After an asteroid collided with the moon, thousands of people on Earth were transformed into werewolves. However, Jake and his estranged brother Laszlo were already cursed as werewolves, thanks to the family bloodline, allowing them to change at will, freed from the slavery of the full moon. Jake wants to get out of the city, turned into a police state by lycan-phobic "normals". Laszlo, however, wishes to unite all werewolves and bring down normal humanity. He plans to do this by mixing his blood with that of a vampire, creating a super race of hyper-natural creatures.
Rage of the Werewolf is an inventive take on the classic werewolf genre. Co-written and directed by indie giant Kevin Lindenmuth (Addicted to Murder 1-3), Rage takes the classic dramatic element of brother vs. brother, and gives the story little twists here and there, and provides subtle winks at the audience through multiple in-jokes.
Drawbacks: the obvious limitations of the budget. Lindenmuth has always been adept at making his lower budget work for him, usually choosing to tell intimate stories of obsession, love, and madness. Rage tries to tell a story of a global phenomenon, and works hard to convey the lycanthrope epidemic, through creative cut-aways, quick cuts, and multiple transformations.
More apparant are the special effects, which range from impressive to passable to "Muppet". Some of the werewolf costumes are sadly laughable, at othertimes, the make up is breathtaking. This inconsistency is distracting at times. (And at others, it serves as a neat nod to the cult television show Werewolf.)
The acting has the same range. Both Debbie Rochon (who plays the vampire "Kessa") and Sasha Graham are quite good in their roles, as is Tom Nondorf as the hero's sidekick, Ralph, who was not transformed by the lunar catastrophe, but wishes he were.
The leads, Santo Marotta as Jake and Joe Zaso as Laszlo, both try very hard, but more often than not come off stiff.
Lindenmuth's direction is top-notch, however, and he's adept at keeping the story moving, even during long dialogue scenes. The lighting is crisp, moody and layered, which complement his compositions.
All in all, Rage of the Werewolf is a fun, fast-paced movie that you won't regret having watched. A good party movie.
Rage of the Werewolf is available to order through Brimstone Productions, the official homepage of Kevin Lindenmuth.