside bushes. Hurrying back inside, she doesn't see TC watching her from the bushes. In Los Angeles the next morning Chris and Terry head to the morgue to look at Eddie's body, since they heard a report of him having a tattoo on his shoulder. The morgue attendant claims he didn't remember seeing a tattoo, but what appeared to be a faded animal bite on his shoulder. When they go to the freezer where Eddie's body has been stored they find him missing and the metal door clawed open.
Bill and some of the men take TC out to hunt for the coyote they believe killed the cattle. The local sheriff reassures Karen that the noises she heard the last few nights must have been one, as well as being responsible for the cattle being killed. Back in the city Terry and Chris go to an occult shop, where they start investigating the possibility that maybe Eddie wasn't human. The shop's owner shows them a case of silver bullets that somebody bought and never picked up, and tells them that most of the stuff about full moon with werewolves aren't true at all. A werewolf can transform whenever they want to, in fact the only way a werewolf can be killed is by fire or silver bullets. That night Chris returns from his hunt after killing a large rabbit. TC insists that he takes the rabbit over to his sister Marsha to cook up for Karen since Bill usually stays away from meat. While there Marsha passionately kisses Bill, who pushes her away and quickly heads back to his cabin. While walking back, a large animal attacks and bites him. Terry and Chris who are in a relationship are woken from laying in bed with an old werewolf movie playing on the TV with news from Karen that Bill was just bitten by a wolf. Terry decides to head up the next day. The doc gives Chris a rabies shot, telling him not to worry. The following morning, Terry comes up with lunch, and apologies to Bill for forgetting that he doesn't eat meat. Bill meanwhile is digging into the food like crazy, and shrugs it off saying if he's hungry enough he'll eat anything.
That night when Karen tries to get frisky with Bill, he turns her down claiming he's still tired from the shot the doc gave him the night before. Frustrated, Karen knows ever since the attack with Eddie she's been distant, and claims they are completely out of sync. Later, Karen falls asleep and Chris sneaks out and finds Marsha on the beach. They undress, and have sex while transforming into wolfs by the light of the camp fire. The howls from them carry through the woods and Karen is woken to find Chris missing and stays in bed frightened until she falls asleep. Terry, who's staying in the guest room of the cabin records the sounds becoming more and more convinced all isn't what it seems.
The next day Terry ventures to the beach herself, and plays the recording of the howling, and stares at the copies from Eddie's sketches before it hits her...the sketch of the bay was drawn exactly right here which means only one thing...
Eddie has been to The Colony before.
In a panic, she packs her stuff up and starts hurrying to the woods trying to find a phone. Back at Karen's cabin, she awakes and sees Bill dressing, and sees fresh scratches all over Bill's back. He tries to claim they are from the night before, but Karen knows better and confronts him about having zero backbone around Marsha. He becomes angry with her and slaps her. On the verge of tears, she grabs her things and rushes out of the cabin. Terry meanwhile comes across Marsha's cabin, and goes inside where she sees the famous Eddie calling card sticker on one of the doors. She heads inside, and sees more newspaper clippings, and sketches. This is where Eddie really lived. Suddenly the door breaks open and a huge wolf tries attacking her. Terry fights it off, before crawling underneath the porch with the large wolf trying to get to her. Finding a hatchet, she chops it's arm off, and watches in horror as it transforms into a human arm. Running for her life, she ends up at the doc's office and calls Chris completely hysterical. She tells Chris it's all real, and that the doc knew Eddie all along. He instructs her to look for a file on Eddie. Still on the phone with Chris, she searches through the file cabinet and finds three files with the name Quist.
Marsha, TC, and Eddie.
