Moon Of The Wolf

[Wolf Man]

This one is somewhat a sleeper.  I enjoy the movie for what it is, kind of a made for tv movie.  The book though is really good as I remember.  I have not read it for a long time but I remember it was actually quite scary and had some very harrowing moments in it that made for great reading.  I only wish they had put better effort into the film.  This one would be a good one to put on the remake list.  The story is quite good just poor execution on the part of the film makers. 

Does anyone else have an opinion about this one?

[Unknown Primate]

Howl-o Wolf man...  Yeah, I like MOTW, and I think it actually WAS a Movie Of The Week.  I remember seeing it when I was young and being let down when they finally showed the werewolf.  I watched it recently and found that I still like it.  Good atmospheric story... and I don't even mind the monster makeup!

[BaronLatos35]

I saw this as part of a DVD set from Shilling Shockers (great show Penny Dreadful) and I liked the story as well. The whole 70's vibe worked for me. Yes it was low budget and had a made for TV movie feel to it, but reminded me of what would have been on the late show back in the day. A re-make would definitely do the story justice.

[depressedlarrytalbot]

There's a neat double-bill DVD out pairing MOON with Dan Curtis' SCREAM OF THE WOLF. These two really book-end beautifully, and Clint Walker is one of the scariest pre-transformation werewolves in cinema .... **SPOILER ALERT FOR CURSOR-SWEEP ENTHUSIUASTS** ......

.... though the whole werewolf thing does turn out to be a hoax at the end; but even up to his death scene, I really thought he was going to actually wolf out in a double-twist ending. But, just one twist. Bummer. Still, great fun.

Well worth seeking out. It's like the 70s all over again.

"Le Lookarook !!!! Mon dieu !!!!"

[Wolf Man]

I also have Moon of the Wolf on two different sets, one of which I bought for a dollar. 

No one mentioned the book, has anyone read it?  It is really good and worth checking out. 

I loved the jail scene in this too where he comes in to get the brother.  That kind of let him off the hook for being the killer eh?

[depressedlarrytalbot]

Here's an interesting cover for Whitten's novel. Only seen this image on-line. The one I saw in the stores years ago had a fairly standard Wolf-Mannish type in the foreground and a brooding, moon-bathed Southern mansion in the background. 



It's not quite Bradford Dillman in a check shirt is it? 

Seriously, who'd want to see that looming over them some (ahem) dark knight?

These old paperbacks have some magic covers.

[Wolf Man]

I could not find online the book cover I have on my edition.  It is as you described and is very scary looking.  It has the face of the werewolf lurking over some swamp grass with the plantation house in the background.  I was going to post a photo but no luck. 

I also can't seem to find the double feature with Scream of the Wolf.  I will have to look some more. 

[depressedlarrytalbot]

I should add, I've never actually read it, but yep that sure sounds like the cover I remember. First heard of Whitten in relation to his vampire novel PROGENY OF THE ADDER. It came up in an interview with Jeff Rice in Marvel's old MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES mag if I recall. The interviewer wanted to know about a proposed legal action against Rice based on alleged similiarities between ADDER and THE KOLCHAK PAPERS aka THE NIGHT STALKER. Rice said he'd based most of KOLCHAK on his own real-life experiences in Vegas and was prepared to subpoena half the town to testify in his defense and demonstrate how many of the KOLCHAK characters were NOT based on Whitten's work. It all blew over apparently.

How many great character actors there are in MOON? Janssen, Dillman, Barbara Rush, Royal Dano, Geoffrey Lewis, John Chandler .... and a great, really eerie music score, which almost rises to a 'howl' itself in the establishing night shots. You just know some bad stuff is about to happen.

I always wondered about the Rodanthes' backstory: all the stuff about Great-Grandpappy and his 'spells'. How'd the family restrain a werewolf in their midst back then, do you suppose?   

[Wolf Man]

I won't spoil the story for you but the book does go into much more depth.  I love the way the book describes Mrs. Rodanthe.  She comes across much different in the book.  So does the Sheriff.  The whole thing with the first victim and her brother is much more interesting in the book and scarier too.  There is a scene in the book where they all go down to the swamp to hunt the werewolf and he is there but ends up hunting the Sheriff and Mrs Rodanthe in a school.  One of the creepiest scenes.  There are so many good parts.  It really is worth reading. 

[bigknif]

I have to agree with the modern contenders of THE HOWLING and AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON.

However, for classic werewolf transformations, I would definitely throw in my fav wolfie film, I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The whole scene with the gymnast, the bell ringing and Michael Landon's transformation is a great sequence! Also at the end when he transforms and starts dripping saliva from his mouth. That was pretty freaky at the time!

Gene Fowler did a great job with a VERY limited AIP budget and their always accelerated shooting schedule. Landon gives a great, gritty performance (in his debut) and the werewolf make-up has always been a favorite of mine!

It is too bad this is not available on DVD due to the evil that is Susan Nicolson, but at least I still have the Columbia VHS tape of it to enjoy!

Bob

[Wolf Man]

I don't even have a copy of I Was a Teenage Werewolf.  Not even on VHS.  I have several copies of Moon of the Wolf.  Perhaps, one day, IWATW will make it to DVD.  I hope so. 

[Crazy1van]

I don't even have a copy of I Was a Teenage Werewolf.  Not even on VHS.  I have several copies of Moon of the Wolf.  Perhaps, one day, IWATW will make it to DVD.  I hope so. 

When I get back to VA, I can make you a copy.

[Wolf Man]

That would be awesome.  This was always one of my favorites and yet it gets so little attention among werewolf conversations. 

[CreepysFan]

 I finally got to see this tonight, watched both "Scream of the Wolf" and "Moon of the Wolf".   Did anyone else watching "Moon..." seeing the old man (Elly's father) lying in his bed screaming "Loup Garou", think of Albert Einstein.  I swear the old man looks like Einstein.  The werewolf make up wasn't the greatest, but the story was really good, so I enjoyed it alot.  Liked the swamp setting a lot too, having grew up in South Carolina not too far from swamp lands.

[Crazy1van]

'Moon' and 'Scream' were both worth watching at least once, and since I only paid a dollar, I didn't mind.  But I also own a copy of Wolf Girl on DVD (called "Blood Moon"), so maybe I'm not as discriminating as some connoisseurs of the genre.