Bloody werewolves! Hasn’t this theme been done to death already? Man. Why is it that wolves have some mystical power to bite humans and turn them into shape-changers? Why don’t turtles or pigeons? You never hear of weresharks or werechickens. It’s dumb.
Here we have an early directorial effort from Joe Dante in which those who can’t see the ‘twist’ coming aren’t watching this film (they’re off doing something important with their day). The story is pretty weak, but I’ll relate it to you anyway: There’s a killer tearing up women in the city (it seems even werewolves get homophobic). An intrepid reporter gets a lead and the killer agrees to meet her. She ends up meeting him but it goes bad and he is killed.
Because she’s having trouble dealing with the events of the meeting, the world’s leading expert on werewolves (?!) and lycanthropy as a mental condition recommends she go to The Colony, a small place where stressed folks can get some rest and shoot small animals. However, once she’s up there she discovers that maybe, just maybe, the young killer who died that night is actually still alive and following her. Meanwhile, her intrepid reporter friends are following up the story and they discover that maybe, just maybe the killer who died that night is actually still alive and following her.
Hilarity ensues.
This is quite a silly story really with no real substance to hold it together. The major claim to fame of this film is in the makeup which, when laid against today’s standards, is pretty average. There’s lots of growing ears and teeth and hair and such, but this is done before a baddie wants to eat someone and usually right in front of the victim – who seems content to sit there and look afraid for the three or four minutes the transformation takes. I’d be pissing off real fast if it were me (but then, there’d be no film, would there?). What's worse is whenever anyone has a TV or radio or anything on, there's some slight reference to wolves on it, be they cartoon or otherwise. There's even gypsies.
If you’re into werewolves and werehouses then this is probably your thing, but the story is weak, the acting average and the special effects, while no doubt mind-blowing in 1980, are pretty cornball today. And when a film is based around the special effects breakthroughs of the time, there’s usually no real writing in the hastily banged-out script. (See Independence Day and you’ll see what I mean).
Surprisingly, the picture quality is pretty good for a 1980 vehicle of this nature on a budget release. There are some rare artefacts but mostly a pretty clear image with fairly sharp lines. There is some white haze coming off the fairer areas of the film early on. But as the film progresses into more and more (mildly grainy) night shots, this seems to ebb away. The colour palette is mostly fairly muted earth tones and these are even enough while blacks are true and shadow detail is murky at best. And it’s all brought to you by the good people at 1.85:1 with their friends 16:9 enhancement.
Remarkably, this budget deal gets a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix. Not that it does much, but it’s nice to know we get it. There are some surround channels used for noises in the woods or fire and the occasional gunshot while the subwoofer supports most of the louder moments fairly ably. Dialogue is clear but cheesy and the sound effects border on stockish at times with primal howling or tearing and such.
The musical score by Pino Donaggio firmly enmeshes the film in 1980 when the synthesiser, still excitingly recent, does most of the soundtrack. Lots of long held notes and almost ‘70s Hammer horror-like dramatic overtones.
So, shit in other words.
If you want every werebear film ever made for your DVD collection, go right ahead and spend your loot. If you like a good horror movie with gallons of claret spewing from every corpse, this isn’t really your film. If you’re after a fairly average film that makes heavy use of prosthetic latex and inner air bladders to give the illusion of transforming into a wereelephant, this is for you. Otherwise, folks, move along. There are better werewolf movies.
