Search - Werewolf: The Complete Series on DVD

Underrated Classic Howls Again (Eventually)!

S. R. | USA | 05/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Premiering in July of 1987 with a 90-minute pilot movie, the 'Werewolf' TV series represented an early foray into original programming for the newly launched FOX network. This imaginative series told the story of college student Eric Cord (John J. York) and his efforts to end the werewolf's curse that now haunts him by killing the source of the bloodline, Janos Skorzeny (Chuck Connors). Similar to The Fugitive and The Incredible Hulk TV shows, Eric is constantly on the run while being pursued by the bounty hunter Alamo Joe Rogan (Lance LeGault), who knows that Eric is a werewolf. This series also featured fantastic gory effects and a werewolf costume designed by the legendary Rick Baker, who also did the same for An American Werewolf in London. But the werewolves in this half-hour episodic series were large bipedal creatures with long arms that could be used for running on all fours as well as two. This show also strayed from accepted lore by having Eric's transformations occur mostly at random, with the only forewarning coming in the form of a pentagram scar on his hand that would start to bleed. While this series offers a healthy dose of 80s fashion and music, the timeless quality of of the scripts keep it from looking too dated. Newcomer John J. York was able convey the earnestness necessary to convince viewers to follow his quest for a cure, despite being somewhat wooden in the role. Fortunately, veteran actors Chuck Connors (in one of his final screen roles) and Lance LeGault brought much needed credibility to a series that featured a revolving cast of relatively unknown actors. Although airing for only one season, this show went through some notable changes. Creative differences between the producers and Chuck Connors led to his early departure. Body doubles and stock footage were used for several episodes until a new villain was introduced in the form of Nicholas Remy (Brian Thomson), who was revealed to be the true source of the werewolf bloodline. Despite losing such a vital character early on, the strength of the stories and the appeal of the leads helped maintain the core motivation of the series. Here is the complete list of episodes;

1. WEREWOLF MOVIE- Eric sets out to kill the head werewolf, Skorzeny, while being pursued by Alamo Joe Rogan.
2. NIGHTWATCH- Eric, in possession of a gun and custom made silver bullets, lies in wait aboard Skorzeny's boat.
3. THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF- A young boy, whose mother has an abusive boyfriend, aids a wounded Eric.
4. THE BLACK SHIP- Eric is double-crossed by a slick talking man who now holds him as bait for Skorzeny.
5. SPECTRE OF THE WOLF- Eric solicits the aid of a werewolf expert by trying to convince him that he really is one.
6. THE WOLF WHO THOUGHT HE WAS A MAN- Eric's job at a hunting lodge gets him into the middle of a deadly feud.
7. NOTHING EVIL IN THESE WOODS- A witch trying to help Eric is hounded by a man blaming her for his son's death.
8. RUNNING WITH THE PACK- Eric's quiet café job is threatened by the arrival of Alamo Joe and a rowdy biker gang.
9. FRIENDLY HAVEN- Eric seeks shelter in a mysterious old lady's house after being hurt in a fight with Skorzeny.
10. LET US PREY- Eric stays at a monastery where he believes Skorzeny is responsible for several bizarre killings.
11. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE (1)- A confrontation leaves Alamo Joe in the hospital and Eric apparently dead.
12. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE (2)- Joe fears he may now be a werewolf while the police question him about Eric.
13. THE UNICORN- Eric befriends a young woman whose fellow prostitutes appear to have been slain by Skorzeny.
14. ALL HALLOW'S EVE- On Halloween, Eric meets a disfigured man who hides himself in an allegedly haunted house.
15. BLOOD ON THE TRACKS- A former boxer who was once Eric's boyhood idol is now wanted by the mob.
16. NIGHTMARE AT THE BRAINE HOTEL- Eric goes to a run down hotel with unusual happenings and residents.
17. WOLFHUNT- A rancher comes after Eric when he befriends a she-wolf who earlier had attacked the rancher.
18. BLOOD TIES- Members of a wealthy quarreling family try to incriminate Eric for the murder of a relative.
19. BIG DADDY- Eric is kidnapped by a dying politician who wants immortality by becoming a werewolf.
20. EYE OF THE STORM- Eric is stranded by a storm in a house with six people who are being murdered individually.
21. NIGHTMARE IN BLUE- Alamo Joe is Eric's only hope of stopping a cold blooded murderer disguised as a cop.
22. SKINWALKER- A Shaman might lift Eric's curse but several mysterious deaths threaten to prevent that.
23. KING OF THE ROAD- Skorzeny might be preying on a band of homeless people who Eric meets aboard a train.
24. A MATERIAL GIRL- Eric discovers that a werewolf is killing teenage runaways living in an abandoned building.
25. TO DREAM OF WEREWOLVES (1)- Eric discovers that Skorzeny is not the true source of the bloodline.
26. TO DREAM OF WEREWOLVES (2)- Eric learns that the mysterious Nicholas Remy must die to lift the curse.
27. BLIND LUCK- Eric comes to the aid of a blind woman when he learns that her fiancé has sinister motives.
28. GRAY WOLF- Eric teams up with a homeless man who is also a werewolf in an effort to lift both of their curses.
29. AMAZING GRACE- Eric feels liable for an old lady who is institutionalized after witnessing Eric's transformation.

