Before I get into the review, here are my ratings for the movie.
The story gets 0.25 out of 2: The Direction a 0.25: The Pacing receives a 0.25: While the Acting gets 0.5: And my Enjoyment level earns a 0.25 out of 2: Werewolf Of Washington, therefore, receives a total of 1.5 out of 10.
Oh God, this is so dreadful. I know it's intended to be a satirical comedy about politics in America, with a Horror genre twist. However, the story doesn't possess an ounce of humour or terror. This style of humour works better if it's employed subtly. Funnily enough, it's about as subtle and heavy-handed as Trump. (And that sarcastic jibe is funnier than anything you'll encounter in this rubbish). Another problem is the period between the making of this film and the present. America has produced a few presidents like this nincompoop, and the issues they are ridiculing are still alive and evident in America. And that is the most frightening element of this movie. Human's don't appear to change.
And even worse, since I enjoy a wicked sense of humour, both GW Bush and the Trump-meister have both been funnier.
It's a further shame the writer Milton Moses Ginsburg decided to direct the film. He has as much skill in that field as he does in writing. He plods the story along and, at times, it feels like a heavy slog to make it to the finish line. If one film cries out for a change in tempo and film effects, it's this one. We all know the secret to good comedy is timing. Somebody should have let Ginsburg into the secret. Getting the comedy right would have been a crucial step in the proper direction. I would have forgiven him the lack of horror elements because this is primarily a comedy. But if you're a horror aficionado, like myself, I'll let you know Ginsburg loves screaming girls to instil terror. That said, there's a beautifully lit scene where a girl enters a public phone-booth while her boyfriend sits on some nearby steps. The light is above and inside the booth. It spills out and illuminates the surrounding area. Ginsburg shoots this from one standing point, and the tableau is splendidly vignetted in a dark halo. It's very atmospheric and the best shot in the entire film. Lamentably he even kills this shot. The werewolf comes in and takes centre stage. At this point, he should have gone for a close up of everyone to show their terror and fear, but no he maintains his remote position. The detachment only shows how slow the werewolf moves. It should be menacing, but at the distance and angle, it's dull and boring. I pondered why didn't the boyfriend didn't walk past the werewolf, and escort his girlfriend to safety. Yes, Ginsburg presents the world with the worlds slowest werewolf.
The acting is only a tad better. Though, in all honesty, they did have a dire script to cope with. Let alone, a director who didn't appear to possess a vision for his story. Dean Stockwell and Henry Ferrentino do try their best with their characters. But, by the end of this fiasco, you can see the actors' portrayals flagging.
If you like political comedy I'd suggest you watch a GW or Trump speech; these were genuinely funny, and I still laugh when I think of them today. But, do yourself a favour and don't even contemplate watching this film. It is an actual waste of time.
Now the full moon has set, run on over to my Just For Laughs and Absolute Horror lists to see where this changeling landed in my rankings. Better yet, you should be able to uncover something better for your viewing pleasure.
Take Care & Stay Well & Keep Safe.
The story gets 0.25 out of 2: The Direction a 0.25: The Pacing receives a 0.25: While the Acting gets 0.5: And my Enjoyment level earns a 0.25 out of 2: Werewolf Of Washington, therefore, receives a total of 1.5 out of 10.
Oh God, this is so dreadful. I know it's intended to be a satirical comedy about politics in America, with a Horror genre twist. However, the story doesn't possess an ounce of humour or terror. This style of humour works better if it's employed subtly. Funnily enough, it's about as subtle and heavy-handed as Trump. (And that sarcastic jibe is funnier than anything you'll encounter in this rubbish). Another problem is the period between the making of this film and the present. America has produced a few presidents like this nincompoop, and the issues they are ridiculing are still alive and evident in America. And that is the most frightening element of this movie. Human's don't appear to change.
And even worse, since I enjoy a wicked sense of humour, both GW Bush and the Trump-meister have both been funnier.
It's a further shame the writer Milton Moses Ginsburg decided to direct the film. He has as much skill in that field as he does in writing. He plods the story along and, at times, it feels like a heavy slog to make it to the finish line. If one film cries out for a change in tempo and film effects, it's this one. We all know the secret to good comedy is timing. Somebody should have let Ginsburg into the secret. Getting the comedy right would have been a crucial step in the proper direction. I would have forgiven him the lack of horror elements because this is primarily a comedy. But if you're a horror aficionado, like myself, I'll let you know Ginsburg loves screaming girls to instil terror. That said, there's a beautifully lit scene where a girl enters a public phone-booth while her boyfriend sits on some nearby steps. The light is above and inside the booth. It spills out and illuminates the surrounding area. Ginsburg shoots this from one standing point, and the tableau is splendidly vignetted in a dark halo. It's very atmospheric and the best shot in the entire film. Lamentably he even kills this shot. The werewolf comes in and takes centre stage. At this point, he should have gone for a close up of everyone to show their terror and fear, but no he maintains his remote position. The detachment only shows how slow the werewolf moves. It should be menacing, but at the distance and angle, it's dull and boring. I pondered why didn't the boyfriend didn't walk past the werewolf, and escort his girlfriend to safety. Yes, Ginsburg presents the world with the worlds slowest werewolf.
The acting is only a tad better. Though, in all honesty, they did have a dire script to cope with. Let alone, a director who didn't appear to possess a vision for his story. Dean Stockwell and Henry Ferrentino do try their best with their characters. But, by the end of this fiasco, you can see the actors' portrayals flagging.
If you like political comedy I'd suggest you watch a GW or Trump speech; these were genuinely funny, and I still laugh when I think of them today. But, do yourself a favour and don't even contemplate watching this film. It is an actual waste of time.
Now the full moon has set, run on over to my Just For Laughs and Absolute Horror lists to see where this changeling landed in my rankings. Better yet, you should be able to uncover something better for your viewing pleasure.
Take Care & Stay Well & Keep Safe.