Throwback Thursday Review: 'THE MONSTER SQUAD' (1987)

Directed by Night of the Creeps (1986) director, Frank Dekker, and starring Tom Noonan (Heat), Duncan Regehr (Air Bud 3), and Andre Gower (Sweet Deadly Dreams), The Monster Squad is a tale that adults and children alike can enjoy. It's a heartwarming story about a group of children who find themselves in a real life face-off against cinemas most famous monsters to ever grace the big screen.

'ABNORMAL' comic series creeping your way!

"This story is about taking a new approach on the famous, and not so famous, monsters that we've heard about in myths. A secret FBI division is assigned to handle these "Abnormals." If you think you know the true story behind their legends be prepared to be surprised! Do you love chills? Thrills? Are you aching for a series that plays like classic creature features? Then, 'Abnormal' by Martinez/Butler is for you!"

Throwback Thursday Review: THE HOWLING (1981)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 91 Mins
WRITER(S)- Gary Brandner, John Sayles, and Terence H. Winkless
STARRING- Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, and Dennis Dugan
DIRECTOR- Joe Dante



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




Although based on the 1977 fiction novel of the same title by the late Gary Brandner (May 31, 1930-September 22, 2013), "The Howling" film is almost nothing like the book. It's very loosely-based, to put it modestly.  And after the success of the 1981 motion picture directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins), it spawned six sequels and a reboot in 2011. With each sequel decreasing in merit more than the previous installment before it, it wasn't until the fourth movie "Howling IV: The Original Nightmare" (1988) that Gary Brander's novel got a real adaptation that didn't digress his work. Just a shame the movie sucked.

Strippers vs Werewolves (2012)

RATED- UNRATED
RUN TIME- 93 MINS
WRITER(S)- PATT HIGGINS AND PHILIP BARRON
STARRING- ADELE SILVA, MARTIN COMPSTON AND BILLY MURRAY 
DIRECTOR- JONATHAN GLENDENING



Synopsis taken from IMDb
When werewolf chief Jack Ferris is accidentally killed in a strip club the girls who work there have until the next full moon before his bloodthirsty wolfpack seek murderous retribution.




Again, not on good terms with Netflix's horror selection. I'm telling you, this is getting rough! I watched one last night called "Are you alone in the House?", and it was the most decent one I've seen in a while, but I still wasn't very fond of it. It was just better than the mass of terrible films streaming lately. 

Yet again, I found myself uninterested in just about every second of this film. I mean, how the hell do you screw this up? Strippers = awesome and werewolves = awesome. But awesome isn't the final result of the film, in fact, it's far from it. You'd think with such a cool and fun combo of characteristics, that it'd be an enjoyable film. I found nothing about it amusing.

First of all, the werewolves look like monkeys. This is possibly the worst werewolves I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of bad ones. They look and appear to have taken no effort to make or design. Just fuzzy sideburns and ape faces. That in itself turned me off from the film. 

I don't mind humor in my horror, never have, and if you've followed my blog, you'd know that. This film however, manages to not be funny in the least, tiniest bit. It was more annoying than anything! The jokes, gore, and one-liners weren't even so badly written that they were laughable, they were the bad where you heard crickets chirping.

The strippers were a waste. Every good looking one of them didn't show anything memorable, and the ones that did weren't worth looking at! It's that bad, where you can't even rely on hot chicks to make it better. Any and all hope this film had got trashed and burned out.

I'm making this review a short one. Quite frankly, there isn't anything left to say, other than going on a rant, and I try not to do that. Sometimes it's hard. I strongly advise you against this movie. Don't get duped by the cover like I did. Save yourself the 90 minutes of your life.

10 Greatest Movie Werewolf Designs

The werewolf has captured our imagination since childhood and ran away with it. The idea of being a man, or woman, and becoming something more has always been a fantasy for the human race. Even if that something is a beast, it still hits home in our psyche because we all have the hidden urge to be primal, to be a beast, a predator.

The first depiction of a man-wolf was inscribed on a cave wall, suggesting they go back at least as far as the caveman. The Book of Daniel (4:15-33) is the first written account of the werewolf. King Nebuchadnezzar had symptoms of being of werewolf for about four years. The Greek legend of King Lycaon of Arcadia, was transformed into a wolf by Zeus after serving the God a meal of human flesh. This started the scientific word for werewolf, "Lycanthrope".

In the middle ages, Gilles Garnier was a peasant who suffered from Lycanthropy and is easily the most recognizable story from the era. His four-month rampage resulted in the death of four youngsters. His tirade was witnessed by over 50 locals who swore they saw him in the guise of half-man, half-beast. After admitting to being a werewolf, he was burned to death on January 18, 1573.

