The Howling (1981)
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A news anchor seeking treatment for amnesia after a traumatic encounter finds herself at a secluded resort inhabited by werewolves.
The story
Karen White, a Los Angeles television news anchor, is stalked by serial killer Eddie Quist. After a traumatic encounter with Quist leads to her suffering from amnesia, her therapist recommends she and her husband, Bill, travel to 'the Colony,' a secluded countryside resort for treatment. Upon arrival, they encounter strange characters and a sultry witch named Marsha. While Bill is attacked by a wolf, Karen begins to suspect his behavior. The situation escalates as Karen's friend Terry arrives, discovering a connection between the resort and the missing serial killer.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a traumatic encounter with serial killer Eddie Quist leaves her with amnesia, news anchor Karen White and her husband Bill travel to 'the Colony,' a secluded resort. Bill is seduced by Marsha Quist, Eddie's sister, and is bitten by a wolf. Later, they undergo a transformation into werewolves. Karen's friend Terry arrives and discovers the resort's connection to Eddie, eventually being killed by Eddie in werewolf form. Terry's boyfriend, Chris, arrives armed with silver bullets. Karen confronts the resurrected Eddie, who transforms into a werewolf; she flees after splashing him with acid. Chris arrives and shoots the disfigured Eddie and his brother with silver bullets. However, the entire Colony transforms into werewolves. Karen and Chris burn the Colony down, but a werewolf bites Karen as they flee. Karen later broadcasts a worldwide announcement about werewolves, transforming herself on live television to prove her story. Marsha, who escaped unscathed, watches the broadcast from a bar.
- First release year
- 1981
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joe Dante
- Writers
- John Sayles · screenplay; Terence H. Winkless · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Dee Wallace · Karen White; Patrick Macnee · Bill Neill; Dennis Dugan · Eddie Quist; Christopher Stone · Chris Halloran; Belinda Balaski · Marsha Quist; Kevin McCarthy; John Carradine; Slim Pickens
- Genres
- horror; supernatural horror; crime
- Themes
- indulgence of primal, animalistic desires; satirical commentary on television and the media; sensationalism of violence; darker aspects of human nature
- Tone and mood
- self-aware; satirical; horror
- Premise and plot tags
- werewolves; serial killer; amnesia; resort; transformation
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1977 novel of the same name by Gary Brandner
- Franchise connections
- A series consisting of seven sequels
- Content notes
- explicit sexuality
- Reception
- The film was a moderate success, receiving generally positive reviews and praise for its makeup special effects.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Horror Film · 1980 · win
- Production trivia
- The film's success prompted Warner Bros. to hire Joe Dante and Michael Finnell for Gremlins (1984).
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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