Silver Bullet (1985)

In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.

Director:

Daniel Attias

Writers:

Stephen King (novel), Stephen King (screenplay)

Stars:

Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Busey	...	Uncle Red
Everett McGill	...	Reverend Lowe
Corey Haim	...	Marty Coslaw
Megan Follows	...	Jane Coslaw
Robin Groves	...	Nan Coslaw
Leon Russom	...	Bob Coslaw
Terry O'Quinn	...	Sheriff Joe Haller
Bill Smitrovich	...	Andy Fairton
Joe Wright	...	Brady Kincaid
Kent Broadhurst	...	Herb Kincaid
Heather Simmons	...	Tammy Sturmfuller
James A. Baffico	...	Milt Sturmfuller
Rebecca Fleming	...	Mrs. Sturmfuller
Lawrence Tierney	...	Owen Knopfler
William Newman	...	Virgil Cuts

Storyline

The small town of Tarker's Mills was a place that was very peaceful, where nothing extraordinary ever happened until one night when murders began. The townspeople believe it's some maniacal killer on the loose whom they intend to hunt down. Marty, a young handicapped boy, believes the killer is no man at all, but a werewolf. After a run-in with the werewolf, Marty and his sister Jane hunt all over town for the man who is the werewolf.

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Plot Keywords:

pantyhose | 1970s | year 1976 | murder of a child | child uses a gun | 

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Taglines:

When darkness falls, terror rises.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is loosely based on Stephen King 1983 book Cycle Of The Werewolf.

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Goofs

The movie does not explain how Jane as the narrator knows about events that either she was not present for or had no way of knowing happened (such as Reverend Lowe's dream).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Older Jane: [Older Jane narrating] The last full moon of that Spring came a little more than a month before school let out for Summer vacation. Our town's long nightmare began that night.

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Crazy Credits

SPOILER: Everett McGill is billed twice - once as Reverend Lowe at the top of the credits and as Werewolf at the bottom of the credits.

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Alternate Versions

The UK DVD release of the film in 2001 contains the original movie trailer and spoken commentary by director Daniel Attias, both of which is not available on any other officially released DVD including the US.

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Connections

References The Lone Ranger (1949)

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Soundtracks

The Star-Spangled Banner
(uncredited)
Music by John Stafford Smith
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key

User Reviews

Very Underrated

Silver Bullet (1985)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

I know An American Werewolf in London and The Howling usually get all the praise but for my money this is the best werewolf film of the 1980s. I thought everyone loved this film until getting the internet and reading how many people actually didn't enjoy it but I still love it. I think the film works well as a coming of age story with all the horror elements thrown in for good measure. Kinda like a horror version of The Goonies with Corey Haim and Gary Busey doing great work together. The supporting cast of actors also serve well in the story. The scene in the fog and the ending are full of wonderful tension as well.

Details

Country:

USA Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cycle of the Werewolf

Filming Locations:

Greenfield Park, 1739 Burnett Blvd., Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,013,563, 14 October 1985

Gross USA:

$12,361,866

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,361,866

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Famous Films (II), International Film Corporation (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1