So as you can see, the werewolf has been around longer than all of us living in present day. The legend has  been told and carried throughout the ages. We still try to find truth to the stories, and make them in movies as our imagination interprets them.

This is not a countdown of the greatest werewolf films ever made, that would be a different list altogether. This is simply the best looks our favorite cinema beast has had throughout the ages. And yes, if you notice, there's no real wolves used on my list. I think werewolves should show that they are part man and not just a regular wolf. I find that tactic very uninspiring and a cheap cop-out. It's also extremely overused.

It baffles me that 'True Blood' creator, Alan Ball, said that he uses real wolves on the show because it's original and hasn't been done too often before. Yeah...he actually said that. Leave it to the people who are experts in the genre, Alan. I don't understand how it's original when most werewolves in TV and film are portrayed that way. Hell, Twilight does it!

On this list you'll find only werewolf's that actually took effort to make, and that fit the true definition of what a Lycanthrope actually is. The monsters listed are the most alluring, and well crafted werewolves of all-time. The ones that found that balance of being a man (or woman) transformed into a monster.


10. The Wolfman (1941)

Lon Chaney Jr. wasn't the first person to play a werewolf, even though that's popular belief. No, the first werewolf  film came about in 1933 titled "Werewolf of London". However, Lon Chaney Jr.'s portrayal as The Wolf Man went on to find it's way into all of our hearts, captivating us all.

This is my least favorite werewolf look, but this guy got werewolves recognized. It was the fame and attention gained by this film that pushed werewolves mainstream. I couldn't not include him in the list. He's the all-time classic werewolf and without him, we wouldn't have such killer designs for werewolves in movies today. Regardless of how dated his look is, the movie still plucks chords in our hearts.


FUN FACT: Lon Chaney Jr.'s makeup took six hours to apply and nearly three hours to get off.


9. Silver Bullet (1985)

I still consider 'Silver Bullet' to be one of the best werewolf films ever made. Based off of Stephen King's short story titled Cycle of the Werewolf, this film packs a wallop. There were quite a few werewolf films released during the 80's. Some of which aren't even watchable, and others are now all-time classics. This film has such good and rich storytelling, and a great movie for siblings. My sister and I are really close, so this film always hit home to us and will always be cherished as a favorite.

However, I had to put this guy next to last because even though I like the design of the werewolf, at the end of the day it still looks too much like a bear to me. A really mean bear. But, the howling and growling sound so authentic, that it's terrifying. 

DID YOU KNOW: Dino De Laurentiis was very unhappy with the werewolf used in the film. He was disappointed in both the way it looked and the way the costumed actor  moved. This proved to be a bit of an insult to the actor wearing the suit as he was an accomplished modern dancer and was hired specifically for his movement skills. 

8. The Howling (1981)

Based off of the book by the same title by Gary Brandner, everybody knows of  'The Howling', it's one of the widest recognizable werewolf films ever. I consider this to be the 2nd greatest werewolf film of all-time, it's absolutely brilliant! My favorite horror movie poster and cover art are from this movie. The woman screaming through clawed fabric is terrifying and tells you what you're getting into before you watch it. This film also has one of the best endings to a werewolf film ever.

I actually really like the design of the werewolves in this film, they're ferocious and induce primal fear. However, the bunny ears that they have going on, kills it for me. If they had normal ears this film would have ranked better in this countdown.


FUN FACT: Originally Rick Baker was doing the special effects for the film, but he left the production to do 'An American Werewolf in London'. Baker left the effects job for this film in the hands of assistant Rob Bottin. Both this film and 'An American Werewolf in London' were released the same year and both received praise for their makeup work.  



7. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

My #1 favorite werewolf film ever. This film has everything you need to have a great film about a gnarly beast. John Landis actually wrote the script in the 60's but, didn't get around to making it a movie close to two decades later. This is one of the werewolf films out there that doesn't try to glorify anything. Being a monster is a curse, not a blessing and this film exploits that with the most painful and well shot transformation scene of all-time.

As much as I adore the film, the wolf isn't the best it could have been. The roars and howls are the most terrifying ones in werewolf cinema. This is a vicious and savage beast. However, it looks too mangy for me to rank it higher. I'm not a fan of its posture, it's too low to the ground when walking on all fours for my taste.


DID YOU KNOW: Because of this film, makeup and industry technological contributors became recognized by the Academy Awards in 1981. Makeup artist Rick Baker was the first to receive an Oscar in the new category. William Tuttle was the first makeup effects artist to receive an Oscar (being an honorary one) for his work on '7 Faces of Dr. Lao'.

