HOWLING VI: THE FREAKS (1991)
Ironically, I just got back from a fair. Apart from forcing down overpriced chicken tenders, I had a blast. Carnivals are all about vibes. Likewise, Howling VI is all about vibes. You'll think you're standing in line to throw darts at balloons or...something with ducks (I've never been able to wrap my head around that one). You might be under the impression that this entire franchise is deplorable, but you would be mistaken. While it's true that most of the sequels are a tacky mess, The Freaks is highly entertaining. It's also kind of ballsy. It anticipated the "versus" trend by over a decade. Oh, you didn't know? The storyline pits a werewolf against a vampire. If that wasn't gnarly enough, the vampire is blue for no discernible reason. I had no idea that the Universal Monsters could be enhanced by Crayola crayons, but here we are.
The actual plot follows a vagabond who gets roped into Harker's World of Wonders, a traveling freakshow that offers funhouse frivolity and a mime who bites the head off of a live chicken. Hey, I'm in no position to judge. At least he didn't pay twenty bucks for the damn thing. Seriously, they weren't even good chicken tenders! Alright, back on topic. The Freaks has a secret weapon, and his name is Bruce Payne. His performance is probably too shrewd for this movie, but that's why it works. Trivia! Payne starred in Warlock III: The End of Innocence. This little carousel was written by Kevin Rock, the same bloke who wrote Warlock: The Armageddon. Now you know. I don't have much else to add. I will say, our lycanthrope isn't terribly imposing. He's outclassed. In all fairness, who wouldn't be outclassed by a blue vampire? Perhaps a mauve mummy.
Howling VI is dandy. Name a better sixth installment in a series. That isn't Jason Lives.
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