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The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Shout! Factory Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (25th August 2016). |
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The Film
 Despite having been born in 1981, I have a strong affinity for all things 70's. Not only the films but the aesthetics, the clothes, the freewheeling vibe, the kitsch… it’s all very endearing. For this reason I supremely dig movies that are able to transport me back to those halcyon days. A good one can make you feel like a child of the 70's, plunked down in front of a 20-inch TV watching campy movies. A perfect example of capturing this feeling is Don Coscarelli’s “Kenny & Company” (1976), a movie that is literally about being a kid in the 70's. More recently, I finally got to check out a little-seen picture a friend of mine (who was born in 1974) has raved about for years: “The Boy Who Cried Werewolf” (1973). Director Nathan Juran, who helmed such awesome pictures as “20 Million Miles to Earth” (1957) and “The Brain From Planet Arous” (1958), delivers a film filled with horror, hippies, heart, heartbreak, and heaps of old-school charm. Richie (Scott Sealey) and his father, Robert (Kerwin Mathews), are heading into the woods for a weekend of father-son bonding after his wife, Sandy (Elaine Dervy), drops the bombshell that she wants a divorce. During a late-night walk Richie and his dad are attacked by a werewolf. Dad saves Richie but suffers a bite before knocking the wolfman off a cliff, inadvertently impaling him on a spike below. The body now human, the local sheriff (Robert J. Wilke) and Robert dismiss the attacker as a crazed drifter, but Richie knows otherwise. It was a werewolf! Sandy suggests Robert speaks with Dr. Marderosian (George Gaynes), Richie’s psychiatrist. The doctor explains to Robert that Richie has conjured up this werewolf story as a means of dealing with the fact his father killed a man. He suggests the two return to the cabin so Richie can see there is no monster. They do, but unfortunately it’s during a full moon. As Richie heads down to the stream for some fishing, Robert turns into Dadwolf and goes out on the prowl. After causing two car crashes – back in the ‘70s nobody knew how to avoid obstacles in the road without swerving into certain death – Dadwolf chases Richie through the woods until the boy comes across a couple camping in the woods. They offer him a ride home, but after failing to find his dad there – because, you know, he busy being a werewolf – the couple takes Richie back to their camper for the night. The next day Robert appears and takes Richie back home but by now his son knows what is up – Dad is a werewolf! Nobody will believe Richie, chalking it up to a boy’s imagination and nothing more. This time Dr. Marderosian suggests the entire family should go up to the cabin for a retreat. Robert, Sandy, and Richie make the trek, but when Dadwolf howls at the moon Richie finds himself torn between helping his father and stopping a vicious wolfman. There really isn’t a single thing I didn’t like about this movie. Every frame felt like pure youthful joy. If there is any complaint to be made, it would likely be regarding the itinerant hippie commune that springs up in the woods, much to the chagrin of the local sheriff. Their inclusion is period-appropriate, though, and the group is portrayed in such a satirical fashion that this was likely nothing more than Juran poking fun at a dead movement. The Summer of Love had ended some years before. Thankfully, the hippies don’t take up much screen time and, again, their presence is humorous. The Hippie Leader looks like Jeffrey Lebowski and Walter Sobchak had a tie-dye loving baby. You have to be on board with antiquated effects and average acting, too. That isn’t to say any of the performances are terrible, just that they’re serviceable for the story and nothing more. Sealey is the weakest link among the cast, and given this was one of only two projects he ever did in his professional career he likely knew that as well. It was great to see George Gaynes pop up as the psychiatrist. Kerwin Mathews is given the biggest arc, going from loving dad to sort-of-ferocious Dadwolf, all the while trying to comfort his distraught son. His transformation scenes are pure gold, utilizing the tried-and-true method of dissolve effects; the same effects that were used for the Wolfman films of the 40's. Here, they bring an element of classic cinema magic. There is plenty of fun to be had in watching Robert turn into Dadwolf, complete with his jacket and slacks perfectly pressed and clean. He may be out for blood but, seriously, this is one sophisticated werewolf. If you want to have a gloriously campy double feature, pair a viewing of this up with another Scream Factory title, “Sssssss” (1973); both were released on a double bill by Universal that year. I can have a great time watching almost any schlocky 70's horror movie, but “The Boy Who Cried Werewolf” has a little something extra that sets it above most of the campy crop. Maybe it’s the heart; maybe it’s the charmingly dated effects; maybe it’s the patently 70's acting. More likely, it is all of those elements and more. This title has quickly become one of my favorites from the company, simply because it was a movie unknown to me that turned out to be such a damn fun time. There are dozens of terrible werewolf movies out there; this is one of the few I’ll be revisiting often.
Video
“The Boy Who Cried Werewolf” makes its home video debut 43 years after premiering (!), featuring a beautiful 1.85:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded picture. The print used here looks to have been kept in great shape, with very minimal dirt & debris present. Colors are bright and vibrant. Black levels are stable, though a touch hazy during the darkest of shots. Clarity is very impressive, allowing for heaps of minor detailing to shine. It’s definitely got a seriously 70's aesthetic going on, which is perfectly fitting.
Audio
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track is fairly simple and straightforward, with few robust moments and a limited soundscape. Dialogue sounds great, balanced and clear. No hisses or pops were detected. Ted Stovall's score is lovely, playing up aspects both fun and spooky. Subtitles are available in English.
Extras
Sadly, there isn’t much in the way of bonus features. Expect to find only a photo gallery and theatrical trailer. Photo gallery (1080p) runs for 3 minutes and 32 seconds, containing stills, behind-the-scenes photos, posters, and lobby cards. The film’s theatrical trailer (SD) runs for 2 minutes and 24 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keep case. The cover art retains the original key theatrical poster.
Overall
As far as werewolf movies go, this might be the most fun and charming of them all. I had a great time from start to finish and aficionados of classic campy horror should absolutely do the same.
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