6. Bad Moon (1996)

Here is a movie with one of the scariest and most menacing werewolves of all-time. This thing is mean. When I first saw the film, the last 15 minutes of it had me paralyzed in my seat. I couldn't move but, even if I wanted to, I still wouldn't have. This film is scary as hell and part of it has to do with how authentic the wolf design is. It's a good film about a dogs love for its owners and what it'll do to protect them from harm...or a werewolf. The dogfight at the end of this film was brutal and nothing less than awesome.

I actually think the wolf design is almost impeccable! But they make the mistake of showing it roar and howl too much, revealing how obvious it is that the head is animatronic. The far away shots revealing the legs also lessen the look of this wolf because you can see how it's just a guy in a suit. In the picture above is how it looks best.


FUN FACT: In the scene in which Janet makes breakfast, her Brett is watching 'Werewolf of London' on the television, and he and his Uncle Ted argue about werewolf lore. Actually, the lore that Brett argues that "everyone knows about", such as details about silver bullets and wolfsbane, comes from 'The Wolf Man', which Curt Siodmak totally made up.


5. Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

Being a fan of the first film, I have to admit that the wolf looked a bit silly. When this film hit, with a bigger budget, they were able to fix the flaws with the wolf. Other than that, I truly consider this film to be superior to the first, and in my top 5 favorite werewolf films. The wolf in this film is just vicious and terrifying to even look at. It has a permanent look of "I'm going to rip you to pieces" on it's face all the time. They also didn't overuse the wolf and show it too much, which is always a smart move.

The flaws of this wolf are that you can tell it's just a person in a suit, despite how fantastic the design is. The head looks a little stiff and doesn't give off a genuine appearance at certain angles shown throughout the film.


DID YOU KNOW: A lot of the film was shot on location (apart from Ghost's house and the vents), and was  the highest budget Ginger Snaps movie at 4.8 million Canadian Dollars (still a relatively small budget).


4. Underworld (2003)

When 'Underworld' hit theaters everyone was talking about the werewolves! I remember whenever a conversation came up about the film, someone always brought up the special effects. Probably the most believable vampire and werewolf story ever told, these lycanthropes are also extremely realistic. I'm not a super-fan of the transformations in the film, but the end result is pure genius. These things are big, and intelligent, and aren't to be taken lightly.

The thing that lessens them for me is that they have faces resembling felines. Their faces almost resemble Archer from the kids movie 'Small Soldiers', if you've seen that film than you'll know what I mean. Other than that small nitpick, these creatures are solid. Posture and all.


FUN FACT: Although Lucien is the lead Lycan, he only ever shifts once into his full werewolf form, and that's in a flashback scene.


3. Underworld: Evolution (2006)

Yeah that's right. Another werewolf from the Underworld films makes the list due to superb special effects and complete realism. William from the second installment in the series, is the first werewolf ever in they mythology these movies create. He's the very first, so he's burdened by not being able to transform back into human form. He's stuck in beast form for eternity. I liked his story and reason for existing as much as I liked the design.

The design is damn close to flawless and there's not many negatives I can say about this guy or, the remaining two on this countdown. These are the best of the best in realism, design and, scariness. What stands out about William is that since he's the first werewolf, he's completely covered in hair. This is unlike the regular Lycans from the series. Although he's covered in hair, he still comes off like a wolf man and not just an animal.


DID YOU KNOW: 'Underworld: Evolution' had a 71-day shooting schedule.


2. Dog Soldiers (2002)

The werewolves in this movie are so badass! Anyone who knows anything about horror films, not only likes this movie, but go crazy over the amazing werewolf designs. These things have the heads of wolfs and it's absolutely stunning! The head, groin and legs all consist of fur while the rest of the body is hairless. While humanly proportioned, they have the bodies of shaved wolves.. Look at the ribs and abdominal area, it's done to such precise perfection that it's unsettling.

Just the looks of these things are enough to send you running away. Nothing could give you a reason to stick around if you saw these savage beasts. And they're very, very, intelligent, knowing who to attack and attacking in packs when their victims least expect it. There is only one other werewolf design that holds 'Dog Soldiers' from wearing the crown.


FUN FACT: There is very little CGI used in the movie because the people involved in the film making believed that CGI was being over-used at the time and that it would take viewers out of the movie because they would be focused on how the special effects looked rather than the story, thus the werewolves are animatronics and body suits with stilts.


1. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

In a world where everybody wants to used CGI, some people are still getting it right. This werewolf is the best looking design ever to cross the silver screen. This is the perfect definition of what a wolf man is! It looks like a wolf, mean, gnarly, fierce, ferocious and terrifying. This really looks like an animal, but due to proportions you can see the man's in there as well. It isn't too much of one, and not the other. This design is flawless.

