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 victims 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:

There is no defense.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was the first movie to use a thermographic visual photographic look to represent the point-of-view of a character, in this case, the wolfen. The type of effect shot has been used in a number of movies to show the POV of a character, usually villainous, like a beast. One notable example of the popularizing of this kind of visual effects perspective is its use in the "Predator" films.

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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

[about the wolves]
Old Indian: They're shiftless. They might be gods!

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Alternate Versions

A cameo (about 15 seconds) by Tom Waits as a bar owner playing the piano and singing his song "Jitterbug Boy" was included in theatrical prints and early TV versions, but had to be removed from the film for video and DVD releases due to copyright reasons.

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Connections

Referenced in Joker (2019)

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Soundtracks

Jitterbug Boy
Written by Tom Waits
Performed by Tom Waits

User Reviews

Werewolf Classic

A New York cop (Albert Finney) investigates a series of brutal deaths that resemble animal attacks. Tom Noonan and his beard guest star in a key role.

The film is known for its early use of an in-camera effect to portray the subjective point of view of a wolf. Similar to thermography, the technique was later adopted by other horror films such as the "Predator" film series.

Although considered a modern werewolf classic, Roger Ebert asserted Wolfen "is not about werewolves but is about the possibility that Indians and wolves can exchange souls." Well, yeah, that is true... but it is still werewolves, even if not in the traditional sense.

Where is the proper release? This is what people want to know. Apparently the director has a preferred cut, but instead all we get is a bare bones Blu-ray with nothing more than a trailer. Surely there is much more that could be done.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wolfen

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

Gross USA:

$10,626,725

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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