The Howling

1981

1h 31m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

846

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Horror

After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a newswoman is sent to a rehabilitation center whose inhabitants may not be what they seem.

Directors

Joe Dante

Writers

John Sayles(screenplay by)

Terence H. Winkless(screenplay by)

Gary Brandner(novel by)

Stars

Dee Wallace

Patrick Macnee

Dennis Dugan

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Videos4

Trailer
Watch THE HOWLING Trailer [1981]
Trailer
Watch The Howling - Trailer
Featurette
Watch Josh Olson on THE HOWLING
Featurette
Watch The Howling 1981 TV trailer

Top cast

Karen White

Dr. George Waggner

Chris

R. William 'Bill' Neill

Terry Fisher

Fred Francis

Erle Kenton

Sam Newfield

Marsha Quist

Eddie Quist

Donna

Charlie Barton

Jerry Warren

Lew Landers

Shantz

Porn Store Patron

Older Cop

Walter Paisley - Bookstore Owner

Directors

Joe Dante

Writers

John Sayles(screenplay by)

Terence H. Winkless(screenplay by)

Gary Brandner(novel by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

**_The first time cinema audiences saw werewolves like this!_** After a news anchor in Los Angeles (Dee Wallace) has a traumatic experience on the sleazy side of town, her therapist (Patrick Macnee) sends her and her hubby (Christopher Stone) to his secluded resort near the coast for treatment. When frightening things happen at the sylvan colony, she contacts her friend to come out (Belinda Balaski), not to mention the husband (Dennis Dugan). “The Howling” (1981) was the first of three major werewolf-oriented films in 1981, debuting in April. "Wolfen" came out on in July and wasn't really a werewolf film, but rather a thinking person's nature-runs-amok flick. "An American Werewolf" came last, released in August, and was easily the most successful at the box office, making three times its cost in the USA alone and six times worldwide. Yet, "The Howling" was more successful if you go by profit in comparison to cost, as it was surprisingly low-budget for a major release. "Wolfen" was the most expensive by far, as well as the most serious and artsy, yet it flopped. This is my favorite of the three and easily the best of The Howling franchise, which currently includes eight movies, even placing with the top werewolf films of all time. It starts dynamically, albeit somewhat confusingly, with the milieu of the network studio and the shady side of Hollywood Blvd. Yet the bulk of the movie thankfully takes place at the woodsy community by the northern coast. When you think it’s over, there are a couple of surprises at the end, one that is now iconic. Amazingly, it cost ten times less than “An American Werewolf in London.” Rick Baker was originally doing the special effects, but bailed in favor of that other film, which left the effects job to assistant Rob Bottin. I think the F/X are better here, although they’re both top-rate for the time period. Blonde Dee Wallace and brunette Belinda Balaski were starting to show signs of aging but were still very attractive. Raven-haired Elisabeth Brooks plays the sultry woman at the camp and has a full-nude scene, which she only did because she was told that the smoke from the campfire would cover her up, yet that’s hardly the case. She refused to do nude work previously because, as she put it, she believed in the Bible and had morals. Needless to say, she was upset and this ended up being her only cinematic nude scene in her career. This film and “Howling IV: The Original Nightmare” (1988) were both based on the same novel by Gary Brandner. While not in the same league as this, the latter is actually a more faithful adaptation of the book. Like this one, it’s a slow-build mystery with full moon ambiance, yet it switches the location to the remote desert (shot in South Africa); unfortunately, the ending is rushed and awkward. The immediate sequel, “Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf,” came out four years later and is a dubious horror flick, but at least it included the input of Brandner (unlike the other sequels) and it's so over-the-top it's sometimes amusing. Christopher Lee tried to keep a straight face while Sybil Danning hams it up as an alluring werewolf queen in various eccentric outfits. It has a memorable theme song; and the Czech Republic cinematography features some nice Gothic props. The best sequels IMHO are parts VI (“The Freaks”) and V (“The Rebirth”), with a nod to VIII (“The Howling: Reborn”). It runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles and Mendocino in Northern California, which is a 3 hour, 15 minutes, drive north of San Francisco. GRADE: A-

Wuchak17 Aug, 2025