Plot: What’s it about?
Karen White (Dee Wallace-Stone) is a television news reporter who had a run in with a serial killer, but survived the horrific ordeal. As you can imagine, her mind is shaken and she is in a fragile condition, so she takes some time off to recover. It seems her home is not the right place for her at this time, so she ventures to the Colony, an isolated little subdivision that will let her regroup, away from all the hustle & bustle. This is supposed to be a safe haven for White, but the neighbors seem very strange, almost dangerous at times. But she tries to ignore her assumptions and just relax, although that isn’t an easy task in these parts. She hears unusual sounds from the nearby wooded area, like screams, shrieks, and even intense howls. After some time, she decides enough is enough and wanders out into the forest, but little does she know what horror awaits her. What lurks in those woods and is it somehow connected to the previous trauma in Karen’s life? Can she survive this ordeal also, or is doomed to perish inside this so called safe haven?
This film has spawned six sequels, but none have come close to the original, which is a fun, very cool picture. It is hard to find good werewolf movies these days, so The Howling has a special place in my collection, to be sure. I love the transformation effects here, as they look very cool, even if not up to today’s visual standards. In addition to those cool transformation scenes, some other nice gore sequences are seen here, which add to the entertainment value, of course. I wouldn’t say The Howling is a scary movie, but it has some good moments and cheap scares, which keep things interesting. In the end, this is a more than solid werewolf movie and if you’re a horror fans, I’d say give this a look. I have a suspicion that a special edition is due out at some point, but the wait is unknown, so I think this disc is worth the reasonable asking price. The movie is cool, the transfer is enhanced, and the extras are terrific. As such, I recommend this release to all those interested, especially with this new Special Edition available.
The career of director Joe Dante is sprinkled with horror/comedy pictures, so he seems like a natural choice to helm The Howling. Although this movie leans more toward horror than humor, Dante is able to keep it all in tune and never overuse the elements, which is very important. A little too much humor and the film’s themes would have changed, but that’s not the case here, as Dante adds just enough of the needed ingredients. He is also able to pull some solid performances from his cast, even though some of them were first timers or newcomers, which is impressive direction. His name might not be a household one, but Dante has directed some very popular pictures, let’s hope he returns to the horror genre soon. Other films directed by Dante include Matinee, Hollywood Boulevard, Small Soldiers, Piranha, The ‘burbs, and Gremlins. The cast here includes Dee Wallace-Stone (Popcorn, Critters), Patrick Macnee (Waxwork, This Is Spinal Tap), Slim Pickens (Stagecoach, Dr. Strangelove), and Dennis Dugan (Night Call Nurses, Can’t Buy Me Love).
Video: How does it look?
The Howling is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full frame version also included on this disc. This is a new visual treatment, but some of the flaws from previous editions have remained intact. So don’t expect a pristine, flawless presentation from this release, but the movie does look much better. The color issues are still present, but hues look decent and never cause reason for concern. I would like to see this movie in a slick new transfer that reflects the intended color scheme, but the hues aren’t as bad this time around. I found contrast to be smooth and consistent also, with no visible detail loss. The main improvement is the source print, which is much cleaner in this new version. I saw minimal grain in this presentation, whereas the previous disc’s transfer was riddled with grain. So this might not be perfection, but fans should be pleased with this enhanced visual treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio has also been given some attention, as we have a new Dolby Digital 5.1 option present on this release. I was quite pleased with the results also, as the mix is a great one and really enhances the experience. The moments of suspense, tension, and eerie atmosphere are much more effective here, as the audio elements add to the environment. I found some scenes to be more enhanced than others, but even in some of the calmer sequences, the audio seems to have more punch and presence. And in a horror movie, atmosphere is crucial, so I think fans will appreciate this new surround mix. The music also has more life in this new soundtrack, while dialogue is crisp and never suffers in the least. This disc also includes the original mono soundtrack, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The supplements were thin on the previous release, but this time around, MGM has loaded up on the bonus materials. The most substantial extra is Unleashing the Beast, an hour long piece that chronicles the production of The Howling. This documentary is broken up into five parts, but has a smooth, cohesive texture that binds all the volumes into one fluid feature. A slew of interviews with numerous cast & crew members are found in this piece and I mean good interviews, ones where real insight is provided. The tone is light and candid, so the folks have fun telling stories and recalling their experiences. The laserdisc’s audio commentary has been ported over, with director Joe Dante, Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone, and Robert Picardo in attendance. The session is brisk and quite open, so expect a lot of humor and ample production information. This disc also includes an original behind the scenes featurette, a selection of deleted scenes, a humorous reel of outtakes, some still photos, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
