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"Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

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"Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Old 09-29-20, 11:49 PM
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"Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge



Wolfen (1981)


Selected by Gobear


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These "October Horror Movie Challenge" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 FILM SUBSET list.

The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day.
You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.

Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day.
Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.



Spoiler tags aren't always used in here, so if you have yet to see the film BEWARE OF POSSIBLE SPOILERS.

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2020 DISCUSSION | 2020 LISTS

Old 10-22-20, 01:23 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Haven't been following the challenge, but I just watched this one for the first time last night. Loved it.
Old 10-22-20, 08:48 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Movie is really good so is Gregory Hines. I also love that era of NY with all of the urban decay.
Old 10-24-20, 09:46 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

This was my second time viewing it, but I enjoyed it more this time. I didn't find it as slow, though I do think it could benefit from a little bit of a trim. Speaking of which, I kept thinking as I watched this that Albert Finney had COVID hair.

The message is certainly still timely, especially as we learn more about how important wolves are to a healthy ecosystem. The footage of the wolves getting killed was probably the most disturbing part in the movie. Oh, wolf vision was very cool, too.

I wasn't really looking forward to it but ended up being happy to revisit this one.
Old 10-24-20, 11:17 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Love this film. I have the novel from the library that I need to read.
Old 10-26-20, 04:32 AM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Albert Finney is a detective investigating a series of mutilations. A shape shifter flick with heavy POV from wolf standpoint.

An okay watch but too long running time in my opinion. 6/10
Old 10-26-20, 10:22 AM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Albert Finney is great as the detective and a young Edward James Olmos in a standoff that the film hangs around - there's perhaps too much extra stuff surrounding this but the dramatic acting and direction help carry the film a lot further than the Wolfen premise does. It's nice to see a horror film that treats both sides with respect and perspective, the film romanticizes the Wolfen as much as they are vilified. The wolf point of view was a good gag but the dated distortion of it got old quick. It's chilling how the Wolfen leave behind diseased organs and that it's got a scope well beyond the Manhattan skyline tying in murders from other areas even without showing much. New York is probably not the best example of encroaching on nature hunting grounds being long standing major urban sprawl. Some of the native american mysticism feels dated now.
Old 10-26-20, 12:36 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

I remember Wolfen from cable in the '80s and I have seen it a few times. Great performances and a nice time capsule for New York City. This is the first time I noticed the theme sounding like Ives' The Unanswered Question.

"Could you train a wolf?"
"Then it wouldn't be a wolf."
Old 10-26-20, 06:03 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

All these years I assumed this was a run of the mill Werewolf movie with fancy pants actors.
Old 10-26-20, 07:56 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Damn, that’s the theme from Aliens...

We also have a very young Tom Noonan....

I remember seeing this about ten years ago. I was expecting The Howling, and got something else. This time around, my opinion changed. I really liked the who-done-it procedural, and felt it moved along really briskly. Nice seeing Edward James Olmos as the Mexi, er, Indian. I’m not entirely sure of the point of the drawn out terrorism scenes.

Last edited by WillieMLF; 10-26-20 at 08:17 PM.
Old 10-27-20, 01:37 AM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

I chose this because it checked so many subset boxes (NYC setting, based on a novel, subjective camera and so forth). It's an entertaining flick, even if the screenplay is incoherent (are the Wolfen a species of intelligent canine? Are they Native American spirits? Werewolves?) Seeing the Twin Towers makes me sad, and the scenes set in the South Bronx remind me of how far NYC has come from the bad old days when the city was falling apart. The Wolfen also hails from a time when you could have older adults in horror films.

Last edited by Gobear; 10-28-20 at 10:39 AM.
The following 2 users liked this post by Gobear:
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Old 10-27-20, 04:10 PM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

^ Good point about adults largely disappearing from horror films.
Old 10-28-20, 09:34 AM
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Re: "Wolfen" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Originally Posted by numbercrunch
Albert Finney is a detective investigating a series of mutilations. A shape shifter flick with heavy POV from wolf standpoint.

An okay watch but too long running time in my opinion. 6/10
I always thought the movie's name is actually way cooler than the movie itself.

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