Wolfen (1981)

Nice effects though.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Werewolf movies were big in the early 80's and this is one of the good ones. This horror/thriller has striking cinematography and sound, fine direction, and a good script, and very good Special Effects.A series of seemingly unrelated murders are being committed in New York City, from the penthouses of the super-rich, to the bombed out appearing South Bronx. Burned out detective Dewey Wilson (Finney) and terrorism expert Rebecca Neff (Venora) are brought in to solve the case. Coroner Whittington (Hines) finds a common thread.Wolfen is one of the rare cases where lots of people working on one element improved the film, instead of hurting it. Four people are credited with the photography, six for the script, and eleven people worked on the Visual Effects. James Horner did the score for the film; a theme heard in another film he scored can be heard here, in an understated form.Finney is good as the burned out detective. Venora isn't believable as a terrorism expert, but very believable as someone who doesn't have the sense to stay away from odd noises in the South Bronx. Hines is cynically funny as the coroner."Wolfen"is strong on technique, fair on acting. I'd recommend it.

A New York cop (Albert Finney) investigates a series of brutal deaths that resemble animal attacks. Tom Noonan and his beard guest star in a key role.The film is known for its early use of an in-camera effect to portray the subjective point of view of a wolf. Similar to thermography, the technique was later adopted by other horror films such as the "Predator" film series.Although considered a modern werewolf classic, Roger Ebert asserted Wolfen "is not about werewolves but is about the possibility that Indians and wolves can exchange souls." Well, yeah, that is true... but it is still werewolves, even if not in the traditional sense.Where is the proper release? This is what people want to know. Apparently the director has a preferred cut, but instead all we get is a bare bones Blu-ray with nothing more than a trailer. Surely there is much more that could be done.

An almost forgotten gem. I really liked the eery atmosphere in this one; great actors, great music - and really outstanding cinematography. I've never seen New York portrayed as grim and terrifying - and yet as beautiful - as in this film. I wouldn't call this a werewolf movie and it's certainly not your usual horror film either; although it does have many characteristics of a genre movie (even some pre-Predator style distorted camera effects), it is very much its own beast. There are no fancy transformations, no groundbreaking visual effects from the likes of Rick Baker, Rob Bottin or Stan Winston - but there are superb visuals of another kind. And there's tension, suspense and a fascinating story that gripped me right from the start. There are also some very graphic, gory moments, but they are few and far between. Director Michael Wadleigh has an interesting background: he was the dude who made history in 1969 by making Woodstock happen. He took Strieber's werewolf novel and brought something personal to it. Call it a mythical eco-horror thriller if you will, it's certainly something special. 7 out of 10 from me.Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

"Wolfen" is one of those films that manages to combine different themes and elements. On the one hand, it is a horror film, a cop film, and a murder mystery. On the other hand, it is also a supernatural movie that has a spiritual message that says we are not as powerful as we think we are. The movie begins through the eyes of something non human. We don't know what it is, but whatever it is, it sees things in a different vision and can hear a whole lot better than we can. In the next scene, we see a wealthy big shot, his wife, and bodyguard get brutally killed by the same non-human entity. Needless to say, the killings make front page news. Enters our hero, Captain Dewey (played by Albert Finney) along with Gregory Hines, who plays a coroner's assistant. At first, its believed that terrorists were involved. Soon enough, however, Dewey realizes that only something non- human could have done it. As it turns out, other people in the slums have been killed in similar ways. Dewey eventually learns from the local Native American population (one of whom is played by the great Edward James Olmos) that the culprit he is after is called the wolfen, powerful beings who have lived among the human race, hunting the weak and the sick, who now hide out in the urban jungles. This is a very interesting movie. The point of view of the creatures is very well done, we also have some great shots of the urban decay of New York at that time. And while Albert Finney does not sound like a New Yorker (his British accent does come through here and there) he manages to give a pretty convincing performance of a burned out detective who has probably seen one too many dead bodies in his career. Its also interesting to see Gregory Hines in a horror movie, since I don't believe he ever starred in another one. Never the less, he plays the part well, adding a little bit of comedy. A number of people had issues with the movie, and I'll admit it did drag a little bit in some parts and the ending was just a little weak. However, if you're in the mood for something different from your usual werewolf movie, "Wolfen" would not be a bad way to spend your time. Also starring Diane Venora. 8 out of 10.