Wolfen (1981)

A New York cop investigates a series of brutal deaths that resemble animal attacks.

Director:

Michael Wadleigh

Writers:

Whitley Strieber (based on the novel by), David Eyre (screen story)

Stars:

Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Finney	...	Dewey Wilson
Diane Venora	...	Rebecca Neff
Edward James Olmos	...	Eddie Holt
Gregory Hines	...	Whittington
Tom Noonan	...	Ferguson
Dick O'Neill	...	Warren
Dehl Berti	...	Old Indian
Peter Michael Goetz	...	Ross
Sam Gray	...	Mayor
Ralph Bell	...	Commissioner
Max M. Brown	...	Christopher van der Veer
Anne Marie Pohtamo	...	Pauline van der Veer
Sarah Felder	...	Cicely Rensselaer
Reginald VelJohnson	...	Morgue Attendant (as Reginald Vel Johnson)
James Tolkan	...	Baldy

Storyline

A city cop is assigned to solve a bizarre set of violent murders where it appears that the victoms were killed by animals. In his pursuit he learns of an Indian legend about wolf spirits.

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Plot Keywords:

wolf hunt | native american man | manhattan new york city | shape shifter | metamorphosis | 

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Taglines:

Their hunting ground - New York City. Their prey - the people.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

A farkas

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,037,911, 26 July 1981, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$10,626,725

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures,King-Hitzig Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (MegaSound encoding) (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Debut feature film of actress Diane Venora. And almost the first film for actor Gregory Hines, it being his second, as History of the World: Part I (1981) had premiered about a month earlier.

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Goofs

When the doctor is riding his motorbike through the tunnel and spots the wolf, he is mouthing "Help me," repeatedly, but we don't hear his voice. At the end, he says, "Oh my god," but is still mouthing, "Help me."

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Quotes

Warren: I'm going to team you up with Dewey Wilson on this Christopher VanderVeer thing.
Rebecca Neff: I didn't know he was back. I thought he retired, disabled, mental...?
Warren: He had a lot of family problems, he started to drink a little too much, police work... piled up on him. He's a good man, you'll like him.
Rebecca Neff: Okay, fine.

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Connections

Referenced in Supernatural: All Dogs Go to Heaven (2010)

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Soundtracks

Jitterbug Boy
Written by Tom Waits
Performed by Tom Waits

User Reviews

Great Take Off, But a Soft Landing

The vicious, bloody homicide of a prominent businessman, his wife, and bodyguard in New York's Battery Park brings shaggy detective Dewey Wilson out to investigate. The three victims were partially dismembered, and forensics finds non-human evidence on the bodies and body parts. From that captivating start, Michael Wadleigh's 1981 mystery-thriller, "Wolfen," holds viewer interest throughout. Other corpses surface during the course of the investigation, and, mysteriously, while some body parts seem to have been gnawed or eaten, diseased or cancerous organs were rejected. While rarely straying off course, this engrossing film adds a dose of Native American mysticism and lore to unraveling the series of murders. Although Wilson is not a particularly demanding role, Albert Finney brings a weary depth of character that enhances what could have been a stock character. Diane Venora is adequate as Rebecca Neff, Wilson's co-worker and love interest, but Gregory Hines is excellent as the forensics expert, and Tom Noonan brightens his few scenes as a wolf enthusiast.

Based on a novel by Whitley Strieber, Wadleigh, who also co-wrote the script with David Eyre, alludes to the killers' identity, but wisely keeps them off screen throughout most of the film. When only a pair of evil red eyes peer through the darkness, the imagination creates the horror. The killings and victims are subjectively seen through the killers's eyes with cinematographer Gerry Fisher's striking use of thermographic images, which add a surreal element. However, Fisher's non-thermographic photography is equally beautiful and turns the empty shells of churches and apartment buildings in the South Bronx into an otherworldly landscape consistent with the supernatural aspects of the story.

Unfortunately, the eerie buildup and savagery of the murders create expectations that the final revelation cannot meet. However, despite a climax that brings the story to a soft-landing, "Wolfen" delivers for most of its running time. With a fine understated performance by Finney, evocative photography by Fisher, and a taut script by Wadleigh and Eyre, "Wolfen" is a gem from the early 1980's that deserves to be rediscovered.