User Reviews

This is another winner from the pen of sci-fi master writer Richard Matheson, author of the classic film "The Incredible Shrinking Man," though "Scream of the Wolf" plays more as a murder mystery than as a traditional werewolf flick. Made-for-TV on a limited budget, almost nothing is shown in way of special effects, which on the positive side leaves more room for suspense and less room for gore and guts.

It seems some huge wolf is the culprit in a series of murders taking place in the woods around Byron Douglas'(Clint Walker) lair. As Sheriff Vernon Bell (Philip Carey) investigates he uncovers strange tracks indicating a four-footed creature; then the markings become those of a being walking upright; finally, the prints suddenly end as if erased. When dogs are brought in to trail, the scent changes unexpectedly when the tracks end.

Local hunter, now adventure writer, John Wetherby (Peter Graves) is turned to for assistance. He is unconvinced that a werewolf is to blame, determining that either a monster wolf or a human monster is responsible. When he calls on his former hunting buddy, Byron, to participate in the track down, Byron refuses, maintaining that it's time for his old partner to renew his interest in the pursuit of the kill. John's girlfriend, Sandy Miller (Jo Ann Pflug), is partly accountable for his giving up the hunt. She now helps him to catch the perpetrator of the dastardly deeds, placing herself in death's jaws.

The primary suspect from the beginning is weird glory hunter, Byron. But is he really the killer and if so, is he really a werewolf? Another suspect is Byron's man servant, or is he a red herring? He was hired on the basis of his ability to successfully arm wrestle Byron. Or could it be the star of the show, former trophy hunter John Wetherby?

Clint Walker, usually a wooden actor, gives one of his best performances in a different type role. He is convincing as the macho hunter intent on bringing his erstwhile friend back into the game. Peter Graves makes a good foil for him. The rest of the cast is above average for a TV movie from the 1970's.

A major criticism of Matheson's story is toward the end when "Scream of the Werewolf" almost becomes yet another retelling of Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game." Otherwise, this little movie is a gripping murder mystery filled with thrills and chills, with a few frightening scenes, especially if you're watching alone in the dark with dogs howling outside.

The TV movies of the 1970's, particularly those featuring horror elements, are a mixed bag, with a dozen or so that are now considered cult favorites ("The Initiation of Sarah", "The Devil's Daughter", to name a few) or forgotten sleepers that are worth discovering, like "Crowhaven Farm". "Scream of the Wolf" seems to be of the "Night Stalker" variety, directed by Dan Curtis of "Dark Shadows" fame. He returns to the werewolf theme, but it seems very similar to the 1972 TV werewolf film "Moon of the Wolf" even with obvious differences. Peter Graves and Clint Walker make great adversaries, and Philip Carey is also very good as the local sheriff. However, Joanna Pflug is rather dull as Graves' girlfriend, and there really isn't much mystery. The weak script and predictability is a major problem, and within a half an hour after watching it, I had completely forgotten what the purpose of it was supposed to be.

While not bad for TV, the final twist reveals this not to be a werewolf film after all (though the medium had dabbled in the subgenre with MOON OF THE WOLF {1972} and even an episode from the KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER TV series, actually emanating from the same stable and year as this) but Richard Matheson's script - foregoing the generics (the attacks usually involving both an anonymous victim and an unseen assailant, every time the Police converge en masse and to the same pounding score upon the scene of the crime) - is both thoughtful and gripping. The narrative only really supplies a couple of human suspects but, even if the identity of the villain is pretty obvious, it is the reason for his actions that compels attention (ironically, that is what he had intended himself - to rouse the citizens from their placid existence through terror!). Incidentally, I have often remarked about how these kind of urban locations are simply too exposed to make for safe and comfortable living: the curtains are invariably never drawn and houses are shown as being extremely easy to break into!

The cast is headed by Peter Graves (displaying much of the characteristics that made his name in the long-running MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TV series - being both brawny, a former hunter, and brainy, a writer) and Clint Walker (in what must be one of the best roles he ever had as his ex-buddy who still lives only for the chase, claiming that a prey and its predator are never more alive than at the moment immediately prior to the kill!). Also on hand are Don Megowan (from TV's TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN {1958} and CREATION OF THE HUMANOIS {1962}) as a man who had so impressed Walker, by giving him a hard time at arm-wrestling, that he is hired as his personal manservant(!) and bartender Jo Ann Pflug as Graves' romantic interest (who instantly distrusts Walker and is eventually almost killed herself by the 'monster'). For what it is worth, the way in which Walker taunts Graves to leave Pflug and rejoin him gives this an unintended gay subtext! Needless to say, Graves eventually regains his old form (after having been humiliated by a dismally short bout of mano a mano!) and overcomes the conditioned wolf Walker used in the attacks, after which he is provoked into shooting the man himself in the back.

