11 Werewolf Movies That Broke All The Rules
4. The Howling (1981)
The Howling is one of those movies that's an easy favorite, but only if you managed to see it. Unfortunately, it was released the same year as An American Werewolf in London, which has earned it something of a retroactive ding in terms of quality when comparing both films' effects.
The Howling employs practical effects in as expertly a way as possible, but to be fair, it didn't have Rick Baker on the staff. Regardless, it stands as one of the earliest examples of the pain of transformation while still managing to retain sadistic dark humor elements throughout.
Everything about The Howling is grittier and darker than pretty much every other movie on this list, but it retains some appreciation for the works that preceded it. There are numerous allusions to both The Wolf Man and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, though it still manages to set itself apart.
This is one of those movies people overlooked due to the success of John Landis' British interpretation of the genre, but it's one that should be viewed by any fan of werewolf movies. It's one of those classics that broke the mold by reinventing the interpretation of what a werewolf was, and it managed to do it in a funny and grotesque way.