Howling III (1987)

User Rating:

2.4/10   

Director:

Philippe Mora

Writers:

Gary Brandner (novel)
Philippe Mora (writer)

Release Date:

October 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Down Under

Plot:

A strange race of human-like marsupials appear suddenly in Australia, and a sociologist who studies these creatures falls in love with a female one...

Plot Keywords:

Sociologist | Australia | Skull | Third Part | Skeleton

Cast

Barry Otto	...	Prof. Harry Beckmeyer
William Yang	...	Siberian Peasant
Imogen Annesley	...	Jerboa
Deby Wightman	...	Wolf Woman
Leigh Biolos	...	Donny Martin
Christopher Pate	...	Agent #1
Max Fairchild	...	Thylo
Jerome Patillo	...	Agent #2
Dagmar Bláhová	...	Olga Gorki (as Dasha Blahova)
Ralph Cotterill	...	Prof. Sharp
Michael Pate	...	President
Carole Skinner	...	Yara
Frank Thring	...	Jack Citron
Jenny Vuletic	...	Goolah
Glenda Linscott	...	Bahloo
Roger Eagle	...	Priest
Richard Carter	...	First Drunk (as Ric Carter)
Lionel Curtin	...	Second Drunk
Bob McCarron	...	Werewolf in Park
Mary Acres	...	Paper Seller
Steve Shaw	...	Horror Movie Actor
Megan Shapcott	...	Horrow Movie Starlet
Bob Barrett	...	Policeman #1
Bill Collins	...	Doctor #1
David Cahill	...	Doctor #2
Mary Haire	...	Nurse
Alec Maksimovich	...	Policeman #9
Penny Linden	...	Policewoman #10
Fred Welsh	...	Dan Ruggle
Brian Adams	...	Gen. Miller
Jon Ewing	...	Gen. Forster
Peter Van der Stolk	...	Michael
Rodney Francis	...	Male Dancer
Sam Toomey	...	Policeman #4
Burnham Burnham	...	Kendi
Allan Penney	...	Spud McCormack (as Alan Penny)
Tony Deary	...	Max
Gerry Skilton	...	Hunter #1
Steve Rackman	...	Hunter #2
Gary McGuire	...	Hunter #3
Peter Armstrong	...	Hunter #4
Robert Simper	...	Hunter #5
Wayne Pleace	...	Hunter #6
Alan Dargin	...	Tracker
Patrick Rowe	...	Policeman #6
Max Aspin	...	Policeman #7
Paul Lennon	...	Policeman #8
Peter Baird	...	Omega #1
Lee Rice	...	Omega #2
Max Skipper	...	Zac (4 years)
Andreas Bayonas	...	Zac (23 years)
Maia Horniak	...	Gracie (5 years)
Danielle Sharp	...	Gracie (15 years)
Aminatta Joy Abraham	...	UCLA Girl Student
Barry Humphries	...	Dame Edna Everage (Academy Award presenter)

Directed by
Philippe Mora

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gary Brandner		novel
Philippe Mora		writer

Produced by
Gilda Baracchi	....	co-producer
Steven A. Lane	....	executive producer (as Steve Lane)
Philippe Mora	....	producer
Robert Pringle	....	executive producer
Edward Simons	....	executive producer
Charles Waterstreet	....	producer

Original Music by
Allan Zavod

Cinematography by
Louis Irving

Film Editing by
Lee Smith

Production Design by
Ross Major

Set Decoration by
Brian Edmonds

Costume Design by
Ross Major

Makeup Department
Bob McCarron	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Rosslyn Abernethy	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stuart Wood	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Bob Clayton	....	sound
Les Fiddess	....	sound effects editor

Stunts
Peter Armstrong	....	stunt performer
Dale Aspin	....	stunt performer
Max Aspin	....	stunt coordinator
Wayne Pleace	....	stunt performer
Robert Simper	....	stunt performer

Production Companies

• Bancannia Holdings Pty. Ltd.

Distributors

• Square Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bancannia Holdings Pty. Ltd. (19??) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• CBS / Fox Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• International Video Entertainment (IVE) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Koch Vision (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• M.I.B. (????) (Germany) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Vista Home Video (I) (1988) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Howling III: The Marsupials
The Marsupials: The Howling III (UK)

Runtime:

USA:94 min | Finland:98 min (DVD) | Argentina:94 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Denmark:15 | Norway:18 | Sweden:18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2004) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Bancannia Holdings Pty. Ltd.

Trivia:

The only Howling sequel as of 2008 with no character seen in any other Howling entry (Stirba, Werewolf Bitch served as a direct sequel to the first film, with Karen White reviving in her tomb; while 5,6,7 all have Elisabeth She as Mary Lou and other common characters). An oblique reference to the previous two entries occurs when Barry Otto's character asks the Russian woman if other groups of werewolves live elsewhere; she says "Africa....China....maybe California". This may reference the varied groups of werewolves who attended to Stirba in Howling II, and Howling I and II took place in California.

Goofs:

Continuity: In this movie werewolves apparently die when they are shot. However, silver bullets are needed in the previous Howling movies.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Agent #1: Hey, have a look at this. Another K.G.B. intercept meaning "wolfman."
Agent #2: It has to be a code for *something.*
Agent #1: Doubt it is. Unless they know we're intercepting. "Werewolf was sighted near village of Leovich. Three villagers killed. Special army team are tracking monster." Well. Do we tell the powers that be?
Agent #2: Werewolves loose in the Soviet Union. I'm not telling them! Call Beckmeyer in Los Angeles and get his opinion. He's damn good on unexplained phenomenon. He knows how to deal with the White House and this weird shit.
Agent #1: Weird shit! I've got a weird feeling...
Agent #2: Indigestion?
Agent #1: No. Fear.

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

Imbecilic in-name-only sequel

After the complete failure of a sequel that "Howling II" was, Philippe Mora returned for yet another installment, trying a different (more spoofy) approach this time....but it didn't work out much better. Most of the blame must go not to the direction, but to the awful, disconnected script, which makes the film feel thrown-together almost at random. The werewolf effects are mostly pathetic, though those involving Imogen Annesley's newborn "baby" somehow manage to be good (and disgusting). Obviously this film was also intended to be a spoof, but it could have used more subtlety: we know that that director is meant to be an Alfred Hitchcock - lookalike, we don't need to hear him talk about Janet Leigh and the shower scene in "Psycho", we know that "flow" is "wolf" spelled backwards, we don't need to see it reflected on a mirror, etc. Perhaps the only two good things about "Howling III" are two of its actors: Annesley (definitely the cutest werewolf I've ever seen) and Barry Otto, who gives an honest performance as the compassionate scientist. (*1/2)