Announced bonus features included 'The Man Who Was Alamo Joe' featurette with Lance LeGault, and a look at the special effects entitled 'To Build A Better Werewolf'. Shout Factory had scheduled this 5-disc set for release in the fall of 2009 but was forced to cancel it indefinitely due to music clearance issues. The high price of licensing original music has caused many DVD releases to be issued in edited form, but Shout Factory was hoping to resolve this matter without having to do so. Sadly, an agreement could not be reached but one can only hope that this great series gets released in its original form in the not too distant future. While it is somewhat of a cliché to state that something was ahead of its time, there simply is no other way to encapsulate the impact of this great series. It offered frights and character-driven stories that has yet to be eclipsed. In Eric, the audience was introduced an all-American boy who would transform into a bloodthirsty monster with no qualms about killing those who posed a threat. The viewer and Eric were left to wrestle with the moral ambiguity of the monster's actions. Hopefully, with an eventual DVD release of the complete series, this show's legacy will continue to grow as new generations fall prey to the power of the wolf."

Terrific show, but sorry. It won't be released

Patrick Cook | Pennsylvania | 09/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was probably the best show ever on television, and seeing it released on DVD WOULD be awesome! However, it is with great sadness that I must deliver the devastating news that the Werewolf TV Series will NOT be released to DVD. Shout Factory has had to abandon the project and give the series back to Sony. This information comes directly from Lonewolf on the Yahoo Werewolf forum. Someone who made an elaborate website on this series and had a hand in the making of this DVD set.

Shout Factory had to cancel the release because of two artists (which will remain unnamed) that would not play ball. Sony does not have the individual audio tracks, so they were unable to replace the songs, as the audio was mixed together. The two songs were featured over dialogue scenes that could not be cut. Shout Factory's only option, even after spending a lot of time and money on it, was to cancel it and give the title back to Sony. If Sony had the audio tracks, it would have been easy to replace the two songs.

Shout Factory and Sony are not at fault. This has happened due to the greediness of the music industry.

So, twenty two years after the Werewolf series hit the airwaves, the fan made copies of the original run and reruns that I watch on a regular basis will be the only testament of this great series along with the terrific website at [...].

...and may the venting begin."

Werewolf, the TV series FINALLY comes to DVD!

John R. Lercari | 05/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I gotta say, it's about time! I absolutely loved Werewolf growing up and it's amazing to see it's finally gonna get an official release on DVD. Not to mention I certainly hope there is a TON of extras to watch like interviews, video commentary, audio commentary, behind the scene stuff, bloopers perhaps Rick Baker the costume designer showing off the four different Werewolf outfits and what they must have been like for the guys wearing them.

Getting to see all 29 episodes again too will also be an incredible treat. Seriously if you are a lover of Werewolves......you better get this as next to the original Howling....you won't find more awesome looking beasts!"

Amazing sci-fi series, Deep and emotional!

Shariq | 06/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first saw this series or rather a clip from the series about 6 years ago. I'm sucker for movies or series which involve human transformations into different kind of animals or beings, thus my liking for series such as Hulk, Manimal, and now Werewolf etc.

The surprising bit was that the series had really good production value with emotionally moving stories. It wasn't cheesy at all, it contained real people with real problems. Even Incredible Hulk from 70s wasn't cheesy, only the young audience of today deem to see it that way for foolish reasons. It was a good balance of supernatural and reality, face it, too much reality in modern shows hasn't really been entertaining at all. If you want to see reality, you only need to look around you.

The reason I brought up Incredible Hulk is because this show heavily follows that series' pattern. Eric, the main protagonist, would turn into a wolf and take care of the bad guys and than move on to another city, and hot on his trail was a bounty hunter named Logan, who alone knew Eric's secret along with his girl friend who we only see in the first episode. Aside from that, each episode would give us an emotionally driven story, all of this in a 20 minute episode.

Add to that, the series' music was composed by Sylvester Levay, most prominently known for his incredible score on Airwolf tv series. Here he gives a great rendition of synthesized music which perfectly suits the mood of each scene.

I wish along with DVD they would also release a soundtrack cd, the score was that impressive.

Overall an 8 out of 10. Great Series."