Monsters (TV Series) One Wolf's Family (1990) User Reviews

Werewolve Family Dinner

[chriscrimson · 7/10 · 18 February 2009]

Family of werewolves living in suburbia are rocked when the daughter wants to marry a were-hyena. Starring the Stiller family (minus Ben) and Robert Clohessy from the hit HBO prison drama Oz.

This episode holds a high place in my heart because it's one of the first horror shows I remember watching as a 2-4 year old child. That is around the same age I stopped watching horror films because I was always guaranteed nightmares. I remember seeing this on VHS at a Kroger Grocery Store Rental Area but those are all long gone. I happened catch a marathon of the show on Chiller.

The acting isn't terrific and it's sorta campy/silly but it's still enjoyable and I can still look back and say that I can see why these shows would scare a toddler.

Not my sort of episode.

[poolandrews · 3/10 · 5 July 2009]

Monsters: One Wolf's Family starts as Werewolf Victor (Jerry Stiller) comes home from work early in order to prepare to meet his daughter Anya's (Amy Stller) fiancé Stanley (Robert Clohessy). Unfortunately it turns out that Stanley is a scavenging Werehyena rather than an honourable Werewolf provider & Victor forbids the marriage. Meanwhile nosey neighbour Agnes Peabody (Karen Shallo) has her suspicions about the family & tries to expose them for the Werewolf killers that they are...

Episode seventeen from season two of Monsters this originally aired in the US during February 1990, directed by Alex Zamm this is not really the sort of episode that does much for me. One Wolf's Family is one of those quirky off-beat light hearted episodes that tries to mix American sitcom with horror & the results are pretty dismal here, this is not funny in the slightest & One Wolf's Family depiction of a family of Werewolves trying to live normal lives in suburban American is rather lame, witless & tired. The story might have had potential but the limited budget & twenty minute duration hurts it & I just thought it was pretty poor all round. There's no twist's or turns & even the idea of having a Werewolf subspecies of a Werehyena is totally wasted, one to avoid.

This episode has poor make-up effects on the Werewolves themselves with just a pair of bushy eyebrows & thick sideburns, the Werewolves look rather crap actually. There's a bit of gore with some severed body parts including a couple of heads, arms & feet. This ones not scary or funny in the slightest so I don't really see how I can recommend it. Almost the entire Stiller family turn up here although wisely future star Ben Stiller doesn't.

One Wolf's Family is a poor episode of Monsters that isn't scary, funny or clever & is rather tiresome. Even at only twenty minutes in length this one outstays it's welcome.

Goofy nonsense

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 1 September 2015]

ONE WOLF'S FAMILY is another dud comedy from the MONSTERS stable. I really hate the goofy comedies that this series padded out the genuine horror episodes with and this is one of the worst. It involves a family of werewolves (the protagonists) who are alarmed when the daughter begins dating a guy who isn't a werewolf at all but rather a were-hyena.

The family think this brings disrespect on themselves so they invite the guy to dinner to find out for themselves what he's really like. What follows is one lame joke after another, mixed with cheesy rubbery prosthetic effects. The whole thing is a complete dud that seems to serve as a vehicle for the Hollywood Stiller family; I guess somebody must have found this sort of thing funny, once, or they wouldn't have bothered shooting it.

Funny comic episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 18 October 2019]

Anya (an appealing portrayal by Amy Stiller) wants to marry Stanley (a likeable performance by Robert Clohessy). However, her gruff werewolf father Victor (a deliciously ripe turn by Jerry Stiller) disapproves because Stanley is a were-hyena instead of a werewolf.

Director Alex Zamm keeps the enjoyably goofy story moving along at a zippy pace as well as maintains an amiable zany tone throughout. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast: Stiller and his real-life wife Anne Meara have a field day with their juicy roles while Karen Shello is amusing as a snoopy neighbor. Paul Dini's cheerfully wacky script offers a witty take on the concept of America as a place where anyone and everyone can have a second chance. A real hoot.