Distributor: DollarDVD

Plot: Adventure writer is called in to investigate a series of brutal murders that has investigators confused. The clues are not clear and leave no clear trail. The tracks left at the murder site appear to be of a wolf. The suspense and terror builds as danger lurks in the shadows of the night.

Audio/Video: The quality of the DVD was actually better then I thought it would be considering the distributors are called Dollar DVD and the damn thing only cost a buck.

Extras: Movie trivia, the only weird thing is that it is trivia from other movies.

Final thoughts: ABC movies of the week were all pretty good, some were better then others. This one was an average made for TV movie. If you see it then get it. It is pretty good.

This 1974 mystery thriller sets it's stall out very early on with a reasonably nerve-jangling beginning as a stranded motorist is murdered in a grisly manner on a mist-shrouded,isolated road by someone or something lurking in woods of rural Los Angeles.

The plot quickly develops as the baffled police turn to an ex-game hunter (Peter Graves) to assist them with the search of an "animal", who leaves both four-legged and two-legged tracks (never seen by the viewer, by the way, and indicative of the budget restrictions that prevail in this film). One ex-game-hunter goes to an old friend who is still plying his trade as a hunter (Clint Walker) but he oddly backs off and refuses to help anybody track down the killer.

At just over 75 minutes running time, the whole thing virtuously floes at a brisk pace, but saying that the early part of the film is rather repetitious in portraying the murders. Furthermore, some sequences are too short and/or choppily edited so the overall smoothness of what is being viewed is compromised.

Budget restrictions place a heavy emphasis on mystery and suspense, rather than horror and gore, and with Dan Curtis (of Night Stalker fame) at the production/directorial helm, the whole thing was potentially in safe hands. Nevertheless, there is only decent nail-biting scene in the rest of the film: at the home of the leading character's girlfriend's house where the murderer tries to strike.

The script also spends an inordinate amount of time building and playing on the cold-hearted, egocentric and humourless characterisation of Clint Walker's role: whilst Walker carries this off very effectively it becomes rather mind-numbing and tiresome as the film shifts towards its conclusion, even within the confines of the aforementioned running time. What this does is imply considerable guilt on the part of this character and puts all the film's "eggs in one basket." When the conclusion comes it comes with twists that are perfectly explicable in terms of what the viewer has seem beforehand, if not entirely satisfactory.

Overall the performances of Peter Graves and Jo-Ann Pflug are merely adequate, but Walker merits more praise for his consistently poker-face portrayal of his character. The film itself carries an element of intrigue that makes it worth watching but many aspects of the script don't translate particularly well to the screen, so it's lasting impact is unfortunately rather Luke-warm.

"Scream of the Wolf" is one of the more fascinating stories from the 70s.

**SPOILERS**

Driving along a lonely road, a man is attacked by a strange creature. Sheriff Vernon Bell, (Phillip Crane) is sent out to investigate the incident, and finds strange tracks in the woods. He goes to old friend John Wetherby, (Peter Graves) an expert tracker who just entered retirement, to get some help on the case. John agrees, and he begins to search around the area of the attack. He runs into Byron Douglas, (Clint Walker) another local animal tracker. Douglas doesn't provide any support for John, and he decides to finish investigating. Another attack brings a news report on the attacks, which brings the attention to Sandy Miller, (Jo Ann Pflug) an old friend of John's. After the creature is found to be a werewolf, it attacks Sandy in her home, forcing John to finally track down the werewolf and kill it.

The Good News: I know it doesn't seem like that long of a film, but this is far more entertaining than it should be. I don't know if it's the 70's tone that it has, or if it manages to actually be that entertaining, I haven't found out yet. This is a film that I can repeatedly by on and enjoy it all the way through. Few movies can actually do that continuously, as you become more and more accustomed to them. I have even grown too actually like the design of the werewolf in here after initially hating it. The werewolf is only seen in a few quick shots, but that was enough to know that it is a pretty frightening creature. It does feature a very wolf-ish look. It also looks like a cross between the two previous werewolf classics, "The Wolf Man," and "Curse of the Werewolf," with that of a more traditional-looking wolf. There is also a lot more suspense than you would expect in the film. The best part has to be the raid the wolf has on Sandy's cabin. That is a spoiler moment, so I can't reveal too much, but it does provide a very original jump that has since been copied in just about every other werewolf film since. It may not affect too many because you have seen it many times before, but this is the oldest film I have seen with that particular jump. It is also good to see genre veteran Peter Graves in here, as he hams it up like he does in so many of his films. He plays a regular role for him, and he plays it like he normally does in lots of movies. It was a nice surprise to see him in here.

The Bad News: As usual, we hardly get to see the werewolf, which I don't know why as it is a very good design for a werewolf, but they kept it limited to a few scenes at the end. Another thing that annoyed me with the film is that it is pretty short. Even for a TV movie, this is still a lot shorter than it could've been. The plot does allow for some more time to chase after the wolf.

