What's a Special Edition? It's a series where I review one of my favorites. These are films that would appear in my Top 50 or so (if I endeavored to compile such a list).
THE HOWLING (1981)
I'll end the suspense. The Howling is my favorite werewolf movie of all time. I have a sick fascination with the sequels, but they really did it right the first time. Watching it last night (after a period of dormancy that lasted several years), things clicked for me. I think I know why it works. I mean, I've always known, but this most recent viewing shed some clarity on the matter. The Howling is one of a handful - and that's being generous - of lycanthropictures that perfectly balances vein-slashing horror with genuine pathos. The secret weapon? Dee Wallace Stone. She's invaluable as TV journalist Karen White, so much so that I can't imagine the film without her. None of it, not even Rob Bottin's jaw-dropping special effects, would hit the same without her ardent, solemn performance at the core of the film. If you need a synopsis, White is sent on a furlough to a mountain resort to find some solace after a harrowing episode where she assisted the police in nabbing a serial killer.
I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that this leave of absence is interrupted by a gaggle of werewolves. The creatures themselves are fierce. I can only echo the sentiments of others when it comes to the transformation sequence, which I just learned was shot after director Joe Dante ran out of money. Who needs a budget anyway? This is a five-Z'Dar supernova of fur and wolfsbane (I'm using five Z'Dars from my personal collection, I'll have you know), but it should be noted that the midsection is sluggish. As much as I try to silence my inner critic, I had to mention it. That doesn't diminish the explosive third act, though. John Carradine earns a nomination in the category for Best Supporting Actor That is Almost Dead. And that was a tough playing field, too. Elisabeth Brooks was a shoe-in for Sexiest Werewolf Bitch. I'm kidding; that's not a real category.
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