The Howling

1981
R
1h 31m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:35

Werewolf Horror Horror

After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,727

487

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 3 nominations

Trivia
Rick Baker was originally doing the special effects for this movie, but he left to do An American Werewolf in London (1981), leaving the effects job for this movie in the hands of assistant Rob Bottin. Both this movie and "American Werewolf" were released the same year and both received praise for their makeup work.

Goofs
Slim Pickens is shot twice with the shots coming almost on top of each other in quick succession. However, he is shot with a manual bolt-action rifle making that impossible.

Quotes
Boy watching TV: Wow!
Mother's voice (offscreen): What are you kids watching?
Girl watching TV: The newslady's turned into a werewolf!

Crazy credits
At the very end of the credits, there is a brief clip from The Wolf Man (1941).

Alternate versions
In the French video version (TF1) The scene where "Eddie" rips a bullet out of his forehead just before turning into a werewolf is missing. The theater version was uncut though.

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: Hardly Working/The Howling/'Breaker' Morant/Mon Oncle D'Amerique/Caveman (1981)

Soundtracks
Howling Chicken
Written by Rick Fienhage and Joyce Fienhage

User reviews293

Review

Featured review

Listen to the critics, it's actually one of the best

Yes! For a change in the horror genre this film does deserve all of the praise, hype, cult following and respect it receives, even from the critics. I would go so far as to even admit that I find this Joe (Gremlins, Innerspace, The 'burbs, Matinee, Small soldiers) Dante flick one of his best crafted works, followed by PIRANHA.

It's always been a toss up between THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON for the most effective lycanthropy picture of postmodern horror cinema (anything since Psycho). Where John Landis used comedy more blatantly, the humour in THE HOWLING is far more satirical and subversive. Undoubtedly, Rob Bottin's effects steal the show as well as they did for John Carpenter's THE THING. The transformation of Eddie Quist, especially on the revamped DVD is something to behold.

For anyone with a passing interest in the horror genre this is a film to include on that 'TO SEE' list. For fans of werewolf movies this should go on that 'MUST SEE' list.