Joe Dante’s Horror Classic Is Now Streaming Free — “Werewolf Cinema at Its Finest”
The ‘80s were an epic time for horror fans. So many iconic efforts made their mark during that exemplary decade. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Poltergeist, and The Lost Boys all released in the ‘80s, and that’s to say nothing of the noteworthy lycanthropic efforts released during that time period.
As for werewolf pictures, we had quite a few standout efforts from that subgenre released throughout the decade as well. There was the game-changing An American Werewolf in London, the heartfelt Stephen King adaptation Silver Bullet, and the delightfully quirky horror comedy Teen Wolf. Not to mention, the great Joe Dante also debuted a standout effort that remains a staple of lycanthrope cinema to this day.
I’m talking, of course, about The Howling. Dante’s werewolf picture is smart, surreal, intense, and features exceptional transformation sequences that look just as good today as they did in 1981 when the film was released.
What is The Howling about?
In Los Angeles, television journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) is traumatized in the course of aiding the police in their arrest of a serial murderer. Her doctor recommends that she attend an isolated psychiatric retreat led by Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee). But while Karen is undergoing therapy, her colleague Chris (Dennis Dugan), investigates the bizarre circumstances surrounding her shock. When his work leads him to suspect the supernatural, he begins to fear for Karen’s life.
I’m a big fan of this flick, so much so that I previously penned a Dread Central editorial singing the film’s praises. Because there’s more to me than just talk, I will share an excerpt from my previous coverage with you right here.
In the opening paragraph from my retrospective, I had the following to say: “The Howling is werewolf cinema at its finest. More than 40 years on from its release, this tale of lycanthropic terror remains one of the most effective and haunting werewolf pictures ever committed to celluloid.
I stand by every word I wrote. In fact, I think The Howling might just be my personal favorite werewolf picture of all time. It’s so dreamlike and unhinged that it pulls me in and renders me its captive every time I watch it.
If you fancy checking the film out for yourself, you can do so on Tubi now. If you haven’t yet endured this picture, you’re in for a real treat.
That is just about all that I’ve got for you, dear reader. Be sure to stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from the streaming scene in the near future.
Categorized: News
