Silent Screams: Wolf Blood (1925)

Over here at the Cinema Head Cheese offices we are concerned with the decay of the horror film industry. Every day in this country, a child is born that will never know the true terror of Nosferatu or feel the creepy crawlies from Dr. Caligari... the very beginnings of our industry. The farther we get away from our roots, our history, the better off the world will be (at least our world). So, as a public service, our resident horror film historian and researcher, David C. Hayes, will be posting the films that influenced the men and women that influenced the men and women that influenced us as culled from across the internet. These films can be obscure but they are important for, without them, there would be no now... no us... no horror industry.

Let us begin with what many people believe is the first werewolf film (or, more appropriately, lycanthrope film). 1925's Wolf Blood tells the morbid tale of a logging camp foreman that, after an 'injury' is transfused with the blood of a wolf. This, of course, makes him believe that he is turning into a wolf. The film is directed by and starring George Chesboro (who went on to co-star in the 1950s Lone Ranger series as Doc). The script was written based off of a story by Bennett Cohen (who began his screenwriting career in 1915 and finished in 1953) and Cliff Hill.

Movie Review: Werewolves in Heat (2015)

Okay. I promised David Hayes that I would be brutally honest in my review of this movie and I intend to keep it. (please don’t be mad please don’t be mad please don’t be mad)

Werewolves in Heat is about three young men about town looking to party and get laid. Renting a house out in the desert they plan a big shin dig but if they don't want it to end up a sausage fest, they need to find some ladies. ASAP. They journey to a local bar where they hire some hookers for the evening. How convenient…except, unbeknownst to our gentlemen callers, these ladies are also werewolves and our intrepid heroes are on their dinner menu.

That's really all you need to know about the film. There is nothing deep, or even all that interesting, about the story. The characters are tissue paper, the acting is terrible, and the whole thing felt like a group of people made a movie just because they could. Basically the entire film is jerk-off fodder for 13 year old boys - which is maybe why I didn't like it.

There were just a couple of bits that made the 70 minute watch time worth it. The man-servant that comes with the rental house, Captain Bill, was amusing. He had little zingers here and there, he kept himself in the front closet until needed, and he wore a captain's hat the whole time. He made me laugh once or twice.

Movie Review: The Howling (Collector's Edition Blu-ray, 1981)

Werewolves have always had a soft spot in my heart since I was a youngster taking in creature features on Sunday afternoons. The first couple films to really give me that burst of lycanthrope excitement were, John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London and Joe Dante’s The Howling.  There have been others like, The Wolfman, The Company of Wolves, Silver Bullet and even the more recent Dog Soldiers but nothing came close to the grand scale of those two classics. Scream Factory has thankfully taken the time to give Joe Dante’s film a loaded Blu-ray release for fans to salivate over, much like our canine friends. I recently got a chance to sink my teeth into it and, well, it doesn’t disappoint.

Dee Wallace Stone plays news reporter Karen White, a brave gal who helps the authorities by attempting to trap a serial killer. Things don’t over particularly after the cops gun down the killer as our heroine is severely traumatized by the whole situation. This incident calls for  some serious R & R for her, so she, along with her hubbie, William (the late Christopher Stone) take a journey into the woods to a colony of fairly friendly folks who are as hospitable as can be for the couple.

The couple starts to see that things are exactly what they seem, and that while they may be away from the carnage of the serial killer they could be somewhere worse – in the middle of a colony of ferocious, horny and very hungry werewolves.

Movie Review: The Howling Reborn (2011)

Joe Dante's The Howling has stood the test of time as being one of the greatest horror films of all time. It really is that good. The Howling has it all - Scares, clever humor, amazing special FX by Rick Baker as well as an excellent ensemble cast of cult film favorites. Along with An American Werewolf in London, The Howling has transcended the routine lycanthrope film with it's revolutionary transformation FX. As great as the original was, Joe Nimziki's The Howling: Reborn unfortunately lacks in all of those crucial categories. Simply put, it's chore to endure.

Buy The Howling Reborn Blu-ray or DVD