The Howling (1981)

Directed by Joe Dante. Starring Dee Wallace, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Patrick Macnee, Belinda Balaski, Elisabeth Brooks, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Kevin McCarthy, Robert Picardo, Noble Willingham, Margie Impert, James Murtaugh, Dick Miller. [R]

Bait-and-switch horror movie finds TV news anchor Wallace getting assaulted by a serial killer (Picardo) that she was aiding police in capturing; suffering from amnesia and trauma from the incident, she is unable to continue her on-camera work and retreats to an isolated resort known as “the Colony” to recuperate…where she eventually discovers that not only does it have a connection to the killer who attacked her, but it’s also full of werewolves! Clever and amusing genre effort, making the most out of its low budget with some gruesome transformations and slavering beasties courtesy of makeup expert Rob Bottin. Unfortunately, it’s so often focused on being funny or weird or gory that the storytelling neglects a traditional arc for its central character—almost all the heavy-lifting and battling is done by friend Balaski and her boyfriend (Dugan). Quite a supporting cast, though! Wallace and on-screen hubbie Stone were engaged in real life, married not long after production wrapped. Scripted by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless from a book by Gary Brandner. Look for quick cameos from Sayles and Roger Corman. Followed by numerous barely-related sequels.

68/100