Just then a large wolf grabs the file from Terry's hand and attacks her. Chris listens helplessly on the other line, before hanging up and calling the sheriff, then taking off for the The Colony, before grabbing the box of silver bullets at the occult store and a rifle. The giant wolf kills Terry by bitting into her neck, and throwing her body onto a table and covering it with a sheet. Shortly after Karen comes in, looking to use to doc's phone to head home without Bill. She discovers Terry's militated body, and tries calling the police only to find the phone not working. Backing up against the table where Terry's body was just laying, a now human Eddie pops up and blocks her from running away. Eddie's eyes are blood red, and he has three bullet wounds in his head. Karen can't believe her eyes and tells him she saw him die. Laughing, Eddie tells her "You wanted to know the real me...well, here I am. I trusted you Karen. Now I'm going to give you a piece of my mind." Here he digs into his forehead and plucks the bullet out before transforming into a wolf before Karen's very own eyes. Right before his transformation is complete, Karen throws a jar of acid into Eddie's face burning him, and making a run for it, only to be stopped by the doc and the other members of The Colony. Here they take her to a barn where the residents have now been feeding off Terry's corpse. The doc pleads with them, but Marsha takes charge telling him she's sick of doing things his way. The others agree, stating feeding off cattle is no way to live. TC shows how angry he is now that his arm has been cut off from Terry. They turn on the doc, before deciding they need to make this look like a car accident since Karen is famous and tons of people know she headed up here. They plan on putting Terry and her into a car and driving it off a cliff.
Back at the doc's office Chris arrives, and finds Eddie transformed back into his human form, besides the half of his face horribly burned from the acid. Eddie taunts Chris, believing his rifle won't harm him. Instead Chris hits him straight in the throat with a silver bullet dropping him instantly. He runs to the barn, where he rescues Karen and slowly backs out of the barn. Some of the residents don't believe he's using silver bullets until he kills TC and several other wolfs before locking the rest into the barn, pouring gas all around it, and setting fire burning them alive. Taking off in Chris' car, they are stopped by the sheriff on the highway. The sheriff reveals himself to be a wolf, and opens fire on Chris' car, before being killed. Chris and Karen jump into the sheriff's car, struggling to start it as wolves surround the car, The engine roars to life as they speed down the road, and suddenly a wolf pops up from the backseat biting Karen's shoulder. She kills him with Chris' rifle, before looking and seeing Bill's dead body laying in the backseat. As they drive off into the night leaving a few wolfs behind on the road, Karen states that they need to make people believe.
The following night at the news station it's been revealed that a massive fire starting at The Colony has spread down the coast, and Karen is set to report on the story. Karen gets ready, while Chris looks unsure. He tries to say he can't go through with it, but Karen insists that he has to. Once in front of the camera live, Karen starts reading her own story about a secret society that has been living among them for years. When the head producer tries to stop rolling, Chris screams at them to leave it. Karen bows her head, stating she's going to make them believe. Here before everyone at the station's horrified eyes, she transforms into a rather cute looking werewolf. Chris stares at her before taking aim and killing her with one of the last silver bullets.
Back at a bar, several of the men at the bar talk about how Karen being killed was just some special effects stunt. A man at the end of the bar orders a pepper-steak and a burger for his date. When the cook asks how she wants it? The camera pulls back revealing that Marsha has survived and smiles looking into the camera before saying "Rare." The film ends of the shot of the burger being cooked on the grill.
Total and complete perfection.
I feel the reason why this film after 40 years still works so well is a mixture of several things. The haunting yet beautiful score by Pino Donaggio (this is my second favorite score of his after Body Double), Joe Dante's fun direction, making this a fun viewing experience from start to finish with enough colorful visuals to keep a lasting impression on you for days after viewing this film. The AMAZING effects by several of the greatest in the business, where honestly Oscar or so Oscar, I have always preferred this transformation from An American Werewolf In London's. In fact, even after 40 years, this is still my ALL time favorite werewolf movie, and the film itself still lands in my top 10 favorite horror movies ever made. The cast of likable characters, that jaw dropping ending, and the fact that no matter how many awful sequels are made, the original still and will remain a classic to this very day. Fingers crossed it's shown this season for The Last Drive In, because I feel anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of discovering this classic needs to right away. It's a fun thrill ride, with great monster effects, wonderful performances, and a final act that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
I will always love this movie for being one of my mother's favorites. Three cheers to The Howling. There will never be another one like you!
5 stars!
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