Silver Bullet (1985)

Continuing to review werewolf movies in chronological order, we're now at 1985 with Stephen King's Silver Bullet. King adapted from his own novella "Cycle of the Werewolf" filling it with a nice small town atmosphere and plenty of interesting characters. Corey Haim plays a handicapped kid named Marty who functions in a motorized wheelchair. Megan Follows is his teen sister, Jane. Gary Busey is their alcoholic Uncle Red who Marty idolizes because of his carefree attitude. I'll stop there and just say the killings are graphic the first two times, then one-because it's of a minor-isn't shown, and several more happen under a fog so you don't see too much of what happens there. There's also some intentionally funny lines that I liked such as when a woman asks her husband "Are you going to make lemonade in your pants?" Can't believe I didn't get to watch this until a little more than 30 years after it was first released! So on that note, I highly recommend Silver Bullet.

Although I knew who's werewolf from the 'very beginning, it does not make this movie any less tense or fun. Understandable considering it was King who wrote script based on his own novel. I would not say it's horror movie. It's more children/family fantasy drama spiced with some horror elements. Cast is very good, especially 14 years old Corey Haim, who perfectly played little paraplegic hunting werewolf. A bit naive, but warm, fun and with just about right amount of suspense for one nice family King.8/10

Stephen King's Silver Bullet is one of the most charming werewolf flicks in the stable, one that combines adult orientated, gory horror with the fable-esque, childlike sensibility that seems to permeate King's work. It's also quite funny, thanks to the presence of a boisterous, rotund and quite young Gary Busey. Young Marty (Corey Haim) lives in a sleepy little town where not much of anything happens, until a rash of brutal murders occur in the area. Attributed to a serial killer by townsfolk, Marty has other ideas, specifically that a werewolf has taken up residence among them, and is snatching victims in the night. Taken seriously only by his sister (Megan Follows) and kindly Uncle Red (Busey) he bravely stalks suspect number one, who happens to be the creepy town priest (an intimidating Everett Mcgill). Things escalate into a series of gooey, effects driven set pieces that drip with wonderful 80's schlock and awe, as of course is the tradition with anything based on King's work. Other notables include Terry O Quinn, Bill Smitrovitch, Lawrence Tierney, King's own son Joe Wright, and late great character actor James Gammon in an opening sequence cameo. It's not all that scary, but more about the beloved tropes of such stories as these, the timeless monsters that inhabit them, as well the the intrepid young heroes whose lives growing up and finding themselves equally as important and high stakes as the horror elements.

It was summer, and the drive-in beckoned. On the menu that night was SILVER BULLET, based on the Stephen King novella illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. Werewolves? Hell, yeah- we were there. While the werewolves themselves weren't all we'd hoped they'd be, the movie as a whole was watchable. Gary Busey, beset by whatever personal demons he was battling at the time, did a decent job of sucking it up and getting the job done. Even that irritating kid did a good job, but the girl was the standout performer. And you just gotta love a preacher with an eye patch who turns into a f---ing werewolf. Like UNDER THE DOME (and FIRESTARTER and CAT'S EYE and NIGHT FLYER, etc.), SILVER BULLET was shot here in Crack Town. Them was the days...