The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#996699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043467d1erlcll.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>YikesHorror.com</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="YikesHorror.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id168.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Horror beginning with H"><U>Horror beginning with H</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id583.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="H2O"><U>H2O</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id584.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="House"><U>House</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id585.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="House II: The Second Story"><U>House II: The Second Story</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id586.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Howling"><U>The Howling</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id587.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Howling II: Your Sisters a Werewolf"><U>The Howling II: Your Sister's a Werewolf</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id588.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Howling III"><U>The Howling III</U></A>   |   <B>The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare</B>   |   <A HREF="id590.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Howling V"><U>The Howling V</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id591.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Howling VI: The Freaks"><U>The Howling VI: The Freaks</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id592.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Howling VII: New Moon Rising"><U>The Howling VII: New Moon Rising</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id593.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Hunger"><U>The Hunger</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id594.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hunters Blood"><U>Hunter's Blood</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id515.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Sweet Home"><U>Home Sweet Home</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id516.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Honeymoon Horror"><U>Honeymoon Horror</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id517.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Honeymoon Killers"><U>Honeymoon Killers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id518.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Horror of the Zombies"><U>Horror of the Zombies</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id519.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Horror Show"><U>The Horror Show</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id520.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hospital Massacre"><U>Hospital Massacre</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id480.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Hills Have Eyes"><U>The Hills Have Eyes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id481.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Hills Have Eyes Part II"><U>The Hills Have Eyes Part II</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id431.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Haunting of Morella"><U>The Haunting of Morella</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id432.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="He Knows Youre Alone"><U>He Knows You're Alone</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id433.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HellGate"><U>HellGate</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id434.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hellhole"><U>Hellhole</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id435.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hell Night"><U>Hell Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id436.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hellraiser"><U>Hellraiser</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id437.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hellbound. 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Weiss</B></div> <div> <B>Tom..............Antony Hamilton  (Samson and Delilah)</B></div> <div> <B>Janice...........Susanne Severeid</B></div> <div> <B>Eleanor..........Lamya Derval</B></div> <div> <B>Sheriff..........Norman Anstey</B></div> <div> <B>Mrs. Ormstead....Kate Edwards</B></div> <div> <B>Dr. Coombes......Dennis Folbigge</B></div> <div> <B>Father Camefron..Anthony James</B></div> <div> <B>Dr. Heinemann....Dale Curtis</B></div> <div> <B>Tow Truck Driver.Clive Turner</B></div> <div> <B>Sister Ruth......Megan Kruskal</B></div> <div> <B>Mr. Ormstead.....Dennis Smith</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Critique: Rich has a cool late sixties Firebird, but he is otherwise rather uninteresting. This goes for most of the starring cast with the exception of Janice (Susanne Severeid). The supporting cast on the other hand is eerily talented and the final scene is certainly worth waiting for and the portrayal of demon and standard issue werewolf are both praiseworthy. The only hitch in the proceeding is that we know and everyone in the movie should know that we have a werewolf problem long before sister Ruth's catatonic message is decoded. Still we like the mix of demon and werewolf as a scarier explanation and a real enemy in the lycanthrope. All of this tolerance for werewolves is a bit too pc for these reviewers. Werewolves are mean, evil killers who should be hunted down by a terrified and ignorant populace in a religious frenzy. Still, this one strikes some old time werewolf themes.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Plot Summary: While on a lunch date with her agent Tom, Marie sees a nun who vanishes and a demon-werewolf roar out of a barbecue pit. She tries to convince herself she is just having more dreams. Her psychologist, however, tells her husband she needs a vacation, no work, no stimulation of ideas, no deadline, just rest. "What is important is her state of mind." As her agent drives her off to the ostensibly restful town of Drago, they meet the Sheriff while checking the map. The weird Sheriff doesn't seem to think that Drago is a good destination. Rich meets them at the cabin, which has some rather serious looking scratch marks on the door. Although there is some rather obvious tension between Rich and Tom, the real trouble begins that night with the howling outside. While sightseeing in Drago, they  meet the seductive artist and werewolf if you ever saw one Eleanor, who has her own gallery, and the dangerously nosy Ornsteads who own the country store. The second night brings more howling and the disruption of their sex life. Shortly thereafter, her poodle Pierre runs away. The surly Sheriff assures them there are no big animals in these parts, howling or no. Third night Marie dreams of chasing a hooded figure in the woods. On her way home from the store Marie runs into the woods to chase a real hooded figure which transforms into Eleanor in the woods she looked like an old woman. Eleanor gives her directions to a shortcut which leads to a cave in which Pierre's head lies. Some beast chases her all the way home. Richard thinks she's losing her mind. Day four brings the ghosts of the previous inhabitants who warn her to go away, as well as a former nun and a fan, Janice, introduces herself and explains what brought her to Drago. Meanwhile Richard is visiting Eleanor. Sister Ruth, a friend who died a month ago, heard the howling too and spoke of hearing bells and seeing the demon. Marie would like to help Janice find out what happened to Sister Ruth. Rich searches the woods for Pierre and finds a white haired doll which he suspects is the head Marie saw. Two acquaintances, tourists from New York, are killed by the werewolf and their car is towed into town with no license plates or other I.D. and the Sheriff calls it a case of abandonment, case closed. They had come to see the bell-tower in Drago with its creepy past, another connection to Sister Ruth. Richard comes home with a rabbit and claims he picked up the shotgun in L.A. while Marie continues to hear the howling and the ghost of Sister Ruth appears in the cabin shouting "Don't hurt them!" While Rich shuttles back to LA, Jessica and Marie attempt to investigate the bell tower but are warded off by the Ornsteads, who lie about the history of the bell. An investigation of the town garage turns up the plates. Next stop the doctor where Marie told the NY woman to go. Never saw them. The doctor does remember Sister Ruth, but people lie in this town a lot. Next visit the priest Sister Ruth had said "We are all in fear". The link to the cottage remains unclear. The priest in the next town is the only church in the area yet the people of Drago never go there.  Rich wants to go to town alone to get a supplies and a drink. He goes straight to Elinor's. While Rich and Eleanor mate, Marie hits a wolf with the shotgun. Rich has changed. Jessica finds out that the bell is from Rumania and it was used to call the inhabitants of Draga, Rumania to their death by their neighbors, who believed one to be a werewolf. Is the Devil incarnate in Drago? Marie needs more Valium when Rich is attacked by a wolf. His quick healing job has Marie's head spinning. Since the entire town is lying this is no surprise that she's losing it. Janice is looking into an exorcism, while Richard is already up and about and concerned Tom is on his way. Tom and Janice unravel the connection between the house, the former inhabitants and sister Ruth. The townspeople are trying to hide something. By the time Janice figures out what it was Ruth was babbling about it could be too late for Marie.</B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>