With 'The Cabin in the Woods' being a relatively newer film, this gives us hope that there are some film makers and makeup effects teams out there that aren't looking to take the short cut and will create the beast properly. The only fault I have isn't with the wolf, it's with the movie because I wish they would have shown this monster more. It was awesome looking at it for the first time! I found myself waiting and hoping they showed it again.

DID YOU KNOW: This film won 5 Fright Meter Awards, including Best Horror Movie, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Netflix Original Series "Hemlock Grove"

"Hemlock Grove" is a show based on McGreevy's book of the same title. It's a supernatural series that takes place in the fictional town of Hemlock Grove in Pennsylvania.

From the trailer I wasn't really sold on this show, but since I'm a Netflix hound I figured I'd give it a shot. And when I commit to something I'm in it until the duration. Unless it's Madmen. Christ almighty, I couldn't get into that show to save my life. But I gave "Hemlock Grove" the benefit of the doubt since it's yet another horror show going on right now.

The show picks up with Peter Rumancek (Landon Liboiron) and his mother move into the town of Hemlock Grove. They move into an old trailer in the woods and are instantly looked down upon for being Gypsy's. From the way Peter and his mother act, we can tell they're used to the cruel treatment and have learned to deal with it.

Roman Godfrey (Bill Skarsgard) and his mother Olivia Godfrey (Famke Janssen) are the rich and wealthy of the town. They're snobs. Roman has an obsession with blood and likes cutting himself. He has a sister who's extremely disfigured and freakishly tall. She has a blue glow to her that informs the viewer that she's not just a  deformed circus freak, there's something to her.

Suspicion arises all around town when a teen is brutally mangled by what local authority believes to be an animal. Instantly the heat comes down on Peter and his mother, claiming that they are werewolves. Yet again, they deal with the pressure and keep moving forward.

Eventually, Peter and Roman befriend each other and the really crazy stuff begins. I'll stop here since it's a new show and some of you are probably still watching it. It took me about 3 days to watch all 13 episodes in between working.

What I can say positive about this show is that there is one hell of an awesome werewolf transformation scene, and while it isn't an original idea I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a true werewolf scene. Gritty and painful and they don't hold back on the gore. This idea however, was first done in 2004's blockbuster "Van Helsing".

I also like how the show is a true horror show. It's got it's pop culture touch to it, but it's definitely a non watered down version of  the CW's "The Vampire Diaries". HBO's "True Blood" still holds dominant for best show about werewolves and vampires though.

The cast of this show struggles, but I feel that this show is just getting off it's feet. The last few episodes really start to show it's potential. So hopefully if we get a 2nd season it'll pick up at a much faster pace. The story unfolds well, but still leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions.

This show certainly has it's character flaws and one of the main things I found wrong with it is that I don't really like a single character on the show except for Peter. So they need to throw some more character development in there. Too much time was wasted on the investigation of the "animal attacks" and not enough time dedicated to making the characters more than one dimensional.

"Hemlock Grove" has just begun to bare it's fangs and if we have another season I think the gloves are coming off. Not the best first season to a show I've seen by far, but far from the worst.

THIS SEASON GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

The Howling VI: The Freaks (Video 1991)

***S  P  O  I  L  E  R  S***

"Vampire vs. Werewolf

The Ultimate Clash of the Forces of Evil"

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 102 MINS

WRITER(S)- GARY BRANDNER AND KEVIN ROCK

STARRING- BRENDAN HUGHES, MICHELE MATHESON AND SEAN SULLIVAN

DIRECTOR- HOPE PERELLO

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A villainous carnival owner traps a young werewolf to include in his growing menagerie of inhuman exhibits.

STORY: I'm back with another round of abuse for myself. I'm a glutton for punishment, as I said before. I've seen all of the Howling films except V and VI, up until recently. I should have called it quits after the 3rd film and I wanted to, but my OCD wouldn't allow me to not finish the series. Christ, almighty.

This film focuses on a drifter named Ian who stops in a small town and takes up a job working on rebuilding the town church. He's known to the town instantly as a good worker and has everyone's attention since he's the mysterious new guy in town. One night when the full moon arises we see Ian change into a werewolf and my God is it awful looking. It doesn't look like a werewolf at all, I don't know what the hell it looks like but it's absolutely terrible. While out roaming, a freak from the circus sees Ian as a wolfman and reports it to his boss, R.B. Harker.

Harker imprisons Ian and uses him as a freak in his hideous display for his carnival business. While locked up, Ian is abused and mentally tortured and picked on. Of course, we all knew that he was going to escape and have his big battle to freedom. It's completely predictable and tasteless. I knew from the go that Harker was a vampire and I think they made it very obvious, even if they didn't mean to.

Ian and Harker battle it out for superiority and dominance. With a stake and a heavy, lethal dose of direct sunlight Ian pulls off the victory. Now he's off on the road again traveling. Until he passes the next town worth stopping in.

