Uncle Red says let's tap those rockies...

There were a number of things about this movie that captivated me but I cannot deny that at least two of the casting choices made this movie completely outstanding. As I said, Ron provided tonight's film without having seen it. A departure from our last foray with Creep. However, I was equally in the dark on this movie. Sure, I could surmise that it was about a werewolf based on the title and it would more than likely have some signature Stephen King elements to it. But I never watched a trailer. I was barely aware it existed as a movie. Part of why I go through streaming catalogs before October rolls around is so I have at least some measure of footing on what kind of flicks I can watch for this project. But with Silver Bullet I simply saw the minimalist cover art and added it to the list. I can't even say it was because of it's Lycan nature specifically because Graveyard Shift also made the overall list. I'm keeping that one in my back pocket for now. But with absolutely no information on this movie ahead of time, watching Gary Busey show up on my screen was pure delight. And at no point in the film did he come close to anything that could be construed as disappointing. His portrayal of Uncle Red was impeccable. He was the quintessential 80's uncle. He drank too much and annoyed his sister, our main protagonist, aka COREY FREAKING HAIM's mom. He was loud and obnoxious and entirely endearing the whole way through. But the teaming of Busey and Haim was spectacular. Toss in a Terry O'Quinn as the desperately resigned town sheriff and baby, you've got a stew going.

The second note I have to hit is the makeup and costuming on this one. And not just the werewolf. Because there was our main howling haunter but in certain scenes we had a whole bevvy of canine killers, costumed to the nines. Despite criticisms from some of the folks who worked on the project, I thought what they put together was really well done. As someone who has watched a number of werewolf flicks, this one does actually rank up there for me. The makeup from many different angles looked expertly done. There were tight shots that felt believable and there were wider angles that highlighted the dancer they hired to give the villain a fluidity of motion that showed up perfectly. But in addition to that were the transition scenes. These can be really tough to nail down. Many times when the look of the werewolf is lacking, they try and make up for it with crafty camera angles and quick cuts. There were times in this movie where we lingered and the magnitude of presentation was exceptional. I don't want to simply highlight just the wolf though. While that was a central element and it was captured in just the right fashions, the actual fashion of the 80's was on point. Now, I know that with it being shot in the 80's it wasn't hard to do back then. But what I'm talking about is more that the people really came to life in preserving that era. Which I have to give a certain amount of credit to the aesthetic of the people. It's not something I often pay that close of attention to but in this case I want to sidestep our feature creature and pay respect to the flannels and the dungarees of this flick that brought that bygone era back on my screen with absolute perfection.

Finally, since I typically restrain myself to a sort of top three pieces, I want to highlight the wholeness of the story. I found myself about 80% of the way through the movie bargaining with myself. I consciously entered the plea that I had enjoyed the movie so much up to that point that even if it fizzled out in the finale that I would still be able to say how much I enjoyed it. I realized after the fact that I was doing this because so many times that delivery at the end can make or break things. If what concluded this film was lacking in any way, I was still going to own up to the fact that I had had a ton of fun up to that point. The tensions were on point. The music with it's mix of 80's synthesizer and those sharp stringed moments crystalizing fear though symphonic tension hit superbly. Even the characters came to life in just the right ways. Everything blended together so expertly but so simply. But as I braced for whatever came in the finale, I couldn't help but respond with unfettered applause. They landed the plane with precision amidst Gary Busey's wild home grown stunt work. Springing into breakaway furniture, he provided a thrilling backdrop for Haim to claim victory in the end in the most satisfying manner. As we pulled the finished product out of the oven, success was undeniable.

Now I can't pretend this movie is perfect. It was absolutely a ton of fun but not everything worked perfectly. I think one of the most glaring things that made me the most upset came from one of my favorite subtle nods to that 80's life. Corey (can't remember his character's name so he's till just Corey) is upset because the calamity spread across the town has pre-empted September fireworks. Little buddy is bummed. But Uncle Red comes through with a large brown paper bag filled with random fireworks. The MOST 80's thing and I was so here for it. But while he instructed young Corey to set them off close to home, he decides during a lengthy time frame of mysterious murders across the entire town to sneak out at night and cruise around town in his motorcycle wheelchair, courtesy of Uncle Red's sophisticated mechanical abilities. Corey comes to a wooden walking bridge in a secluded part of town without telling anyone and proceeds to set off fireworks. Why I hate this is because it's willful idiocy by a main character. It always drives me nuts when main characters act outside of what they knowingly understand to be reasonable activity for the sake of the narrative. And what happens? The werewolf shows up. Granted, it's the backdrop for a particular plot device that keeps things moving along and narratively we recovered. But setting off fireworks willy nilly on a wooden structure in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night without telling anyone is a bad enough idea. But then to have to deal with a werewolf as well?? Bad form, Corey. Bad form. I should note, however, that while he did set off several fireworks without any assistance, every time he lit one I couldn't help but hear "Back up, Terry!" in my head and that was pretty wonderful as a silver lining.

To be honest, while the movie wasn't perfect and I nitpicked one story choice a little, the film was just fun. So I don't have a ton of bad things to say about it. I currently have an offer out on a Shout Factory Collectors Edition blu ray on a second hand website to add it to the collection. I will note that the compulsion to own a movie does not automatically make a good movie. I do own Birdemic, Samurai Cop, Mac and Me, and The Miami Connection. A couple of those are Rifftrax so that makes the purchase worthwhile in its own right. But some of them are just the straight movie. So I knowingly have bad movies on my shelf for the fun of it. Being great isn't a prequalification to make it to the wall. But this movie really scratched the nostalgia itch for me. What makes this even better was the fact that it was a total surprise. I didn't go into this flick thinking it would transport me back to being a kid again. And I don't necessarily add extra points to the film as a vehicle simply for enjoying the nostalgia piece. I know a lot of people seem to really have a problem with allowing nostalgia to influence a review. But I submit that there are times you cannot help but be swayed, at least in some ways, by the grip that time traveling to a positive point in time for you through the magic of the movie is unavoidably excellent. So I do my best to be objective in how I rank the movie but I'm also not going to lie that it's a part of the overall experience. So maybe in a different light this movie doesn't quite earn the A I'm giving it on certain metrics, but for me, this is easily one that I'll be revisiting int he future with just as much fun as I did tonight. But that's Silver Bullet for you. A wild ride through the 80's chasing down a one eyed werewolf. Can't think of many things I'd rather do with Gary Busey by my side. So until next time, I'll catch you on the flip side.