The Howling (1981)

Anchorwoman Karen White is being stalked by serial killer Eddie Quist. She's separated from the police following her and she ventures into an adult bookstore to meet him. After some traumatic events that lead to Eddie being shot by police, Karen is struck with amnesia, not able to remember what happened. She and her husband are sent to the "Colony" by her therapist for treatment. The place is inhabited by strange people and even stranger things start to happen, like her husband being attacked by a wolf.

The Howling is a classic werewolf movie that I somehow haven't seen until now. Even though I've heard about it, it doesn't seem to have the same love or appreciation as other werewolf movies such as An American in London. The Howling isn't perfect, but there are things to appreciate here: the atmosphere, the creature design, the practical effects, the use of TV, and the ending. So many scenes here are classic gothic fare with forest landscapes, fog, and fear. It's especially interesting to see this oler aesthetic merged with modern 80's aesthetics. Some scenes are intercut with scenes from a TV of big bad wolf cartoons or The Wolfman film. It acknowledges its roots and gives some humor at times. Even though it's a little meta, I loved it.

The werewolf design and transformation scenes are incredibly well done and all practical effects. Some parts of the makeup look a little fake, but most of it looks amazing. The sound of the bones breaking was disturbing as well as one werewolf digging around in his skull for a bullet lodged there. The claws and snout elongating looked realistic and very creepy. Even small details like wounds are kept through the transition. Newer films have worse looking werewolves and transformations. I'm a sucker for an idyllic setting with a dark secret and the ending was a surprise to me even through a lot of the typical tropes used. I was happy to see different types of werewolves: ones who love killing people and being werewolves, others who were coerced into it and want to die (which is sadly passed off as a joke), and still others who are satisfied fitting into human society.

Some things fell a little flat for me. The characters are all one dimensional and don't feel real. Karen is the epitome of the damsel in distress until her last scene. She barely changes through the course of the film. Her husband Bill is the slimiest guy ever and cheats on her without a second thought. Marsha, an inhabitant of the Colony, is a one dimensional seductress and it's apparent from her first appearance that she's a werewolf. While I though most were interesting, she is the one exception that I find too obvious and flat. The human characters are supposed to be the good guys, but they simply aren't as interesting.

The Howling is a fun film that is very steeped in its time. The continuing of werewolf tropes, the acknowledgement of the background, and the merging with modern aesthetics is one of the best parts of the film for me as well as the werewolves, their look, and their transformations. The ending is shocking and surprisingly sad followed immediately by a visual joke. This film is unpredictable at times and keeps you guessing which parts will follow tropes and which will diverge. I enjoyed it and I consider it required viewing for fans of werewolf films.

My rating: 3.5/5 fishmuffins