The Howling Films

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

I always found the tone to be a bit off in THE HOWLING, plus I really dislike Eddie's endless transformation scene (it's badly edited). It's interesting in that it's probably Dante's most serious film.

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

I also pretty much agree. I always like Joe Dante's stuff, and 'The Howling' is a solid and enjoyable horror movie which I have a lot of fondness for - but I've never felt it quite lives up to the "stone cold classic" rep it seems to have accumulated over the years. It always leaves me feeling kind of... unsatisfied, somehow?

The early scenes in the city, with the TV crew hunting down the werewolf/killer, are fantastic, but I always feel that the pacing/plotting gets a bit slack once they head out to the countryside, and it never really recovers, despite some good scare scenes. And whilst I appreciate that the monster effects were a big step forward from the "guy in a mask" level stuff seen in earlier werewolf movies, I've never managed to convince myself that they actually look very impressive or convincing, despite all the commentators and fanboy types queuing up to tell me otherwise.

[Darcy Parker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Darcy Parker]

I also pretty much agree. I always like Joe Dante's stuff, and 'The Howling' is a solid and enjoyable horror movie which I have a lot of fondness for - but I've never felt it quite lives up to the "stone cold classic" rep it seems to have accumulated over the years. It always leaves me feeling kind of... unsatisfied, somehow?

The early scenes in the city, with the TV crew hunting down the werewolf/killer, are fantastic, but I always feel that the pacing/plotting gets a bit slack once they head out to the countryside, and it never really recovers, despite some good scare scenes. And whilst I appreciate that the monster effects were a big step forward from the "guy in a mask" level stuff seen in earlier werewolf movies, I've never managed to convince myself that they actually look very impressive or convincing, despite all the commentators and fanboy types queuing up to tell me otherwise.

Unsatisfying is he perfect word for how I feel about The Howling!

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

I like the Howling. It's no American Werewolf but it's fun and reverential. Yes, some of the effects are clunky, but can anyone truly say that the American Werewolf transformation is perfect? There are a couple of stages in that transformation are not great either. I like the charm of the 80's monster effects, but they all require watching with a certain type of eye. And the first Howling is like Citizen Kane compared to the sequels.

[Darcy Parker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Darcy Parker]

I like the Howling. It's no American Werewolf but it's fun and reverential. Yes, some of the effects are clunky, but can anyone truly say that the American Werewolf transformation is perfect? There are a couple of stages in that transformation are not great either. I like the charm of the 80's monster effects, but they all require watching with a certain type of eye. And the first Howling is like Citizen Kane compared to the sequels.

The sequels being utter shit doesn't make the first movie a masterpiece.

[James Reed Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Reed]

I like both "The Howling" and "An American Werewolf in London", but "American Werewolf" is my favorite of the two. I also love Gary Brandner's books "The Howling" and "Howling II". I never read the third book, but I still have used paperbacks of the first two. I was always disappointed that the movies weren't more faithful. Yeah, "Howling IV" tried to be more faithful, but producer Clive Turner ruined everything and took the film out of John Hough's hands. I like the werewolf transformations in both films, but love the one in "The Company of Wolves". That said, I thought "Company" was pretentious. Nice transformation, though.

[Killer Meteor Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Killer Meteor]

The sequels being utter shit doesn't make the first movie a masterpiece.

Howling II is awesomely bad at least, and has a great theme song.

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

I wish that more people appreciated HOWLING III. It's like a fever dream, arguably even more batshit than part II.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I like both "The Howling" and "An American Werewolf in London", but "American Werewolf" is my favorite of the two. I also love Gary Brandner's books "The Howling" and "Howling II". I never read the third book, but I still have used paperbacks of the first two. I was always disappointed that the movies weren't more faithful. Yeah, "Howling IV" tried to be more faithful, but producer Clive Turner ruined everything and took the film out of John Hough's hands. I like the werewolf transformations in both films, but love the one in "The Company of Wolves". That said, I thought "Company" was pretentious. Nice transformation, though.

I remember reading the first book in high school and enjoying it quite a bit but never got around to any of the sequels.

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

I wish that more people appreciated HOWLING III. It's like a fever dream, arguably even more batshit than part II.

I think Philippe Mora turns anything he directs into pure insanity.

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

I think Philippe Mora turns anything he directs into pure insanity.

It always blows my mind that Mora turned in 'The Howling II: My Sister is a Werewolf'... and they still let him make the third one.

(I do love HII in all its craptacular glory, but, just sayin'..)

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I saw both THE HOWLING and AMERICAN WEREWOLF in the theater when they opened (and WOLFEN too, it really was a wolfy kinda time). I love AMERICAN...but I prefer THE HOWLING (and I read the novel as well). The cast is just terrific, and it so perfectly blends horror and bits of dark humor. There are some genuinely creepy moments such as the discovery of Belinda Belaski's body, and the ending is pretty bleak. Both have serious strengths and also some clunky bits...I guess it all comes down to when you saw them and how they struck you. Nostalgia certainly plays a big part for me.

[Derrick King Waterfall Puncher Find all posts View Profile Close Derrick King]

You may be on to something Andrew. My mother loves An American Werewolf in London so I saw that way before I ever got around to seeing The Howling. (Now that I think about it, my first viewing of The Howling might have been via the MGM special edition DVD, as I am not sure I ever came across a copy at my local video store back in the late 80s-early nineties.)

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

I rewatched American Werewolf in Paris recently. I saw it at the cinema and hated it, but nearly 25 years on I thought I'd give it another watch. This time, I REALLY fucking hated it. I think in terms of drop off between original and sequels, this may actually be even worse than the Howling sequels. At least they have Reb Brown and Sybil Danning's tits. And Sybil Danning's tits. And Sybil Danning's tits. And Sybil Danning's tits.

[Spaghetti Monkey Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Spaghetti Monkey]

My nostalgia factor is superstrong, but every once in a while, something doesn't hold up for me. THE HOWLING would be a rare example of a flick i remember really liking back in the day, but not so much these days. That being said, i love part II for all the wrong reasons. Part V is a really fun old dark castle flick and part VI is fun. NEW MOON RISING is just jaw dropping in it's awfullness.