Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) (V)

User Rating:

2.8/10   

Director:

John Hough

Writers:

Gary Brandner (novel)
Freddie Rowe (writer)

Release Date:

November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

An author who was sent to the town Drakho, because of a nervous breakdown, gets wound up in a mysterious mystery about demons and werewolves...

Plot Keywords:

Bitten In The Throat | Elevator Scene | Werewolf | Shapeshifting | Throat Ripping

Cast

Romy Windsor	...	Marie
Michael T. Weiss	...	Richard Adams
Antony Hamilton	...	Tom
Susanne Severeid	...	Janice
Lamya Derval	...	Eleanor
Norman Anstey	...	Sheriff
Kate Edwards	...	Mrs. Ormstead
Dennis Folbigge	...	Dr. Coombes
Anthony James	...	Father Camefron
Dale Cutts	...	Dr. Heinemann
Clive Turner	...	Tow Truck Driver
Megan Kruskal	...	Sister Ruth
Dennis Smith	...	Mr. Ormstead
Greg Latter	...	John (as Gregg Latter)
Maxine John	...	Paula

Also Known As:

Howling IV

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Matrix Surround

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1989) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2004) | Denmark:15 | Sweden:18 | Norway:18 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Allied Entertainments Group PLC

Trivia:

'The Howling (1981)' and 'Howling IV: The Original Nightmare' are both based on the same novel by Gary Brandner. Interestingly, 'Howling IV: The Original Nightmare' actually represents the more faithful adaptation of the book than 'The Howling (1981)'.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Satan's Storybook (1989) (V)

Soundtrack:

SOMETHING EVIL, SOMETHING DANGEROUS

A nightmare certainly! wouldn't call it too original though!

Gives new meaning to the term "low budget movie!" Obviously someone decided, "Hey lets re-make the original HOWLING and get the series back on track?" Yeah well, you need a Director, actors and a script for that. When your budget runs to barely a week's supply of Big Macs this might be aiming a tad high!

This is one god-awful cheap-looking crappily acted mess with the most unsustainably fake and illogical werewolf transformation in history. Having the victim regress to a pile of glutinous mush then (quick reversal of film) reconstitute himself as a lycanthropic tease with major orthodontic problems? Huh???? not to mention the hour or so everyone's been yawning, wondering where the film actually is!

They even had the temerity to rip off the original's finale...herding all the K-mart inspired werewolves into a belltower for a spot of the old mass-destruction! Not that you can actually SEE anything!

For reasons of international "co-operation" shall we say, this abysmal flick was shot in South Africa with the majority of the cast being locals, needing to be dubbed into Anericanese during post-production. It shows!