Scream of the Wolf (1974)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This is another winner from the pen of sci-fi master writer Richard Matheson, author of the classic film "The Incredible Shrinking Man," though "Scream of the Wolf" plays more as a murder mystery than as a traditional werewolf flick. Made-for-TV on a limited budget, almost nothing is shown in way of special effects, which on the positive side leaves more room for suspense and less room for gore and guts. It seems some huge wolf is the culprit in a series of murders taking place in the woods around Byron Douglas'(Clint Walker) lair. As Sheriff Vernon Bell (Philip Carey) investigates he uncovers strange tracks indicating a four-footed creature; then the markings become those of a being walking upright; finally, the prints suddenly end as if erased. When dogs are brought in to trail, the scent changes unexpectedly when the tracks end. Local hunter, now adventure writer, John Wetherby (Peter Graves) is turned to for assistance. He is unconvinced that a werewolf is to blame, determining that either a monster wolf or a human monster is responsible. When he calls on his former hunting buddy, Byron, to participate in the track down, Byron refuses, maintaining that it's time for his old partner to renew his interest in the pursuit of the kill. John's girlfriend, Sandy Miller (Jo Ann Pflug), is partly accountable for his giving up the hunt. She now helps him to catch the perpetrator of the dastardly deeds, placing herself in death's jaws.The primary suspect from the beginning is weird glory hunter, Byron. But is he really the killer and if so, is he really a werewolf? Another suspect is Byron's man servant, or is he a red herring? He was hired on the basis of his ability to successfully arm wrestle Byron. Or could it be the star of the show, former trophy hunter John Wetherby?Clint Walker, usually a wooden actor, gives one of his best performances in a different type role. He is convincing as the macho hunter intent on bringing his erstwhile friend back into the game. Peter Graves makes a good foil for him. The rest of the cast is above average for a TV movie from the 1970's. A major criticism of Matheson's story is toward the end when "Scream of the Werewolf" almost becomes yet another retelling of Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game." Otherwise, this little movie is a gripping murder mystery filled with thrills and chills, with a few frightening scenes, especially if you're watching alone in the dark with dogs howling outside.

++Major Spoilers++ Former big game hunter and now deranged lunatic Byron Douglas, Clint Walker, comes up with some far-out ideas about life death and the human condition as well as how to bring a little life and excitement into the lives of the people in town by savagely murdering them and at the same time making it look like some kind of werewolf did it.Even though the movie tries to be suspenseful and keeps you guessing to who the killer is as soon as you see Douglas and how crazed and unstable Douglas is. Just by listening to his off the wall philosophy by talking about how one is most alive just when he's at he moment of death. This makes you almost look over his shoulder to see if you can catch a glimpse of the men in white with stun guns and butterfly nets ready to grab and restrain Douglas in a padded room at the local loony bin. You watch the movie hoping that whats on the screen is not really happening. In that that those making the film are just trying to keep you off the track by making you think that Douglas is the killer when the real killer is really someone else in the cast that you don't suspect. Still you just can't convince yourself that there's anyone more certain to be the killer then Douglas is and you end up being right.Were told that Douglas was attacked by some super wolf some time back in Canada which almost killed him and left him in the condition that he's in now. Trying to explain his mental and emotional state and at the same time throws off suspicion about him being the killer but even that falls apart at the end of the movie.The only way I could follow the story is by realizing that Douglas is crazy, which wasn't hard to do, so whatever he said and did in the movie made sense only to himself not to anyone else. The end of the film ripped off the movie "The Most Dangerous Game" by Douglas pitting friend and former hunting buddy now writer Peter Graves, John Wetherby, against himself in a life and death struggle to see who's fit and strong enough to survive. Even then Douglas cheated by having a vicious wolf as a partner and leaving Wetherby with a rifle with no bullets in it.Wetherby had to run for some distance to find a box in the woods with only two slugs that Douglas left for him. When it came to the hand to hand combat that Douglas craved for Wetherby pulled out a gun that he secretly had on him a blew Douglas away. Since Douglas murdered six people there was no point for all that ridicules game playing with him. A major flaw in the movie was why the police never thought of arresting Douglas even though he was the most evident and conspicuous suspect in town. It was nothing but a waste of time trying to figure out Douglas' weird philosophy and sermonizing during the movie because it was just that, weird.

This is an exceptionally well made for TV movie that has your standard werewolf movie stuff,but yet its a strange kind of duck,with a surprise twist.The acting is done extremely well,especially by Graves and Walker,who absolutely steals the show as a big game hunter with a rather interesting philosophical point of view about life and a grim,yet at the same time, happy go lucky kind of personality.Some of his lines are quite memorable{"Look at the terrified faces of these people.They feel alive in the face of danger".].The film has convincing moments of tension and the story moves along at a steady pace with a convincing feeling of mystery.Peter Graves is brilliant,too, as the retired hunter coming out of retirement to track down an apparent werewolf on the loose.All in all,this film is done with a certain amount of style and flair rarely seen in made for TV movies these days.This is a great one to watch late at night.If you like horror/mystery types of movies,I highly recommend this.Its worth seeing just for Clint Walker"s character and the great job he does portraying him!

Only the most die hard werewolf movie fans (or bottom feeders who like to see bad films as a sort of self-inflicted pleasure-pain) will want to endure this. Even they may be disappointed. Silver fox Graves (who drives a hip car and has a hip house while hip music blares) stars as a former hunter turned writer who, after a series of grisly attacks on local residents, decides to hunt down the predator personally. The killings are the standard "hapless victim looks into camera and screams while growls are heard then blackout". This gets tiresome very quickly. One extended attack on Grave's ladyfriend Pflug (in a pedestrian performance) has a certain amount of edge to it. (Hilariously, though, this single woman lives in a house that appears to have more rooms than Monticello!) Pflug suspects Walker, an old buddy of Graves who lives in a mansion up in the woods and does a lot of odd philosophizing about human nature. Walker, still attractive and virile, gives an unusual performance full of dopey expressions and strange vocal inflections. His relationship with Graves has a homoerotic twinge, not unlike the Stephen Boyd/Charlton Heston dynamic in "Ben-Hur". Sheriff Carey rounds out the male trio of tall actors. The film aspires to a level of intellect that it's budget cheapens more than a little. Still, it's not the worst TV horror movie ever made. At least someone tried to write something with a little irony and mystery to it. One scene between Graves, Pflug and Walker takes place in a restaurant that must have a sign on the door, "No one attractive allowed!" Soap opera veteran Storm appears briefly as a victim.