Howling 4 (1988) & Howling 5 (1989) Reviews

Howling 4 – The Original Nightmare (1988) We can’t say that the actors are bad.But, alas, you can’t say that the story is interesting. No, come on, let’s be realistic: the actors are bad and badly directed. The film seems so long, like an eternity, that nothing really interesting happens. So… pretty faithful to the first three, in that respect! It’s a shame for 1988, considering that the excellent Gremlins 2 and the magnificent first Beetlejuice appeared at the same time. Not forgetting Fright Night, part 2. A trio of unbeatable films.

While The Howling continues to make pitifully bad sequels. Fortunately, I’ve only got one more to see, and then this ordeal can be over! 1988 also saw the indispensable The Accused, which was more than just a deeply moving performance (Jodie Foster at her best), it was first and foremost a film that bordered on the unbearable without lapsing into gratuitous voyeurism. A serious work on a tough subject, intelligently constructed and superbly acted. Unforgettable and disturbing.

1988 saw the first Die Hard, Rambo 3, Scrooged, Rain Man, Coming To America, Roger Rabbit, l’Ours (The Bear), Spoorlos – The Vanishing and the list goes on.So, frankly, let me say that, next to all that, The Howling 4, The Blob, Halloween 4 and Hellraiser 2 have to take a back seat, if not go out the window altogether. Except, of course, for fans of these genres, who prefer gore-filled dreck to films of higher quality. Yes, the Rambos are quality films. I couldn’t agree more! Especially when you see the crap they are.

Oddly enough, in The Howling 4, we don’t really see a werewolf until 1 hour and three minutes into the film, which is a long time. And we’re only about 25 minutes from the end !Once you see them, you regret seeing them, they’re so badly done. What’s more, when the first one runs off, you can tell it’s a dog. But needless to say, the tricks are hilarious. Some real wolves have been trained for this film. If they’d been aware of it, they’d never have agreed! And if not, one of the reasons I watch these films is because I love werewolf transformations. But this is a world away from the first one.

There’s no need to compare this franchise to the excellent Loup-Garou de Londres /An American Werewolf In London (1981). It doesn’t even come close. I suspect that in the next one, these transformations will be non-existent and I’ll be wasting my time again. Ghoulies 4 (1994) is pretty rubbish, but it’s almost less catastrophic than the others. Superman 4 (1987) is clearly the worst. Alien 4 isn’t as good as its three predecessors either. On the other hand, Wrong Turn 4 (2011) is one of the best, whereas 5 is one of the worst films in the universe. So I’m entitled to ask myself… but what’s Howling 5 worth???? I’ll find out soon enough! But I’ve clearly got my suspicions.

My Rating

Howling 5: The Rebirth (1989) The beast returns! Here’s the story: In 1489, a family is literally massacred by a couple in a Budapest castle. The couple later committed suicide. 500 years later, a group of people are invited by the mysterious Count Istvan to the reopening of the same castle. A snowstorm cuts the group off from the outside world and the host does not reveal the true intention behind the invitation. One of the guests is descended from a line of werewolves and must be found and killed. A night of horror, during which several guests are brutally murdered, awaits the visitors. The werewolf has woken up.

I confess that I hadn’t read this summary before seeing this film. But as I don’t think I’m necessarily going to make people want to watch it, it’s really not a big deal. That said, I really enjoyed this fifth opus! Yes, against all odds. It’s still not a film I’d recommend, but I really enjoyed watching it. It’s the least bad! The actors have made an effort here, even if they’re still rather badly directed in a new film that isn’t ultra well made. That said, there’s a lot less blood than in the previous four. There’s also less sex. There are still beautiful women, but it’s more focused on sensuality and their class than directly on sexuality.

And yet Neal Sundstrom, the director, made another film, Dead Easy (2004), which is… an erotic thriller! And then he seems to have disappeared. I think these two films were two flops that got the better of him! You can hardly see the creature either. It’s so much in the dark that you can only see it in small flashes, or you can see its shadow.

The film is more like an investigation, kind of Cluedo or Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. It’s hard to believe that this film is available as a Bookbox, Limited Edition, Blu-ray + DVD! It must not have a huge fan base. But those who are must be ultra loyal. I liked the atmosphere of this film and, compared to the fact that I didn’t really like any of the Howlings (including the first one!) and was really expecting worse and worse, this film was a pleasant surprise. As far as these films are concerned, I’m sure the books are much better! Although I don’t think this one got a paperback version. Only the first three.

My Rating