An anchorwoman gets a little freaked out when she confronts a serial killer and goes to a commune to relax. Werewolves interfere with said relaxation.

One of the most underrated horror movies out there, it’s easy to dismiss it as more of the cookie-cutter trash that filled the eighties. The truth is, The Howling is a truly great werewolf movie, one of the best. A werewolf as serial-killer? That’s good stuff.

The entire story is fresh, capturing the essence of a good werewolf story and filling it with sly comments on our society as a whole. Filled with discussions of “civilization” and how unnatural it is, superimposing it with images of violent pornography and murder, symbolism like vegetarianism, big chunks of grilling meat, furs and hunting for sport. The movie is about the conflict between being civilized and savage, and how we’re both and neither. We’re a species with a split personality, we see a little of both sides and new-age psychobabble trying in vain to make sense of a world that can’t make sense.

Of course, the main course of horror and social satire is served sprinkled with cheese and the main goal of the film is clearly to entertain. Orwell’s 1984 this isn’t.

Some sad attempts at acting from the supporting cast, some small issues with the storyline, which runs a little slow at times, the story still ends up much grimmer and of a higher caliber than expected. Also, any movie with Slim Pickens deserves a watch.

The werewolves look great, with one of the best transformations ever done, and completely without CGI. Besides just looking good, it’s probably the only time I’ve ever seen a change that actually creeped me out a little, instead of just being done well. This is one genuinely scary werewolf. Also some particularly nasty scenes, especially the mutilated wolfman. Not much gore, but some nudity to keep you from being too disappointed.

The best part of this flick is the last scene, which is excellent, and once the closing credits come on it’s perfect.

9 out of 10 pieces of werewolf brain

And here we have it... the film which turned me on to the joys of a well executed werewolf film, and introduced me to the talents of an up and coming director named Joe Dante (I went back and watched "Pirahna" AFTER I saw "The Howling").

This film scared the living crap out of me back in 1982 (my mom wouldn't let me see it in theaters, so cable was my first exposure. Hey, what could I do? I was eleven at the time, and after I had managed to sneak into a showing of "Halloween" when I was seven, she had clamped the reins on pretty tight)) and it still creeps me out today.

Excellent transformtaions, which paved the way for the streamlined wonders of the John Landis epic "An American Werewolf In London" a few years later.

I enjoyed the campy but enagaging performances as well, with a young Robert Picardo- in recent years seen chewing up the scenery as a holographic doctor in the tv series "Star Trek: Voyager" - stealing the show as completely demented/lupine oriented serial killer Eddie. His trademark line in this movie is the stuff of horror legend.

I felt that the plot - unsettled telejournalist goes to remote retreat to gather her wits and finds more than she bargained for - was absolutely perfect for the type of tale Dante was telling here.

Overall, a craftily executed horror romp which launched werewolves back into the mainstream cinema.

'Tis a crying shame a series of shitfest sequels were made to damage the good name of such a worthy horror experience. I highly recommend "The Howling."

Ten out of Ten Wickedly Sexy She-Beasts