What do you get when you combine Corey Haim, Gary Busey, werewolves and The King of Horror himself? Horror fans will immediately guess 1985’s fright flick Silver Bullet. And non-horror fans… well I have no idea what they would think… and what the hell are they doing on this website anyway?
Anyway, Scream Factory have unleashed a 4k/Blu-ray combo release of Silver Bullet, and yours cruelly is going to slap his putrid peepers upon it!
In the quaint small town of Tarker’s Mills nothing exciting seems to happen… until the murders begin that is!
Enter: Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim, The Lost Boys), a wheelchair (a motorized number which just so happens to be named Silver Bullet) bound lad who lives with his family… including his beloved (by Marty only) freeloading drunk of an uncle, Red (Gary Busey) smack dab in the middle of The ‘Mills.
Being an ‘80s movie (based on an ‘80s book… novella, whatever… it’s Stephen King’s 1983-released Cycle of the Werewolf if you want to bone-up) it’s up to a kid to investigate and attempt to save the day as the adult’s solution is to form half-assed (and doomed) angry mobs to find the killer responsible since the town’s long arm of the law, Sheriff Joe Haller (Terry O’Quinn, The Stepfather) appears to be incapable of doing so… which does provide the film with some humor no matter how brutal the outcome.
Naturally ol’ Marty thinks a werewolf is responsible… as anyone would, and sets out to prove that theory armed with Red’s new and improved version of Silver Bullet (which appears to travel at a solid 4,000 MPH accompanied by a synth riffs for score… ‘80s remember?), illegal fireworks provided by the same, and his teenage sister, Jane (Megan Follows)… but will the real identity of the creature be even more shocking than the monster’s existence itself?!
Directed by Daniel Attias (with a script courtesy of Stephen King) Silver Bullet is one of the more faithful King adaptations out there and provides some truly poignant, character-driven melodrama that gives this tale an aesthetic in line with the source material… in other words; King writes great characters, and this film only reinforces that fact… and the actors on hand are more than up to the task featuring sympathetic and strong performances from Haim and Busey (who truly steals the show here), and solid turns from supporting actors Follows, O’Quinn, Midnight and Reservoir Dogs’ Lawrence Tierney, and David Lynch regular Everett McGill (as the town’s padre, Reverend Lowe).
But you didn’t come into this expecting heart-string tuggin’ and gravitas did ya? To that end I’m happy to report that the lycanthrope attacks are both plentiful and punctuated by some solid practical gore effects… and these onslaughts certainly keep the narrative rocketing along (with special mention being made to a psychotronic dream sequence that is just fever-dream perfection in it’s execution).
Less successful are the werewolf effects provided by Carlo Rambaldi (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the ‘76 version of King Kong) that run the gamut from quality “change-o” head effects, to much-too-bear-like full werewolf suits… all of which pale in comparison to comic book artist Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations for the source material. That being said, it’s practical, man-in-suit action and I always appreciate that no matter how iffy the results.
As for bonus material to accompany all of the above, Scream Factory delivers no fewer than four audio commentaries, which feature producer Martha De Laurentiis, director Attias, composer Jay Chattaway (which contains isolated score cues as well), and podcasters Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler of The Kingcast (providing thoughts on the picture from the fan’s perspective).
All of these are solid listens that not only bring us insight on how the film was created, but also it’s continuing legacy and place within the world of cinematic King adaptations.
The commentaries also appear on the included Blu-ray copy of the film, and said disc also contains interviews with actors Kent Broadhurst and McGill, and editor Daniel Lowenthal, along with a featurette examining the film’s effects with two of the special make-up effects artists, Matthew Mungle and Michael McCracken Jr., that helped bring them to life.
Also included are the film’s theatrical trailer along with TV and radio spots and a still gallery.
Filled with more heart and character moments than most wicked werewolf pictures, Silver Bullet is not only a top-tier Stephen King adaptation, but a rock solid fright flick that has earned it’s status as a classic!
