Wolfman (1979)

_**Old-fashioned werewolf flick by a do-it-yourself filmmaker**_ In 1910, a traveling heir (Earl Owensby) returns to his family’s estate in North Carolina after his father’s death, but becomes suspicious of what went down while learning of a family curse linked to a satanic priest (Ed Grady). Sid Rancer is on hand as a helpful doctor. “Wolfman” (1979) had a limited release in Southern states and is comparable to a Hammer flick of the 60s, but the writing & acting aren’t as finely tuned (because that takes money) and the sluggish story is easily 15 minutes too long; plus don’t expect horror icons like Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee or even Andrew Keir. This was writer/director Worth Keeter’s feature film debut. Although the movie’s low-budget, it has good Gothic horror ambiance with fitting music. Keeter shows that he’s a competent filmmaker in a do-it-yourself way, but sometimes the modest budget betrays itself. The quaint werewolf make-up & effects are decidedly old-fashioned with the hairy beast resembling Spain’s renowned Paul Naschy. In just a couple years hits “The Howling” and “An American Werewolf in London” would forever raise the bar for werewolf movies. Whilst short/stocky Owensby is serviceable as the protagonist, don’t expect the caliber of Oliver Reed in “The Curse of the Werewolf” (1961). On the positive side, Kristina Reynolds is stunningly beautiful and a good actress to boot. Too bad Keeter didn’t do more with her. At the end of the day, “Wolfman” fills the bill for if you’re in the mood for Hammer-esque full moon horror AS LONG AS you don’t mind the limitations of low-budget Indie productions, including parts that drag, like the sequence where the protagonist digs up a grave. Personally, I appreciated the depictions of life in a small Eastern town in the early 1900s with the corresponding mood of Victorian horror. The film runs 1 hour, 42 minutes, and was shot in Shelby, North Carolina, which is about a half-hour drive west of Charlotte. GRADE: C