Wolfen

Pros: Inventive special effects, A few suspenseful moments
Cons: Convoluted plot, Contrived ending

Based on the novel of the same title by Whitley Strieber, (The Last Vampire: A Novel) the 1981 sci-fi horror film, Wolfen has the makings of a first rate suspense thriller, but by wandering off in the horror genre, with a slightly new age twist,...

Pros: That funky camera trick. Creepy Bronx setting. Thought-provoking premise.
Cons: Finney looks so drunk, I wouldn't want him investigating my death. Kinda sucky ending.

Before he became the world’s most high-profile self-proclaimed alien abductee, Whitley Strieber was well on his way to becoming a contender for the 㦼’s horror king” title that Stephen King would eventually take. Sure, he dabbled in ...

Pros: Superb, graphic, and shocking horror movie.
Cons: Silly ending.

I enjoyed "Wolfen" immensely when I saw it nearly 20 years ago, which is much more than I can say for a far inferior, though a vastly more hyped movie released the same year, "The Howling". Though I smirk when I remember...

Pros: A true horror masterpiece.
Cons: Depends on viewer.

1981 was a banner year for horror (if that in fact, was your bag, baby!!), but I'm well aware that many of the best horror outings were left in the rubble. Michael Wadleigh's "WOLFEN" was one of them.

Based on Whitley Streiber's heralded novel, "WOLFEN" stars Albert Finney as a rogue, grizzled NYPD officer who is investigating the grisly murders of a wealthy developer and his strung out wife. With help from a wisecracking mortician (played by the late, great Gregory Hines), he soon learns that these violent murders were not perpetrated by human hand, but by intelligent lycanthropes who roam the slums of New York protecting their soon to be demolished turf.

The rest I will not reveal, but mark my words, "WOLFEN" will scare you senseless! I may be the only one to claim that stance, but I firmly believe it will! Another bonus is the film's use of Native American mysticism to create it's haunting atmosphere. For those who felt that American Indians got a raw deal; this film proves socially relevant.

For those who like a good lasting scare, "WOLFEN" is the movie for you.