Search - The Howling on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1981 DVD Release: 08/28/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 31 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Horror, Creature Film See Also: The Howling [Special Edition]

This groundbreaking, darkly-comic horror film from director Joe Dante changed the look and feel of werewolf movies in ways light-years distant from Universal's horror classic The Wolf Man. The story begins with television reporter/anchor Karen White (Dee Wallace) taking part in a dangerous police operation intended to trap psychopath Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo). When confronted by Eddie face-to-face, she witnesses something horrifying enough to trigger selective amnesia. Plagued by a series of violent nightmares, Karen decides to admit herself to a posh recovery resort known only as "The Colony," run by her eccentric New Age therapist Dr. Wagner (Patrick MacNee), and brings along her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) for support. The night after they arrive, Karen and Bill are unnerved by eerie howling in the woods. Back in the city, Karen's coworkers Chris (Dennis Dugan) and Terry (Belinda Balaski) have been investigating Eddie's background after discovering that his body has disappeared from the morgue. Sifting through Eddie's possessions, they find a strange collection of artwork depicting wolf-like creatures, and decide to consult with Walter Paisley (Dick Miller, of course), the owner of an occult bookshop, on werewolf lore. Though he claims not to believe in the stuff he's selling, Paisley nevertheless convinces Chris to purchase a handful of silver bullets... just in case. Back at the colony, Dr. Wagner has organized a hunting party after hearing Karen's account of the nocturnal howling, but the men find nothing but a rabbit, which Bill is told to bring to the cabin of the sultry Marsha (Elisabeth Brooks) to prepare for dinner. After resisting Marsha's less-than-subtle sexual overtures, Bill is attacked by a wolf while returning to his cabin. The following moonlit night, the sleepless Bill wanders outside to find Marsha waiting and the two make love by the campfire, their bodies undergoing a frightening transformation. Just as Karen is beginning to suspect that her husband is hiding a secret far more threatening than marital infidelity, Chris and Terry have come to realize -- too late, in Terry's case -- that Eddie Quist is not only still alive, but not quite human... and he knows he's being followed. Chris arrives at the colony too late to save Terry, but manages to find Karen just as the colony's residents -- all of whom are werewolves, including Dr. Wagner -- are assembling to decide her fate. Dante fills his film with heartfelt homages to The Wolf Man and other classic horror movies, as well as a few clever visual puns and in-jokes from his tenure with Roger Corman, but never strays from the path to genuine horror, particularly when Rob Bottin's chilling monsters are onscreen. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Dee Wallace - Karen White
Patrick Macnee - Dr. George Waggner
Dennis Dugan - Chris
Christopher Stone - R. William "Bill" Neill
Belinda Balaski - Terry Fisher

The Howling is as creepy and unsettling as ever in this DVD edition. Presented in widescreen at 1.85:1, director Joe Dante and screenwriter John Sayles' twisted visions are vividly potent. The video transfer is clean, if somewhat blurry at times. The transfer far surpasses previous home video releases of the movie. The Dolby Digital Audio is as dynamic as it can be, coming from the original mono source. The only thing that's missing is supplemental material. While a grainy widescreen trailer is included, its dated, hyperbolic style is more comical than scary. "Scene Selections" allows instant access to the DVD's 16 chapters via still frames and chapter title/number. French and English subtitles are available. =The Howling shrieks with all its original terror intact, but fans of the film will be begging for more bonus features. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide