The Howling (1981) AVCO Embassy/Horror RT: 91 minutes Rated R (language, graphic violence, nudity, strong sexual content) Director: Joe Dante Screenplay: John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless Music: Pino Donaggio Cinematography: John Hora Release date: April 10, 1981 (US) Cast: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo, Margie Impert, Noble Willingham, James Murtaugh, Jim McKrell, Kenneth Tobey, Dick Miller. Box Office: $17.9M (US)
Rating: ***
If you go by the Chinese calendar, 1981 was the Year of the Rooster. If you go by what was playing at the movies, it was the Year of the Wolf…. the Werewolf, that is. Three horror movies that year featured lycanthropes, An American Werewolf in London (my favorite of the three!), Wolfen and The Howling.
I really wanted to see it when it hit theaters in April ’81 because I had just read the novel by Gary Brander. As usual, the parental block on most R-rated movies kept it out of my reach. I finally got to see it about five years later on video where I discovered that it bore only a vague resemblance to the book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie.
On the contrary, I totally dug The Howling. Instead of a straightforward horror piece, director Joe Dante (reteaming with Piranha writer John Sayles) takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to this tale of werewolves running amok at a health resort in the mountains. He counterbalances the scares and gore with plenty of in-jokes, references and cameos. It’s quite humorous if you get the jokes and know the references. Sometimes I like my gore served up with a side of laughs and chuckles.
Los Angeles news anchor Karen White (Wallace, E.T.) is nearly raped and killed by a serial killer (Picardo, Gremlins 2) in an adult book store during a police operation to apprehend the sicko. Luckily, he’s killed by the cops right there in the booth before he can finish the job. Physically, she’s okay. Emotionally, not so much. Her therapist Dr. George Waggner (Macnee, The Avengers) recommends taking a vacation at “The Colony” for treatment. It’s a secluded resort devoted to the mental well-being of its inhabitants.
It soon becomes clear The Colony is one strange place. A lot of weird things start to happen. Karen’s husband Bill (Stone, Cujo) is attacked and bitten by a wolf-like creature after nymphomaniac Marsha Quist (the late Brooks) tries to seduce him. We all know what happens to somebody who survives a werewolf attack. The rapist’s body disappears from the city morgue prompting Karen’s friends and co-workers Terri Fisher (Balaski, Piranha) and Chris Halloran (Happy Gilmore director Dugan) to investigate him further. In short, Karen is surrounded by werewolves.
Rick Baker received an Oscar for his Innovative makeup work in An American Werewolf in London (the first ever awarded), but The Howling was actually the first movie to feature such effects. Of course, I’m referring to the transformation scenes in which air bladders were placed under latex body and facial applications to give the illusion of a human turning into a werewolf. Rob Bottin did the makeup effects for The Howling (Baker served as a consultant). They still look cool and convincing more than 40 years later. It’s especially impressive when you take into account Dante did it with a budget of only $1.5 million. The movie also has a nice amount of gore.
The cast does a top-notch job. It’s always great to see Dante regulars like Balaski, Picardo, Kevin McCarthy (as TV station manager Fred Francis), Kenneth Tobey (as a cop) and Dick Miller (as occult bookstore proprietor Walter Paisley). Also look for cameos by Sayles, schlock producer Roger Corman and Forrest J. Ackerman, publisher of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Scream queen Wallace is great in the lead.
The screenplay by Sayles and Terence H. Winkless is very well-written. It has a few great “BOO!” moments. It also has a nice amount of gore. The Howling is solid horror movie fun. It’s a near-perfect balance of scares and laughs. Sometimes you’ll find yourself doing both at the same time. If a horror-comedy can manage that, it’s doing something right.
