Wolfen

Horrorphile

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Wolfen

August 26th 2009 02:16

The lycanthrope movie when you’re not in the mood for werewolves, Wolfen (1981) is the hairy odd one out in the lycanthrope sub-genre. It deals with shape-changers, but we never see anyone changing. In fact are there actually any werewolves at all in this movie? Perhaps it’s all a figment of potent Native Indian mythology that manifests the spectre of the wolf spirit in order to inject fear in the hearts of capitalist white men!

New York homicide cop Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney) is called in to investigate the vicious murder of a dodgy real estate tycoon, his girlfriend and their chauffeur. They were all torn apart by something alive, but not human. Wilson is assigned with Rebecca Neff (Diane Venora) and they begin to scour the derelict ghost suburb of South Bronx (this is the early 80s remember when this area of New York was low-rent housing, and had become a victim of what was referred to as “white flight”, leaving the suburb like a war zone).

Albert Finney as Dewey Wilson

It soon becomes apparent they are dealing with something very strange and elusive. More deaths of a similar horrific nature only exasperate the situation. Wilson, Neff and local coroner Whittington (Gregory Hines) are having a hard time, but clues seem to point in the direction of a disgruntled bridge worker, Eddie Holt (Edward James Olmos), a Native Indian unhappy with the demolition of his once proud neighbourhood. Is he really able to shape-shift into a supremely intelligent wolf, capable of murdering and escaping capture?

Diane Venora as Rebecca Neff

Based on the novel by Whitley Streiber (who also wrote the novels of The Hunger and Communion), Wolfen was directed by Michael Wadleigh, and it was the only feature he made apart from the legendary movie of Woodstock. Strange choice of movie to make more than a decade after that, but he does bring a potent visual element, chiefly the wolfen-vision (a solarised process that although looks somewhat dated now, still provides a dynamic edge to the movie).

Edward James Olmos as Eddie Holt

The other element that keeps Wolfen looking so intriguing is the South Bronx ruins. These buildings don’t exist anymore; the whole area has been built up; the whole neighbourhood has been gentrified (like much of Brooklyn, especially during the clean-up reign of Mayor Giuliani). The “bombed” ruined buildings and streets, littered with refuse, strewn with graffiti, and peppered with burnt-out cars looks fantastic. Sure, it’s depressing, but there’s a genuine sense of apocalypse, no art director could ever hope to dress a location as well as the real thing.

As a horror movie Wolfen is sluggish and the suspense is uneven. The wolves themselves aren’t seen until the movie’s last quarter, and although imposing, they simply don’t provide the movie with the intense menace the story demands. There are a few fleeting moments of gore; the odd severed hand and head, and a scene in the local morgue that provokes an unpleasant atmosphere. There is a great scene where Wilson pays a visit to Holt way up on the Brooklyn Bridge where Holt is doing repairs. How the hell they got a camera crew up there as well impressed me very much. What a spectacular view!

Wolfen-vision

Any movie set in New York that features the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre now seems entrenched in nostalgia. They now start to look kinda weird, taking on an almost mythical quality themselves; iconic pillars of an embittered, yet desperately proud city. But I digress …

This movie's bark is worse than its bite

Wolfen is more cop movie than werewolf flick, and it spends too much time from the point of view of the “killers” and of Wilson and Neff pondering and procrastinating. The only really intense moments come in the movie’s last ten or so minutes, but even those become frayed and not entirely satisfying. Still, the movie beguiles and features a rather curious scene where Holt, stark naked, runs around along the beach (Brighton?) like a rapid wolf trying to confuse Wilson who is watching and wondering who’s more loony, himself or Holt?

French-Canadian poster

Here's the trailer:

What South Bronx used to look like, as photographed by Robert Ronan circa 1981:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

9 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Natalina

August 26th 2009 09:03

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

It's spooky that you reviewed this movie because I was just telling Cheryl today that I plan to review the book in the near future. But first I'm going to do Strieber's vampire books. Maybe not The Hunger...but probably Lilith's Dream.

As for this movie, disappointing mostly in comparison to the book. Worth seeing as you say for the scenery and a few moments of real intensity. If you haven't, you should read the book.

Comment by Bryn

August 26th 2009 12:43

Horrorphile

I haven't read any Streiber, is Wolfen his best? I've seen The Hunger, but not seen Communion.

Comment by Natalina

August 26th 2009 12:53

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

He's mostly known as the "UFO" guy these days, but he's a phenomenal writer. I would say that Wolfen is among his best, but The Hunger and Lilith's Dream are my favorites. There's a book between those two, The Last Vampire...but it sucked (hahaha..sucked).

Communion will always be my favorite and if you don't watch it, I think my head is going to explode.

Comment by Bryn

August 26th 2009 22:19

Horrorphile

I think I steered clear of Communion cos at the time I wasn't particularly enamoured of the whole oval-eyed alien look that seemed to be everywhere (and still crops up) ... But I do love Chris Walken. And I do love sf.

I'm sure you've seen Fire in the Sky?

Comment by Natalina

August 26th 2009 23:13

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

Fire in the Sky. The very thought of that movie makes me want to pee my pants and run home to my mommy. Scariest movie about aliens ever made period. I will never watch it again for fear that I'll never sleep again.

P.S. Not all of the aliens in Communion are the "Greys". There are another species of aliens known as "Doctors" (I think?) and they are kinda humorous. Strieber of course based the book on experiences he claims to have really had, which makes the whole thing scarier. All of his subsequent books about abduction have been based on his "real" experiences.

Much of Communion is very dated looking and a smidgey cheesy now, but well worth checking out Bryn. Do it!

Comment by JohnDoe

August 27th 2009 02:38

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,
Ive always liked Wolfen for it's eccentricities and Finney's performance. An interesting idea that would be worth expanding on...Nightstalker style.

Comment by Bryn

August 27th 2009 05:58

Horrorphile

Edward James Olmos looks so young! And Diane Venora was a honey!!!

Comment by Chachi

June 27th 2010 03:51

I can't imagine why anyone would refer to the Bronx as a "suburb". It's one of the five boroughs of New York City and it's anything but suburban. Most of the scenes from the movie are shot around E. 172nd and Boston, which is right below Crotona Park. The neighborhood looks a lot different than it did back then, but it sure isn't gentrified. It's mostly Puerto Rican and Dominican with a few black folks, most of the housing is one and two story houses nowdays, but a few of the big old brick apartment buildings from that era are still around.

Comment by Bryn

June 28th 2010 00:40

Horrorphile

Chachi,
you're right, the Bronx is one of the boroughs. Referring to South Bronx as a suburb is probably me talking with an Australasian voice, as we have city suburbs, although they're not like the American suburbs that exist outside of the city. I had compared photos of the area of the Bronx from when the movie was made with photos of some of the same area today, and it certainly looked gentrified to me.
Apologies if I came across ignorantly.

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