The Final Verdict: If you can ignore the fact that they have a cool wolf that is hardly used, this is another entry in that "Give-it-a-chance" category. I don't know why more people don't about this film, as it does provide some action-packed scenes and a very creepy lead wolf.

Today's Rating; PG-13: Vicious Werewolf attacks, very minor gore, and a brief view of a mangled corpse

SCREAM OF THE WOLF is one of many horror-themed TV movies produced and directed by DARK SHADOWS creator Dan Curtis during the 1970s. This one's based on a short story by David Case (who I really rate, incidentally) and a teleplay by the legendary Richard Matheson. The story is rather slight, with an ex-hunter on the trail of wolf killings which might just be the work of a werewolf, and mainly it's a battle of wits between two diverse personalities.

Peter Graves is the dependable hero, a bit bland compared to the dark and brooding Clint Walker character, inevitably named Byron. Walker is the best thing in this and perfectly case as the urbane suspect. Despite a few atmospheric killings and the like, this is generally a mystery rather than a horror flick. It's a slow-burner that gradually builds to an outcome both expected and unexpected, a film with a short running time that doesn't outstay its welcome.

This made-for-tv movie screams 1970s, from the cars to the sets to the music to the wardrobe. So, for those born later, watch it and you'll understand why very few truly memorable television shows came out of that decade. Having said that, there are a couple of decent aspects to this production, and one exceptional one.

First, the not-so-decent aspects. The plot is mundane and the mystery is not very intriguing. Someone -- or something -- is decimating the population of a hip oceanside community, and Sheriff Vernon Bell is determined to find out who or what has set the town in a dither. He enlists the help of writer/hunter John Wetherby, who in turn tries to recruit his eccentric old friend and hunting companion Byron Douglas to help chase down the killer. Douglas, by far the most interesting character in this story, refuses, citing prior plans. He has an unconventional, some would say twisted, philosophy of life and death. It isn't until he once again bests Wetherby in an old-fashioned bit of arm wrestling that he finally agrees to help track down the vicious culprit responsible for the mutilation killings that are terrifying local denizens. Naturally, the term "werewolf" enters the general consciousness and, as it has for centuries, generates more irrational terror.

Well, I wouldn't say it's exactly terrifying to watch; more tedious than terrifying. Most of the attack scenes take place at night in poorly lit, misty forests and we never really get to see the perpetrator, except at the anticlimactic end when all is revealed. Impending mayhem is telegraphed by beastly grunts, usually in the murky dark, with ominous orchestral accompaniment and blood-curdling screams. We've been down that road too often before, so it's hard to become invested in the outcome. While decent aspects of this tv movie are hard to find, the formulaic script does have a few respectable lines delivered by stalwarts of 70s television, such as Philip Carey (Sheriff Bell), Peter Graves (Wetherby), and the obligatory lady-in-distress Sandy, played by JoAnn Pflug. But there is one surprising and redeeming element that makes this routine tv movie worth an hour and fourteen minutes of your time.

That element is the presence of Clint Walker as the somewhat creepy hunter, Byron Douglas. Playing completely against type, Mr. Walker conveys a sense of understated yet palpable menace unlike anything anyone would have ever thought him capable of. Those blue eyes that have so captivated fans from his "Cheyenne" days and beyond take on a sinister glint belying the smile adored by multi-generations of fans; the combination is positively bone-chilling. It's such a departure from the generally heroic characters he played throughout his career that even non-fans must admit that Clint Walker was a much better actor than he was given credit for, and if given the opportunities he deserved, he would have been a superstar in the eyes of more than just his enduring fan base numbering in the untold thousands. Thanks to INSP and H&I, that number is growing by the day.

While I prefer the heroic over the psychotic, I admire the man's ability to inject an unexpected aura of attractiveness into what is essentially a very scary character, and that's not just because he maintained his tall, dark, and handsome stature throughout his career. When he tells Sandy not to worry, that he'll take care of John, the smile and that wink are diabolical, yet curiously charming. The only reason the movie itself deserves as many stars as I gave it is, in two words, Clint Walker; without him, it'd be worth maybe three.

Yes! This movie feels more like a spoof of a "real" movie! It begins with a decent hook, but quickly succumbs to tactics that didn't even work well in the Silent Era. These would be clearly revealing the murderer too soon. I figured it out after six minutes into the film. Repeat scenarios that gave us nothing more than dead bodies. An entire community of characters with inadequate decision making skills, which results in not caring what happens to them.

This TV movies rocks on with this weird back-and-forth among the characters that is laughable. Clint Walker's script and delivery is like something out of a comic book. It is horrific by any decade's standard. The ending is atrocious! Oh my gosh ......it's is so ridiculous. Clearly the creators didn't want to commit and were successful at creating a dud.