The Howling ***½ (1981, Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Kevin McCarthy, Slim Pickens, Christopher Stone, John Carradine) – Classic Movie Review 5713

Dee Wallace stars as telly newshound Karen White who recuperates in the wrong place after a rabid attack in a porn cinema – at a Californian hippy community, where of course they are all howling mad. Joe Dante directs this gruesome but thoroughly exciting and enjoyable 1981 darkly comic horror classic movie, with good special effects by Rob Bottin, who also co-produced, and Roger George.

Wallace makes a useful heroine, while clever co-writer John Sayles (writing with Terence H Winkless) has his cake and eats it, achieving a script that is both frightening and funny, based on a novel by Gary Brandner.

As usual Sayles gives himself a bit part as the mortuary man, while horror director Roger Corman appears as a man in the phone booth. It also stars Patrick Macnee and Dennis Dugan, and co-stars a host of vintage character actors.

Amusingly for film buffs, characters are named after werewolf film directors: Terry Fisher (Belinda Balaski), Fred Francis (Kevin McCarthy), George Waggner (Patrick Macnee), Sam Newfield (Slim Pickens), Lew Landers (Jim McCrell), William Neill (Christopher Stone), Earl Kenton (John Carradine). There is a also film clip from The Wolf Man (1941) with Lon Chaney Jr, the song ‘Howling Chicken’ is heard and Allen Ginsberg’s book Howl is seen.

The movie is not quite as good as An American Werewolf in London (1981), but it is still good and very notable. Also in the cast are Kenneth Tobey, Elisabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo, Margie Impert, Noble Willingham, James Murtaugh, Don Mcleod, Dick Miller, Steve Nevi and Herb Braha.

There are an astonishing five sequels so far, starting with Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf (1985) with Christopher Lee.

Wallace and co-star Stone were married from 1980 till his death on 20 October 1995. Stone also starred with Wallace in Cujo (1983), but died of a heart attack, aged 53.

The newly restored film is released on DVD, Digital Download and, for the first time in the UK, Blu Ray on 9 October 2017.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5713

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com