Possibly...probably the worst werewolf design I have ever seen

ACTING/PERFORMANCES: The acting in this movie was dry and boring. It wasn't convincing at all. I guess all the actors knew this movie was such a piece of crap, they just signed on for the paycheck. Ian is made out to be sympathized with but to be honest, I couldn't care less what happened to anyone in this movie.

KILLS/GORE: The gore was sparse and the kills were generic as well as the ridiculous fight scene at the end. I really don't know what went through the people making this film's minds. There wasn't a single scene that stood out to me. 

OVERALL: This movie is a dare to watch. A dare to see if you'll fall asleep or turn it off before it's over. I somehow survived but I will never watch this again. I haven't seen a movie this bad in a while so I'm pissed it ruined my good movie streak. I'm going to wash this bad taste out of my mouth with a viewing of An American Werewolf in London. Beware of this movie, it bites.

THIS FILM GETS 1 1/2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Grimm Reviewz Remembers: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

I'm so excited to do this one! This is one I've been itching to do, and lets face it, anything about An American Werewolf in London will put a big ole smile on my face. 

This movie changed the face of horror cinema. It's an elite. Werewolf movies are always lagging, there's hardly ever any real good werewolf movies and this one hits it out of the park. It is amazing special effects, funny, scary, thrilling and satisfying.

This was one that was under my radar for far to long and when it surfaced I was telling friends and family about it. I was telling people to watch it and I went out and bought Innocent Blood (1992) when I found out that John Landis did that as well.

DID YOU KNOW?

An American Werewolf in London was actually filmed in sequence, the opening scenes filmed first and the closing scenes filmed last.

John Landis said that he often hears that people think it's a comedy and although the movie has alot of good humor, it isn't a comedy by far. It is however a monumental movie in the werewolf genre, it planted it's flag and claimed the territory. And it's kept it ever since. 

I remember hearing "Blue Moon" playing and the overlook of some beautiful scenery. We see a old truck transporting sheep stop and open the back of the truck to let out 2 young american males. Jack and David. They're best friends touring the world together and you instantly love their characters and their friendship. It all changes however, when they enter a small pub called The Slaughtered Lamb to be greeted by a group of fishy looking rude Englishmen. 

FILM QUOTE

JACK: NOW, I'M REALLY SORRY TO BE UPSETTING YOU, BUT I HAVE TO WARN YOU.

DAVID: WARN ME?

JACK: WE WERE ATTACKED BY A WEREWOLF.

DAVID: [PUTTING HIS HANDS OVER HIS EARS] I'M NOT LISTENING TO THIS!

JACK: ON THE MOORS, WE WERE ATTACKED BY A LYCANTHROPE, A WEREWOLF. I WAS MURDERED, AN UNNATURAL DEATH, AND NOW I WALK THE EARTH IN LIMBO UNTIL THE WEREWOLF CURSE IS LIFTED.

DAVID: SHUT UP!

JACK: THE WOLF'S BLOODLINE MUST BE SEVERED; THE LAST REMAINING WEREWOLF MUST BE DESTROYED. IT'S YOU, DAVID.

I remember when I first heard the wolf's howl as David and Jack are leaving The Slaughter'd Lamb, I was terrified. This wolf's howl seemed so much more savage and vicious than any other howl I ever heard from a werewolf. There was some aggression and and savagery in that howl and a little bit of what sounded to be pain. The pain of having that curse, the pain of being damned.

The attack was just as horrendous. The wolf tears Jack apart, poor guy. But he makes a better zombie, and you'll find that out more as you watch the film. I thought what they did to Jack was brilliant and a perfect use for his funny and sarcastic personality. 

One reason I like this scene alot is because David runs instead of helping Jack at first. He totally takes off leaving Jack to be dog food. He has a change of heart and comes back to the rescue only to be scratched by the wolf himself. The damage to Jack was already done. I like that David ran. It was a real reaction and emotion, that's why it's impactful  to me.

DID YOU KNOW?

ALL SONGS IN THIS FILM HAVE THE WORD "MOON" IN THEIR TITLES.

The impact that scene had on me was severe. I was terrified of this wolf and more than anything I wanted to see what it looked like. Funny thing, John Landis said that he thinks he showed the wolf too much in the final edit of the film. He said he would have cut some of the wolf out. I however, think the wolf wasn't overused at all. I think they show the wolf enough, I wouldn't say they should cut any of the wolf's footage out.

David waking up in the hospital after a ridiculous amount of sleep and finding out that his pal Jack is dead and that the police reports say it was a "mad man" who attacked he and David. David detests this but its disregarded due to his lack of memory and state of mind.

