The Howling: Reborn (Video 2011)

On the eve of his high school graduation, unremarkable Will Kidman finally bonds with the girl he has long yearned for, reclusive Eliana Wynter. But he also discovers a dark secret from his... See full summary »

Director:

Joe Nimziki

Writers:

Joe Nimziki (screenplay), James Robert Johnston

Stars:

Landon Liboiron, Lindsey Shaw, Ivana Milicevic

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Landon Liboiron	...	Will Kidman
Lindsey Shaw	...	Eliana Wynter (as Lindsey Marie Shaw)
Ivana Milicevic	...	Kathryn / Kay
Jesse Rath	...	Sachin
Niels Schneider	...	Roland
Frank Schorpion	...	Jack Kidman
Kristian Hodko	...	Tribe
Sean Mercado	...	Pierce (as Sean David Mercado)
Sacha Charles	...	Roddick
Erin Agostino	...	Regina
Mark Camacho	...	Principal Larouche
Cecile Cristobal	...	Nurse
Adrian Burhop	...	Picardo
Erica Deutschman	...	Pill Popping Party Girl
Danny Blanco Hall	...	History Teacher

Storyline

On the eve of his high school graduation, unremarkable Will Kidman finally bonds with the girl he has long yearned for, reclusive Eliana Wynter. But he also discovers a dark secret from his past... that he is about to become a werewolf. Now, in an effort to fight destiny and save their love as well as their lives, they must battle not only Will's growing blood lust but an army of fearsome beasts bent on killing them... and then, us all.

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Plot Keywords:

werewolf | high school | graduation | having sex with skirt hiked up | femme fatale | 

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Taglines:

Full Moon. New Blood.

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence, some sexuality and drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Howling VIII

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anchor Bay Films, Moonstone Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 93 min (Showtime)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

No actual werewolves were harmed in the making of this motion picture.

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Connections

Follows Howling VI: The Freaks (1991)

User Reviews

Very watchable, but nothing to get excited over

A lot of movie franchises wear out their welcome, but hopefully die a merciful death. Some start out really well and get us excited for further adventures, but then at some point it loses it's way. Sequels are often, but not always unnecessary and not always bad. People need to know when to stop churning them out. Lately, some dead franchises have been rebooted and many times successfully. The 'Howling' series is one that definitely went on too long, but didn't have to end with a whimper. The last installment was so bad that not only did it take 16 years to make another, but instead of it being another sequel it starts things over. The result I'm sorry to say is not something that'll be remembered for decades to come, but it's not altogether bad either.

Pros: Strong performances, especially by the two young leads who have great chemistry. Engaging story. Moves at a steady pace. Quite good feature debut for director/writer Joe Nimziki, who injects this with much style. The minimal make-up effects, including the werewolf designs, are pretty good. A couple cool homages to the 1981 original. Exciting finale.

Cons: Far too much narration. Some characters needed more fleshing out. Mostly poor CGI. Too much time wasted on the teen drama stuff. Nothing we haven't seen before. Lacking in the scare department. There is of course some color, but most of the time the film looks so drab that it's depressing. Forgettable score and soundtrack.

Final thoughts: First off, I have to admit I haven't read any of the 'Twilight' books or watched the films. Since I can't compare I have to judge 'Reborn' on it's own merits. It's competently made, well acted, somewhat compelling, and unlike some of the previous films it's not an embarrassment. As an attempt at a reboot for a new franchise it's not a very memorable one, but you could find much worse.

My rating: 2.5/5