For today’s 31 Days Of Halloween film, I wanted to have a werewolf movie, but I wanted to have a movie that was a little different than most films with werewolves. So, I came across Wolfen, a film that was released in 1981 and it was directed by Michael Wadleigh (Woodstock). In New York, people die all of the time in the big city, but there is something strange and unusual about the way certain people near a construction sight are dying that it bothers a police detective by the name of Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney). A wealthy high profile magnate, his wife, and bodyguard are slain one night in Battery Park, but it looks as if they were torn to shreds by a beast which is strange in the city of New York. Dewey along with his partner Whittington (Gregory Hines) and criminal psychologist Rebecca Neff (Diane Venora), are put on the case by Wilson’s superior who is pressuring them to get to the bottom of it because the mayor and commissioner want the case solved. Is it a person committing the crimes pretending to be a wild animal or is it werewolves that are committing the crimes? The film also stars Edward James Olmos (Blade Runner) as Eddie Holt, Tom Noonan (Last Action Hero) as Ferguson, Dick O’Neill (The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three) as Warren, Peter Michael Goetz (My Girl) as Ross, Dehl Berti (Invasion U.S.A.) as Old Indian, Sam Gray (Suspect) as Mayor, and Ralph Bell (Guiding Light) as Commissioner.
Werewolf movies were always some of my favorite types of horror movies because the idea of a werewolf kind of hits home if you think about it. The idea of the beast inside who can not be held back due to it’s desire to be unleashed because of it’s animalistic needs and desires. This film literally takes the genre and it does something different with it. The werewolves are literally just very scary killer wolves in this film which is kind of cool because it takes the idea that we transform into wolves and not human like werewolves. There’s also more of a mystical side to them as you’ll find in the film where there is a rhyme and a reason for what they are doing. One of the cool things I liked is the filter they use for the cameras when the camera is showing the wolves point of view. It kind of predates what they did for the Predator films. There are some really big names in this film which means that the acting was definitely superb especially from Noonan and Hines. There’s plenty of suspense in the film and the cinematography is also pretty cool especially during a scene when Wilson has to climb to the top of a bridge to talk to a suspect. I will say that there is also a weird scene involving Olmos getting naked and running around like a werewolf so check that out. If you love werewolf movies as much as I do, I would definitely give this film a shot. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
Moshpits And Movies 