Review: Howling III: The Marsupials
Blu-ray: Howling III – The Marsupials (1987)
Much like Halloween III: Season of the Witch took a left turn from the previous 2 movies in that franchise, Howling III: The Marsupials takes a left turn too…then does a few donuts, wheelspins itself into a cloud of smoke, before zigzagging the wrong way down incoming traffic.
Yes, it is bonkers.
However, that (for me at least) is its strength.
Confined to a budget of $1M, writer director Phillippe Mora (who directed The Return of Captain Invincible…another crazy movie which I love) has delivered a FUN werewolf movie that should not be taken seriously at all.
Forget about Howling 1&2, put away all thoughts of An American Werewolf in London, this has werewolf nuns…and on that alone I would be reaching for my credit card to buy.
The werewolves themselves resemble grotesque Sesame Street inhabitants who have been living rough for years hooked on booze and drugs, and the attacks are mostly seen as close-ups of the victims faces, but this is part of the charm of Howling III: The Marsupials.
Watch in awe as a tiny marsupial werewolf baby crawls into a woman’s ‘pouch’ in her belly. This apparently was a mouse in a tiny werewolf baby appliance with the footage reversed…just one of the many informative and highly entertaining things you’ll discover in amongst the great extras on this disc.
Go into the movie knowing nothing more than it has its tongue firmly stuck into its cheek and you’ll get a kick out of it. Go into it expecting a serious and polished werewolf movie, then you’ll just want to kick it. Howling III: The Marsupials is one of those movies where you’ll either love it or hate it, with not much middle ground in-between.
The previous time that I watched this movie was on ex-rental VHS that I bought a LONG time ago, so seeing it on Blu-ray for the 1st time was wonderful. It makes effects look cheaper due to the clarity of the picture, but that just made me smile even more.
The extras on the disc mirror the movie itself and are light-hearted and entertaining, particularly the commentary by Phillippe Mora.
Not for everyone, but well worth checking out if you’ve never seen it…and an essential purchase if you already have and are a fan.
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Umbrella Entertainment.
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