Post by Bartwald on Apr 10, 2004 11:36:51 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Howling II[/glow] **
I wonder how many people were prepared to get THIS as a sequel to Joe Dante's cult Howling: the werewolf mythos gets mixed with bits and pieces torn out from Dracula, The Exorcist, The Omen and even Emmanuelle for good measure. Be prepared for holy water being used instead of silver bullets, for not knowing who's just a vampire and who's already a werewolf, for the main characters getting a room number 666 at a hotel and also for some hairy lesbian werewolf action.
I know it may sound like fun but it only works from time to time: the scene where Christopher Lee is cutting and shooting werewolves in the woods is a fine example of the formula working well. Also, the characters coming to Transylvania in search of the Wolf Queen is full of good horror atmosphere. Adding twisted humour to this generally uptight story was also a good idea: just watch the two German tourists volunteering to become werewolf dinner or the all-out hilarious editing of the movie's key scenes for the end credits - with the Wolf Queen baring her breasts about 20 times, always when a particular guitar sound appears.
For most of the time though, the formula refuses to work. Christopher Lee's introductory explanation ('Your sister is a werewolf, sir!') is too corny to even be funny, the first wolf meetings are lame, the special effects are never good and sadly rely too much on sparks coming out of fingers or circles of light surrounding characters - is it a werewolf movie or a lost episode of Star Trek, dammit? The Emmanuelle influence doesn't work all that well, either: the women involved always grow hair on their nipples a little too early for us to fully enjoy those scenes. And the strangest disadvantage of all: several times in the movie - and usually when you least expect it - a rock band pops up to play a song. One and the same song again and again. It's a song about werewolves, alright, but when you're getting prepared for the final showdown, you think the Queen's palace (for which our Christopher Lee's heading) is a mystery place deep in the woods, and then the band start performing their song right THERE, at the palace, it kind of ruins the atmosphere for me.
I think you get the picture of what Howling II is, more or less. Either one of your most hated werewolf movies ever or one of your most embarassing guilty pleasures. For me, of course, it's the latter.
I wonder how many people were prepared to get THIS as a sequel to Joe Dante's cult Howling: the werewolf mythos gets mixed with bits and pieces torn out from Dracula, The Exorcist, The Omen and even Emmanuelle for good measure. Be prepared for holy water being used instead of silver bullets, for not knowing who's just a vampire and who's already a werewolf, for the main characters getting a room number 666 at a hotel and also for some hairy lesbian werewolf action.
I know it may sound like fun but it only works from time to time: the scene where Christopher Lee is cutting and shooting werewolves in the woods is a fine example of the formula working well. Also, the characters coming to Transylvania in search of the Wolf Queen is full of good horror atmosphere. Adding twisted humour to this generally uptight story was also a good idea: just watch the two German tourists volunteering to become werewolf dinner or the all-out hilarious editing of the movie's key scenes for the end credits - with the Wolf Queen baring her breasts about 20 times, always when a particular guitar sound appears.
For most of the time though, the formula refuses to work. Christopher Lee's introductory explanation ('Your sister is a werewolf, sir!') is too corny to even be funny, the first wolf meetings are lame, the special effects are never good and sadly rely too much on sparks coming out of fingers or circles of light surrounding characters - is it a werewolf movie or a lost episode of Star Trek, dammit? The Emmanuelle influence doesn't work all that well, either: the women involved always grow hair on their nipples a little too early for us to fully enjoy those scenes. And the strangest disadvantage of all: several times in the movie - and usually when you least expect it - a rock band pops up to play a song. One and the same song again and again. It's a song about werewolves, alright, but when you're getting prepared for the final showdown, you think the Queen's palace (for which our Christopher Lee's heading) is a mystery place deep in the woods, and then the band start performing their song right THERE, at the palace, it kind of ruins the atmosphere for me.
I think you get the picture of what Howling II is, more or less. Either one of your most hated werewolf movies ever or one of your most embarassing guilty pleasures. For me, of course, it's the latter.
