The Howling (1981) How funny! The title of the film is in the singular, originally. In French, they translated it as “Hurlements.” But in that case, the film should have been called The Howlings. In exactly the same way that Star Wars should have been called “Star Wars” and not “Star Wars”! Anyway! This film is reminiscent of two or three other things. The Loup-Garou de Londres/An American Werewolf In London (1981), released the same year! There’s also Michael Jackson’s 1982 video Thriller. A clip in which he was clearly inspired by these films, given the effects and transformations.

This film is relatively lame. It hasn’t aged well. So why is it can’t compare to An American Werewolf In London? I’ve got an idea: John Landis is a much better director than Joe Dante! The two films have some similarities: the werewolves are very well made for their time, they’re very scary and the transformations are spectacular. Both films mix sex and werewolves. There’s a serial killer who forces his last potential victim to watch a rape scene in a film. There are also two people who copulate while they transform. At the same time, and paradoxically, there is also the main couple who never make love, because they are never coordinated in their desires.In American Werewolf, there’s a sex scene that makes the main couple very close… but also makes the ending very tragic. There’s also a rendezvous in a porn cinema, but the film is pretty funny. In fact, we are shown a relatively hilarious scene, but during the protagonists’ discussion, we hear the moans without really seeing a scene.

So… bad director, bad film. What’s more, Dee Wallace is a terrible actress. At least in this film. Oh well! At the same time, you don’t really need talent to act in her films, especially as she’s in Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, Alligator 2: The Mutation, Cujo (I haven’t seen it, I’ve read the book and that’s enough for me!), Critters… Oh my God! They’ve done another Critters Attack in 2019!!!The first four already sucked. I’ll have to see them again just for the fun of shooting them down in my reviews. On the other hand, I see that Dee is also in E.T.? Ah if she’s the mother, then she was clearly the least good actress!!!! 🤣😉The kids played significantly better. Generally speaking, the actors are pretty bad in this film.

The French dubbing doesn’t help here. Patrick Macnee must have been desperately trying to renew himself after the end of his wonderful The Avengers/Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir series, but he must have lost his way. I realise he’s been in a lot of really bad B-movies. Shame! I’ll probably watch one or two more sequels… but if they’re all unbearable, I’m not likely to go all the way ;-D

I’m going to end my actress review by talking about Canadian actress Elisabeth Brooks(who is probably the most beautiful and clearly the sexiest actress in the film). And why is that? Because she came to a tragic end. In fact, Elisabeth Brooks Luyties must have made many people fantasies and it was certainly for her role here that she was best known, in her leather clothes under which she wore nothing. You can tell by the way she completely undresses. This is the image that fans of the film have retained of the evil mermaid. Which is sad in a way. Because far fewer will learn that she was adopted at the age of 6 months and died at the age of 46. After a two-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer, Brooks died near her home in Palm Springs, California. Brooks was survived by her children and best friend and ex-girlfriend Kristy McNichol, her death coming four days before McNichol’s 6th birthday. Her other film appearances include Deep Space (same year as this film) and The Forgotten One. She has also appeared in cult series such as Hart to Hart (For the Love of Risk in french), Starsky and Hutch and The Six Million Dollar Man.

Spoilers: I don’t get the impression that she’s in the second part (or any sequel) of this film, even if she survives the end. I’m sure it will also have escaped most people that she wasn’t just an actress, but also a singer (a bit of a guitarist), poet and writer. R.I.P.

My Rating

Rating: 2 out of 5.

The Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf! (1985) Four years later, we’re don’t have the same people/cast… we’re doing it all over again! The Howling is a franchise with five films in all. Usually, it’s the very first ones that are the best… but here, even the first one’s no good!

Again, there are some cool creatures and good transformations… but there’s also plenty of naked, sexy women and sex. Which might be fine, if it were done with subtlety and artistry, but you get the feeling that it’s all just to attract more viewers to a film that’s relatively devoid of meaning and depth. Because even if you love werewolves, as I do, I’m not sure you’ll find any real interest in it. What’s more, the actors are pretty bad.

That said, I can’t give it less than two stars, because the great Christopher Lee is still very good, classy and charismatic. But what are they doing here? In the lead role, no less! It was also to bring in viewers, I suppose. Funny to think that he also has a supporting role in the masterpiece Gremlins 2! After being Dracula himself, Christopher Lee is now hunting werewolves! Something to add to his list of achievements. And to raise this film’s profile slightly.

My Rating

Rating: 2 out of 5.