| Silver Bullet (1985) Dir: Daniel Attias Cast: Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, TerryO'Quinn, Lawrence Tierney Rated R, Approx: 95 minutes Paramount Pictures Video and DVD |
| Matt's Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5) |
| Reviewed by Matt Serafini 05/27/02 |
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| Following the debacles of Firestarter and the uneven Cat's Eye, this werewolf film written for the screen by Stephen King himself (from his novella titled "The Cycle of the Werewolf"), is far superior to most of the King adaptations which preceded it (save the incredible Dead Zone and perhaps Carrie, I would count The Shining as well, but that is more of Kubrick's 'reimagining' of the story than an actual adaptation). This is partly thanks to a top-notch screenplay from King himself. Silver Bullet plays out like many of King's earliest novels do; it features a small town ravaged by some unspeakable evil and a young kid caught up in the terror. The film does an excellent job of treating its main characters with realism and respect and while some of the minor players may be little more than wolf fodder or exaggerated stereotypes, the core of the film provides an entirely engrossing film that actually improves on the source novel. Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim) is an average 13-year-old kid growing up in the town of Tarker's Mills. Crippled without the use of his legs, and thusly confined to a wheelchair, the child is otherwise a normal boy with a typical family life. When a series of brutal killings engulf the small town, Marty learns the murderer to be a werewolf and turns to his alcoholic Uncle Red (Gary Busey) for help as the creature sets its sights on the young boy. This is filled with some gruesome sights, the murders are gory to be sure and some of the chase scenes muster up suspense with apparent ease, although other moments concerning the creature are considerably less effective, the strength of the film isn't necessarily within the horrific death scenes, but rather the moments concerning young Marty and his relationships with uncle Red as well as his sister Jane (Megan Follows). These are the scenes that heighten Bullet above that of a typical monster film. Scenes between Marty and Red are sweet without the over sentiment and both actors really shine throughout the picture. It's a welcome change to see Busey cast against type as a genuinely good-hearted character, it isn't something Busey does often, but to see him pull it off wonderfully here really gives the film a welcome dimension of humanity. Equally satisfying are the scenes with Marty and Jane, these characters fight and argue as any typical brother sister duo do, but they also love each other very much. By the time the suspenseful climax rolls around, the main characters are so well developed that it's damn near impossible not to care what happens to them. Rounding out the cast in smaller, yet effective roles, are Everett McGill (Big Ed Hurley on Twin Peaks) as the Reverend Lowe, and Terry O' Quinn (from the excellent Stepfather) as the luckless sheriff who struggles to keep the townspeople together even as the murders threaten to tear them apart. It's odd that some of the horror scenes work very well throughout the film whereas some come off as a bit hokey (none more so that seeing the werewolf beat a character down with a baseball bat). Perhaps it's a result of certain moments being reshot in an effort to 'boost' the horror quotient of the picture leaving some of it uneven as a result. Overall, the film gets a lot stronger in the horror department towards the final half, as the main protagonist becomes the target of the killer, increasing the suspense a great deal. It's a lot more effective than watching strangers stumble around only to be killed in the first half. It's no surprise that King's screenplay infuses its main players with great depth and humanity, but one wishes that he'd have steered clear of some of the bumbling small town stereotypes (mainly drunkards) that fill up the supporting roles. It's hard to say whether or not the lesser characters given reprehensible (look for the drunkard father and the scumbag fight instigator) characteristics was an idea from King's pen or rather a result of studio tinkering, but that kind of audience manipulation seems like a sneaky trick and is detrimental to a film in a minor way. This is unfortunate however for a film which is otherwise excellent. While Silver Bullet is easily more successful in it's dramatic moments dealing with the main characters, it does have its share of great horrific moments. Perhaps the coolest sequence in the film is one where the entire collection of funeral goers transforms into werewolves, but there's also a tense chase scene where the werewolf in human guise relentlessly chases the young Marty down in his car while the boy flees in his motorized wheelchair. The werewolf (a creation fashioned by fx man Carlo Rambaldi who also worked on E.T. and Alien) looks excellent when glimpsed up close, however, it looks a bit silly when a full body shot is glimpsed. It's reported that there were numerous conflicts between Rambaldi and the production team as to how the creature would actually look and the finished product is somewhat of a compromised vision. It's an adequate monster however, aided by some nifty transformation sequences when, not compared to those featured in The Howling or An American Werewolf in London work very well. Horror fans looking for something with involving substance should be especially pleased with this film, those looking for a few scares will probably also enjoy this one. It moves at an expertly paced clip and is never dull. King's screenplay captures the small town sentiment rather well and although the wraparound voice over is particularly out of place, the minor contrivances don't sink the film much, rather it makes a few parts overly awkward. Overall, Silver Bullet is an exceptional night's worth of entertainment, directed with a sure hand by first time director Daniel Attias, the film remains one of the best King adaptations to date and remains an example of how good writing can't be replaced by excessive grue and lame humor in favor of telling a good story. |