You instantly see the attraction between David and the Nurse and the whole time thinking how bad this is going to go if he pursues her as a girlfriend. And at the same time wanting him to do it so you can see what happens when he turns into a werewolf.

FILM QUOTE

JACK: HOW COULD THERE HAVE BEEN WITNESSES? IT WAS SO DARK. WE WERE RUNNING AND I FELL AND JACK WENT TO HELP ME UP, AND THIS THING CAME FROM NOWHERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

As David stays in the hospital we start to see David and Nurse Price acting out their attraction with silly flirting and laughs. They both sense something's there and aren't hiding from it.

I remember seeing David going to the market with Nurse Price and seeing how "carefully" she lived on her budget and with the prices of food being outrageous. I know how she feel's I've been there. But more importantly, she's bringing a werewolf home with her...

DID YOU KNOW?

AT THE CLOSE OF THE CREDITS IS A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FOR THE WEDDING OF PRINCE CHARLES AND PRINCESS DIANNA (AS LADY DIANA SPENCER). IT WAS INCLUDED BECAUSE DURING THE SCENE WHEN DAVID IS TRYING TO GET ARRESTED, HE SHOUTS, "PRINCE CHARLES IS GAY!" THE FILM WAS SHOT MONTHS BEFORE THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE COUPLE'S JULY 1981 WEDDING. 

  

After David and Miss Price make love, David gets up to take a leak and sees his good ol' pal Jack for the second time (the first being when David's in the hospital). And Jack brings doom in his words, warning david not to do anything stupid and that he's going to turn soon. A full moon is coming. David disregards Jack again and goes on about life, thinking he's going crazy for seeing such morbid visions.

What got me right away was how every time you see Jack, he is more decomposed than the last time you saw him. Becoming more rotted and weathered. I thought that was a brilliant touch.

FILM QUOTE

JACK: IT'S A FULL MOON...

JACK, DAVID: [REMEMBERING THE WARING THEY RECEIVED] BEWARE THE MOON...

DAVID: AND STICK TO THE ROAD. OOPS.

JACK: I VOTE WE GO BACK TO THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB.

I remember how antsy I was to see David turn. We all knew it was coming. We the viewer knew Jack's word's were true. It was David who didn't listen. 

The whole scene was suspenseful and brilliant. Even though CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" was playing as background music to David being bored all day while Miss Price was at work, I wasn't being fooled. I knew this was the calm before the storm.

Finally after finding nothing to eat (he's not hungry all day), and there's nothing on TV, David decides to read a book to pass the time. Meanwhile some clouds move revealing a full moon.

DID YOU KNOW?

JOHN LANDIS ORIGINALLY WANTED THREE OTHER SONGS ADDED TO THE SOUNDTRACK: CAT STEVENS WOULDN'T ALLOW "MOONSHADOW" TO BE USED BECAUSE HE STOPPED ALLOWING HIS SECULAR MUSIC TO BE LICENSED FOR FILMS FOLLOWING HIS CONVERSION TO ISLAM; BOB DYLAN WOULDN'T ALLOW HIS VERSION OF "BLUE MOON" TO BE USED IN AN R RATED FILM, AS HE HAD JUST BEGUN HIS BRIEF CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY; AND ELVIS PRESLEY'S VERSION OF " BLUE MOON" PROVED UNAVAILABLE DUE TO THE ONGOING LAWSUITS INVOLVING HIS ESTATE. 

The transformation scene was incredible, I even heard that the latex used in the scene showing his muzzle grow only lasted a few minutes due to how stretched it was, but it lasted long enough to shoot the scene. And that's what counts.

It was shot so painfully, you felt for David, watching his body morph and he has no control. Just an abundance of pain and suffering. They way you hear bones cracking, popping and tendons stretching. All while he screams for mercy in the background. This reminds you that although werewolf's may be cool, it ain't easy being one and you certainly don't want to be one. If werewolf's were real there'd be no way around a painful transformation.

By far the best shot and well done transformation scene ever. As well as most painful. They nailed this scene. This scene will forever echo in the horror vault of memorable film moments.

FILM QUOTE

JACK: HAVE YOU TRIED TALKING TO A CORPSE? IT'S BORING. 

You still barely see the wolf at this point and after such an amazing scene you want to be satisfied with finally viewing the monstrosity. But John Landis doesn't let you in that easily. What's he do? He waits until David attacks some people to show you the wolf in it's entirety, which is ingenious. And what a way to make an impact when you show it in an attack scene. 

The Kessler Wolf is the finest werewolf design ever made until recently, and I honestly think it still may be the best. It looks like a wolf, but it isn't a Twilight or True Blood wolf where they cheap out and give you basic wolves. And it wasn't a wolf-man. It doesn't stand on it's back legs and walk like a man. It doesn't movie like a man either, it's something new. It's a ferocious beast and is terribly vicious.

