Howls, the horror feature from Gremlins director Joe Dante, hits theaters July 13 in a restored 4K version. Werewolves have pigs! Beware of the bite!
Released in 1981, Howls traumatized an entire generation of viewers, especially with the ultra-realistic transformation sequences of certain protagonists.
Its reappearance on the big screen in a restored 4K version is likely to give viewers a cold sweat who want to see it (again)!
The story tells about Karen White, played by Dee Wallace, a journalist in Los Angeles. The latter is hunted by a serial killer, Eddie Quist, played by Robert Picardo, one of director Joe Dante’s favorite actors.
Cooperating with the police, Karen sets a trap for Eddie and agrees to meet him at a pornographic movie theater. When Quist forces a reporter to watch the rape video, he is shot by law enforcement.
Karen is traumatized by this aggression and suffers from amnesia. Her psychoanalyst, Dr. George Wagner (Patrick McNee), decides to send her and her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) to a secluded retreat outside the city to relax. Arriving at the Colony, Karen and Bill find that the place is full of strange people…
Joe Dante, the future director of Gremlins and The Inner Adventure, started the Howls project thanks to his surprise success, Piranhas, which was released in 1978.
True to his reputation, the filmmaker manages to terrorize the public with controlled staging and spectacular special effects.
The sequence of transformations into a werewolf is still considered a reference in the matter today! They were made by Rob Bottin, protégé of makeup genius Rick Baker.
Ironically, the latter was unable to complete Howls, as he was already filming The Werewolf of London, another awesome feature film centered around the figure of the lycanthrope.
The film was quite successful commercially, grossing approximately $17,985,000 at the worldwide box office on a $1,000,000 budget. In France, it gathered 1,210,582 viewers.
The pioneering visual effects film Howls won Best Horror Film at the 1981 Saturn Awards. It was also nominated for Best Makeup (Rob Bottin) and Best Special Effects (Dave Allen and Peter Curran).
In addition, Holes won the Critics’ Prize at the Avoriaz International Fantasy Film Festival in 1981.
Note that the film is an adaptation of Gary Brandner’s novel. The screenplay was written by John Sayles. Fun fact: This is the first opus of the eight-part cinematic saga that was released between 1981 and 2011. Joe Dante is not involved in these sequels.
A terrifying werewolf transformation scene
Source: allocine
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