The Howling (1981)

Directed by:
Joe Dante

Written by:
John Sayles & Terence H. Winkless

Main Cast:
Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Belinda Balaski, Elizabeth Brooks, Dick Miller, and Robert Picardo

 The Plot:
After narrowly escaping a traumatic run-in with serial killer Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo), news reporter Karen White (Dee Wallace) and her husband (Christopher Stone) seek peace at a forest retreat... only to realize that all of the patients are werewolves.

The Review:
Werewolves don't get any respect. They are arguably the least-appreciated monsters in cinema. But that's not to say the reputation is unfounded. For every An American Werewolf in London, there's another four or five more reminiscent of, say, A Mexican Werewolf in Texas. How does a filmmaker honor the lore established by Lon Chaney Jr. and George Waggner in 1941's The Wolfman, while also finding a fresh voice within a typically silly subgenre?

But The Howling gets it exactly right by turning a potentially ludicrous plot into a witty, impeccably crafted satire. Adopting the right balance between spooky and tongue-in-cheek is incredibly difficult, but director Joe Dante makes good on his initial promise from 1978's Piranha by including clever details and more than a couple moments of dark comedy, which is hugely beneficial for investing in the story.

With her three-dimensional, emotionally available performances in this and Cujo, Dee Wallace might be the horror genre's most unsung scream queen. As a woman who seeks to rebuild her lucidity after nearly dying at the hands of a psychopath, Wallace remains strong yet sympathetic throughout, and never hits a false note, even as her circumstances become increasingly outlandish. Belinda Balaski is also noteworthy as Susan, Karen's friend and confidante. The werewolf transformations and make-up effects are entirely convincing, shocking since the movie is over 30 years old. With very little in the way of competition, this is my favorite werewolf movie.


***1/2 out of ****