Wolfen (1981)

Based on a novel by Whitley Striber, The murder of an industrialist and his wife takes a detective out of retirement and leads him to confront an ancient force.

First of all, let me get this out of the way. This isn't a "werewolf" movie. Yes, it was released during a small werewolf revival (The Howling, American Werewolf In London), but it is not a werewolf movie. If I were to put this movie in a sub-genre, it would have to be a "Mythic Beings" or an "Old Ones" sub-genre. Because of this, I think people thought they got ripped and gave bad word of mouth. That's why there was low turnout and gave this a cult aura. Do I blame the folks? Not one bit.

Anyways, this was a nice paced movie covering original material. The characters was well fleshed and there was great chemistry. Especially Albert Finney and Greg Hines. The location was awesome, especially the abandoned church. It also works the fx to a minimum. The special "wolf cam" really works. OH! Before I forget, Tom Waits has a cameo in this movie.

The only negative I can come up with is continuity errors in some areas. There are some areas that really make you go "Huh?" Somethings were forced, but are really forgettable. That's it.

This is definitely a must own for horror fans. If not a fan of Horror, a wolf movie fan then. If you're not a fan of wolves, then it's for pubic wig movie fans.

3 stars