To me The Howling is a better movie than AWIL. I like the story better, and the characters too. The creepy atmosphere fits perfectly the cheesy 80s tone. And that transformation scene is frightening. The opening scene is unsettling too, and I had nightmares of the Eddy Quist character, turning in the darkest corner of the peep show booth. And Karen (Dee Wallace) reaction and face expression, were easy to relate to. The movie stalls with the whole Colony introduction, and everything leading up to the « sex in the woods » scene. But it helps to set the tone. Granted, the finale design of the werewolf is not of the nicest effect, there too. Can we say werekangaroos? But the attacks and chase scenes still get you. The finale showdown in the barn, is where it gets silly, but not in an idiotic way. The thing with The Howling, is that the dark humor is never exaggerated, or meant as true comic reliefs. So the scare remains intact. The last scene is intentionally sarcastic though, and is a great conclusion to the movie. Unlike American Werewolf in London, this one is not trying so hard, and just do. Which makes it more efficient and my personal favorite. See which one is yours...
Review of The Howling