 I was so scared for the fellow at the subway station. Putting myself in those shoes. Being chased by your lonesome by a beast of unknown origin that's growl and posture made it clear to you that you're dinner. Terrifying. 

DID YOU KNOW?

JOHN LANDIS WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR THIS FILM WHILE HE WAS A GOFER ON THE KELLY'S HEROS SHOOT.

After he awakens the next day in a zoo naked, David feels great! He's energetic and rejuvenated. But when he finds out that there was some brutal animal attacks last night he puts 2 and 2 together and realizes that the animal who savagely murdered innocent people was him, and that Jack's words were really words he should have listened to.

David then freaks out and takes off, leaving Miss Price  and goes to call home to say goodbye to his family. He's decided to end his life.

He then sees Jack walk into a porno theater viewing a film called "See You Next Tuesday" and follows Jack in. They get a seat in the back and have a talk discussion what went on last night. This is the coolest look for Jack,  because at this point he's so decomposed you can see his skull through his skin. This was done by puppet because when doing make-up it's easy to add to something. But taking away and making someone look like a corpse is easier to execute with puppeteering.

FILM QUOTE

LITTLE BOY: A NAKED AMERICAN MAN STOLE MY BALLOONS.

David and Jack aren't alone in the porno theater. They're joined by David's dinner from last night. All of them telling him to end his life and let them free of limbo. They aren't exactly polite but I can't say I would be either.

David then turns again when the full moon arises and he's in the middle of the theater. This is my 2ND favorite scene in the movie after the transformation scene. There's so much chaos and destruction and death. People killing other people in car crashes piling up due to the wolf prowling the streets. The body count rises.

Once Miss Price remembers a thing David said to her, "I think only someone you love can kill you", she comes to the scene to see if she can confront the beast and save David.

DID YOU KNOW?

THIS IS THE FIRST FILM TO WIN AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST MAKEUP. THAT CATEGORY WAS CREATED IN 1981.

The ending to this film was sad and tragic, as well as good for a laugh. With the music that plays at the end giving you a little reprieve from such a dark ending. This film truly evokes every emotion from you. It's a masterpiece for the ages and the measuring stick in which all other werewolf films are compared. And it is my favorite werewolf film of all-time.

COMING NEXT MONTH!!!

GRIMM REVIEWZ REMEMBERS: HALLOWEEN (1978)

The Howling: Reborn (video 2011)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 90 MINS

WRITERS- JOE NIMZIKI AND JAMES ROBERT JOHNSTON

STARRING-  LANDON LIBOIRON, LINDSEY SHAW AND IVANA MILICEVIC

DIRECTOR- JOE NIMZIKI

Synopsis taken from IMDb

On the eve of his high school graduation, unremarkable Will Kidman finally bonds with the girl he has long yearned for, reclusive Eliana Wynter. But he also discovers a dark secret from his past...that he is about to become a werewolf. Now, in an effort to fight destiny and save their love as well as their lives, they must battle not only Will's growing blood lust but an army of fearsome beasts bent on killing them...and then, us all.

I'd like to start off by saying that I love the original The Howling (1981) and truly consider it to be a landmark horror film. Especially for the werewolf genre. And after a few years of postponing the sequels I decided to give in and give them a shot and I should have listened to my gut. The sequels increasingly got worse! Part 3 was the worst and after that I was done, part 3 was one of the worst films I've ever seen and I wouldn't watch it again unless I was paid to do it. I never finished watching the sequels that followed part 3 because judging by the covers they're even worse than part 3.

Just another prime example of giving the right film franchise to the wrong people wanting to make a buck. So funny how they fail to realize that we'd rather see a good horror flick than a horrible one that was just fun to make. I take film seriously and I think the way some people say other people shouldn't be allowed to have kids, I say some people shouldn't be allowed to have a camera. I believe everyone has the right to express themselves through art and film, just don't do it while trying to uphold a franchise that deserves better.

So going into this film I had very low expectations and I wasn't even sure if I should waste my time on more crappy sequels. But since the title says "Reborn" and since it's only a year old I knew that meant that they were going to come at this film from a new angle and try and make it modern and give the series a clean slate. This little fact is what got me intrigued to give it a chance. I thought maybe it is possible for them to bring a long dead series back to life. I always try and remain optimistic.

The film starts with what I can only describe as being very bubbly and poppy, this film is not PG-13 but it was directed at a younger crowd, which I don't like. It reminded me of Wes Craven's Cursed. No matter how hard I tried to look at it it was hard for me to take seriously.

