| Scream Of The Wolf/Moon Of The Wolf |
| Scream Of The Wolf Director:Dan Curtis Writer:Richard Matheson A man lost on a foggy California road in the mountains is attacked by what we think is a wolf.But no ordinary wolf would cave in the roof of a car and shatter the windshield out.The man's body is found shortly in a rather messy state. Sheriff Bell (played by the guy who plays Asa on One Life To Live Philip Carey) calls on former hunter turned author John Weatherby (Peter Graves).John judges by the tracks that the animal walked on four legs, then two legs and then just disappeared. Weatherby tries to get an old friend Byron Douglas(Clint Walker)an excellent hunter to help track down the beast.Byron refuses as he is too busy planning a South American hunting trip. Next a young couple is butchered by the animal. John and his girlfriend Sandy enjoy a dinner out in town.Byron shows up much to Sandy's distaste (which is mutual).Again Byron refuses to help track the beast as he says people are more alive and really living now. Sandy is attacked next but barely gets away with her life.She tells John that she thinks Byron is the one doing the killing.But the locals fear it is a werewolf.The sheriff has an eye on Byron as well. A deputy is butchered and the whole town is in an uproar.If the killer animal or werewolf isn't caught in three days the National Guard moves in. John tries again to get Byron to help.Byron instead offers John the chance to dump Sandy and go on the hunting trip with him.Byron says that John has gotten soft and weak and isn't much of a man anymore.An arm wrestling contest between the two will determine if Byron helps John track the beast.If John can't hold out for a minute Byron won't help.The brutish Byron wins easily. When John is leaving his home to hunt the wolf Byron shows up pleading a change of heart.The two men enter the foggy forest to encounter the beast that lurks within.What is the animal and who will survive? I think Byron has deep feelings for John that he may be hesitant to admit.He hides behind a machismo facade.Byron really hates women, especially John's girl.He wants to make John "back into the man he used to be" and encourages him to leave Sandy and go with him to the Matto Grasso.Maybe I'm seeing a gay subtext where there isn't one but it does lead to some interesting speculation.From the director of Dark Shadows and the author of The Incredible Shrinking Man. Moon Of The Wolf Director:Daniel Petrie Writer:Alvin Sapinsley David Janssen..Sheriff Aaron Whitaker Barbara Rush..Louise Rodanthe Bradford Dillman..Andrew Rodanthe John Beradino..Doctor Druten Geoffrey Lewis..Lawrence Burrifors Royal Dano..Tom Gurmandy Sr. On the other hand we have a straightforward werewolf rampaging under a full moon in this other made for tv flick.Janssen plays a world weary sheriff in the Louisiana bayous.Some sort of critter is chowing down on the local swamp dwellers.One of the yokels has a psychic connection that is never explained to the "louk garouk".(We always called them loup garou in my old neighborhood). There are few suspects so figuring out the identity of the werewolf is a no brainer.The werewolf makeup is okay for a shot on the cheap 1972 tv flick.The angle of werewolfism being controlled by medication is trotted out.There is no explanation as to how this particular lycanthrope came about.He does exhibit a penchant for human flesh and totally destroys the town jail to get to his midnight snack. The cast does this little flick nicely.Also a refreshing change of pace as most of the main characters are in their early 40's rather than teenagers.Looks like it may have been filmed on location somewhere in Louisiana. This is the weaker of the two movies discussed here.Both are worth picking up and can be had cheaply on dvd for less than $5.Both are in full frame and the quality is pretty decent for early 1970's television flicks. |
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