THE HOWLING 4 :THE ORIGINAL NIGHTMARE

UK, 1988, 92 minutes, Colour.
Romy Windsor, Michael T. Weiss.
Directed by John Hough.

The Howling 4 comes ten years after the original. The Howling was an interesting spoof of werewolf films (with a serious undertone) with lots of movie allusions. The second film had no relation to the first - a werewolf horror story with lashings of sex and violence. The third film (directed, as was the second, by Australian Philippe Mora) was made in Australia and involved aboriginal themes and werewolves.

The Howling 4 is directed by John Hough, director in the '70s of such horror films as Twins of Evil, The Legend of Hell House. He has had a varied career in cinema and television - also making the lavish, almost archetypal, Gainsborough television movies, A Hazard of Hearts from a Barbara Cartland novel.

This film is much more conventional - and, while it has a few sex and violence scenes, does not compare with explicitness with the other films.

1.Entertaining horror story? Werewolves in the United States? Plausibility of the plot and characters?

2.Los Angeles and Californian locations? The isolated country town? Homes, the woods? The town itself? Musical score? The cast - straight out of Central Casting for midday soap operas?

3.The title, the series of films? Werewolves? The howling of the wolves?

4.The atmosphere of dreams, the heroine and her imagination writing stories, imagining the nun, imagining the house collapsing? The reality of the werewolves? The tradition of the town, the bell tower, the massacre? The werewolves in America, transformation, cruelty? Their destruction?

5.Marie and Richard, their relationship, Marie's imaginings and breakdown? Seeing Sister Ruth? Friendship with Tom - and Richard's jealousy? Tom driving her for the holiday, the encounter with the sheriff? Her enjoying the holiday, her dreams, Sister Ruth, imagining her present, the collapse of the house? Her love for her husband? Trying to relax? Her curiosity about the previous occupants? The friendliness of the people in town, Eleanor and her shop, the store couple? The doctor? Janice's visit, curiosity about Sister Ruth? The finding of the number-plates, the visit of the caravanning couple and their disappearance? The doctor, the sheriff, conflicting information? The discovery that the occupants were Sister Ruth's parents? Sister Ruth's fear? Richard's reaction, the phone calls to Tom? Richard and his being slashed, his not telling the truth, his transforming before her eyes? Tom and the injuries? Janice and her help, the tower, Janice's self-sacrifice, her lighting the fuse and the flames? The experience for Marie?

6.Richard, decorator, the cad, love for his wife, the affair with Eleanor? Transformed into a werewolf? His death? The contrast with Tom, friendly, the publisher? Helping Marie? Clash with Richard? His death?

7.Janice, the story of Sister Ruth, leaving the convent? Seeking out Marie, the nature of her relationship and the lesbian taunt by Richard? Their researches together? Memories of Sister Ruth? Finding out more of the truth? Sharing Marie's experiences? The final decision, the lighting of the fuse? Her self-sacrifice after ringing the bells to get the werewolves?

8.Tom, friendship, publishing, love for Marie, getting the information, Richard's clash? His return, death?

9.The people in the town, the doctor, his reassurances - but a werewolf? The sheriff, his interventions, the assistant with the towing? The threats to Janice and Marie? The couple at the store and their warnings? Eleanor, her shop, her seduction of Richard? Her violence? The destruction of all the werewolves - and the visuals of them running as wolves to the bell tower?

10.The priest, his help, the religious background? The information about Sister Ruth, and her parents?

11.Popular werewolf ingredients? The European background? Transfer to the United States - the beast in humans? Sensual, violent and destructive? Their own destruction? A popular variation on the theme?