The story wasn't bad but it becomes predictable and losses its charm after a while. It semi hooked me, one minute I thought that it was going to be a horrible movie and then 10 minutes later I'm asking myself if maybe I was wrong, the movie seemed to have some potential.

The lead cast wasn't very convincing although I could tell they were trying hard, they just weren't the quality actors this film needed, but they did what they could. And I guess for a straight to video movie you shouldn't expect very good acting, although it is a great feeling when you find one that does have good acting. However, this film wasn't one of them.

I really appreciated what this film was going for and trying to achieve. It was still hard for me to take this film very seriously, at this point I knew that I wasn't in for a great movie like I foolishly wished. It was more entertaining that the original sequels though so they get the "thumbs up" from me on that. You don't really have to be very good at all to beat the originals, so let that be the question. Is it worse to be such a bad series that anything can be better than it or is it worse to be a movie that's better than the series but any film can achieve?

One of the things that made it so hard for me to take seriously was the werewolves. They looked good in the face but the bodies were absolutely ridiculous. They gave the werewolves Faun legs. It looks like the werewolves are wearing furry chaps. Terrible design. And the transformation scenes were pretty bad, not the worst I've seen but they were very far from the best and looked cheap with the CG used to achieve the transformations.

There is also a werewolf all-out brawl at the end between 2 werewolves, very reminiscent to the ridiculous scene in 2010's The Wolfman remake. This scene was entertaining in the pure fun aspect, I mean come on, who wouldn't want to watch a fight-to-the-death fight between to werewolves? But the fact that the film is trying to be taken seriously ruins it. You realize how cheap and poorly executed this was. This film tries really hard but it doesn't satisfy my Howling needs. I guess only the original can do that as it's proven again.

In conclusion The Howling reborn is better than the original sequels of which there are 8 including this one. This film was still a disappointment and didn't do anything to provide us hope with a comeback for The Howling series. I guess some things are better left dead as they say, right?

I don't know if a sequel would have been a better move than a remake in this case. I usually say sequels would be better than remakes, but that also depends on the film at hand. In this case I think a remake would have been a better movie because The Howling series has lost long ago the charm and magic that makes us love to watch it. It has lost itself and has become subject to horrific sequels and ridiculousness. Maybe one day we'll see a light at the end of the tunnel for this series and a bright new hope for a future. But as of right now I wouldn't hold me breath and I don't suggest you do either.

THIS FILM GETS 2 REAPERS OUT OF 4

Howling 3: The Marsupials (1987)

After watching this movie I had only question, why in the hell did they do sequels to The Howling? Howling 2 was awful and this one was even worse. Then I come to find out that they did 7 Howling movies, which means I still haven't seen 4 of them. Well, I'm calling it quits with them, I don't care to see anymore of these sequels and I don't want to waste more time from life I'll never get back. And I don't want to waste a Netflix rental on these. These sequels don't even come close to the original, seriously. I don't know why the ever did them but they are a travesty.

I don't know how many of you have seen these but they are horrible. I kind of wish I know people who've seen them so I know that I'm not the only one here who thinks they're ridiculous. I really don't suggest that you see these unless you are curious, but I'd rather catch some sleep than sit through these again. Such a shame, the first film was so good.

Synopsis taken from IMDb
A strange race of human-like marsupials appear suddenly in Australia, and a sociologist who studies these creatures falls in love with a female one. Is this a dangerous combination?

I give this movie 0 stars. I'll still throw the trailer in here for the sake of uniformity.

Howling 2: Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985)

So I never heard much of the sequels, so I didn't know what to go in expecting. Now I am aware of why I never heard much of them, there's nothing to say about them, or atleast the 2nd film. I was awed by how bad this movie was. It was horrible. One of the many movies I will never watch again. The effects were bad, the story was bad and the acting was bad (except for Christopher Lee).

Now part 3 is next on my Netflix queue so we'll see how that goes. I already watched the trailer and it looks to be even worse than part 2. I guess I'm too dumb to call it quits, that or my ocd is forcing me to follow them out 'til the end. Either way, I'm on a bad run of horror movies lately, it sucks. I guess that's what you get when you love this genre so much, you have to put up with so many bad ones to get to the good ones. Happens with every genre I guess.

Synopsis taken from IMBd
When Ben, the brother of one of the werewolf victims from the first movie, is told that the world is actually full of werewolves and they're planning to take control, he is skeptical. After a good deal of convincing from werewolf hunter Stefan, however, he finally agrees to join Stefan's band of lycanthrope hunters in Transylvania on a mission to kill Stirba, Queen of the Werewolves. Can the group survive against her army of evil?


Anyway, if for some reason you're intrigued by maybe watching this movie go ahead and view the trailer below. Hopefully it'll change your mind.

I give this 0 stars.