One of our guests is a werewolf, I know it.
So last year, I did a ’80s film to start off Horrorfest V, so I decided that I needed to review a ’70s film to start us off. So the first post, I feel, is one of the most important ones during Horrorfest. I need a film I absolutely love to watch-
So I tried to think what horror, thriller, mystery, etc.; that I absolutely love. What’s one of my favorite ’70s horror films?
Jaws!
Oh wait, I already reviewed that one.
What’s another ’70s film I absolutely love? Oh, I know!
The Stepford Wives!
Wait I reviewed that one too.
So what to do? I started looking through what films came out in the ’70s, but nothing stood out at me until I saw this:
AMC, back when it was an actual movie channel instead of giving in to being just like any other network, used to do something special called Fear Fridays.
Originally they started showing films at 7, then it was moved back to 8, then 9, then 10, then 11, then 12, then 1, and finally 2. Yes, 2 in the morning!
What?
And they still called it Fear Friday! Even though it was on Saturday! Fear Friday on a Saturday???!!!
Sorry, I digress. So they would just show horror films all night, and I saw some fantastic ones and some pretty rotten ones-but either way it made Friday fun.
One night at 12 this film came on and it immediately captured my attention with its fantastic beginning. We don’t start by showing actors’ names, or anything like that. Instead we start with this:
This film is a detective story – in which you are the detective. The question is not “Who is the murderer?”, but “Who is the werewolf?” After all the clues have been shown, you will get a chance to give your answer. Watch for The Werewolf Break.
You know how much I love a mystery!!
Ready for any case
So millionaire Tom Newcliffe (Calvin Lockhart) has spent his time training to be the best hunter, building the most unescapable housing complex, etc. Why? He wants to capture a werewolf.
He has hunted everything possible in the world, and this is the last one on his list.
But there is only one problem: a werewolf only manifests at night with the moon. How will he find a werewolf when most of the day they appear as a regular person.
Hmm…
He has that covered. He has been tracking people and invited four people to his mansion for the weekend-five that he believes are possible werewolves. His plan is to wait until they transform and then kill them.
Here are his suspects:
1) Arthur Bennington (Charles Gray): Diplomat who had members of his cabinet disappear suspiciously.
2) Jan Gilmore (Michael Gambon): A famous pianist who while on tour, the cities he played in had horrible killings where their throats were slashed.
3) Davina Gilmore (Ciaran Madden): Jan’s wife in who travels with him, but on a separate occasion a dinner party she attended had a horrifying murder.
4) Paul Foote (Tom Chadbon): An artist who has recently been released from prison. He started out as a medical student, but was involved with a group that each ate a piece of human flesh.
5) Professor Lundgren (Peter Cushing): A professor of archeology and Lycanthropy. Is he so knowledgeable because he’s interested or because he is one.
Which one could it be? That’s up to Tom, his assistant Pavel, and you to determine. Will you figure it out?
I loved this movie so much, I can’t say anything more. In fact, I was told to go to bed, pretended I did, and snuck out to finish watching and see if I had guessed the werewolf correctly.
I thought it was a great time and even went on to searching the internet to add it to my collection. Definitely worth watching for Halloween.
So you know how I do a banner for every movie for my personal facebook, none for this one. I couldn’t find a big enough picture that captured the film.
Oh well, there’s always the next film.
For more werewolf films, go to I’m…a Werewolf: Teen Wolf (1985)
For more mysteries, go to That’s What We’re Trying to Find out! We’re Trying to Find Out Who Killed Him, and Where, and With What!: Clue (1985)
For more Michael Gambon, go to A Bit Pottery About Jane Austen
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