Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[Member-167298]

I am going to post this here because Scream/Shout released the first film on Blu Ray and there is werewolf talk with Ginger Snaps…

I just got Howling II on DVD from NetFlix and watched it for the first time. All these years I thought there was no way it could possibly be as bad as people say, especially since I am a sucker for awful horror films (heck, I kind of enjoyed Howling III). Well, the rumors were true…it is absolutely awful. It does have some weird craziness going on that I suppose I can admire on some kind of strange level, but it is a total mess. Not sure I would ever want to subject myself to it ever again. However, I would almost want to see a Scream Factory or someone release a Blu Ray just to see some extras that would shed some light on how such a misfire could have been produced, although I doubt anyone involved would consent to being interviewed and having to admit they were in the movie!

Does anyone on here actually like Howling II?

[Ellis Hugh]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

I am going to post this here because Scream/Shout released the first film on Blu Ray and there is werewolf talk with Ginger Snaps…

I just got Howling II on DVD from NetFlix and watched it for the first time. All these years I thought there was no way it could possibly be as bad as people say, especially since I am a sucker for awful horror films (heck, I kind of enjoyed Howling III). Well, the rumors were true…it is absolutely awful. It does have some weird craziness going on that I suppose I can admire on some kind of strange level, but it is a total mess. Not sure I would ever want to subject myself to it ever again. However, I would almost want to see a Scream Factory or someone release a Blu Ray just to see some extras that would shed some light on how such a misfire could have been produced, although I doubt anyone involved would consent to being interviewed and having to admit they were in the movie!

Does anyone on here actually like Howling II?

Only because it is such a laughable mess. Besides it has Christopher Lee, Reb (the original Captain America) Brown and not to mention Sybil Danning. Speaking of Reb Brown, Shout Factory should release Cage with him and Lou Ferrigno.

[thompsonjohn]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

I am going to post this here because Scream/Shout released the first film on Blu Ray and there is werewolf talk with Ginger Snaps…

I just got Howling II on DVD from NetFlix and watched it for the first time. All these years I thought there was no way it could possibly be as bad as people say, especially since I am a sucker for awful horror films (heck, I kind of enjoyed Howling III). Well, the rumors were true…it is absolutely awful. It does have some weird craziness going on that I suppose I can admire on some kind of strange level, but it is a total mess. Not sure I would ever want to subject myself to it ever again. However, I would almost want to see a Scream Factory or someone release a Blu Ray just to see some extras that would shed some light on how such a misfire could have been produced, although I doubt anyone involved would consent to being interviewed and having to admit they were in the movie!

Does anyone on here actually like Howling II?

I actually LOVE "Howling II." It's the first ever 'new wave werewolf horror film', the only one ever actually. It's got a so bad, it's good charm. I mean how can you not love that new wave theme song that plays periodically throughout the film that has a major emphasis on the word "HOWLING!" when it comes up in the song, it's hilarious. There's many things to love here. Some of them are Sybil Danning, of course. I also love original title, "Howling II: Stirba – Werewolf Bit*h." Werewolf.. bit*h!

And of course there's always this.. Christoper Lee in new wave sun glasses.


This has to have reached cult classic status by now?

[cakefactory]

Howling II is like, famously awful, I think it's more just something people like to refer to (especially Christoper Lee's sunglasses and the threesome) instead of actually watch. I personally didn't find it very entertaining at all and greatly preferred part 3, even though that one's comparatively restrained, even lower budget and is trying even harder to be a comedy. I've never watched past part 3. :P

[redrunner97]

I'm just the opposite. I despise Howling 3.

But I absolutely love The Howling II, its so bad that its comedic and its genuinely a good effort with an unitentional outcome, being a shitty but very fun "New Wave" werewolf flick. I'd love to see Scream Factory tackle it as a matter of fact.

[thompsonjohn]

I've actually never even seen anything in the "Howling" series past part 2 because really, first of all I thought how could you top part one? And part two almost did it, some people might say they actually did top it, personally they're both great, but yes the original is king. So, I thought well there's no way in hell they can top what goes down in part two so I just stopped there. Plus, seeing the third movie in numerous dump bins for $5 leads me to believe there isn't much to it.

Even Roger Ebert had some fun with "Howling II" saying, "no one presides over a ritual quite as well as Sybil Danning" and regarding the infamous repeated nudity in the closing credits, "providing the movie with its second and third interesting moments." I can only imagine what Roger thought the first most interesting thing about the movie was, Christoper Lee in the sunglasses or the new wave band and theme song repeated throughout.

One of the best original theme songs for a horror film ever.

Babel -- The Howling - YouTube

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by redrunner97

I'm just the opposite. I despise Howling 3.

But I absolutely love The Howling II, its so bad that its comedic and its genuinely a good effort with an unitentional outcome, being a shitty but very fun "New Wave" werewolf flick. I'd love to see Scream Factory tackle it as a matter of fact.

I agree. I even thought Part 4 was easily better than 3.

[thompsonjohn]

Originally Posted by demonknight

I agree. I even thought Part 4 was easily better than 3.

This is one brave dude going past part 3. Isn't part 4 the one they called "the original nightmare" or something? I imagine it is a nightmare watching it.

EDIT - I Google imaged "Howling 4" some of the pictures have me intrigued. May have to find a way to acquire parts 3 and 4 and see how they are.

[Pete Rock]

I can't say I'm a fan of any of the Howling movies past the original. Although, I would love to know what the hell cast and crew were on when those movies were being filmed. It's too bad Silver Bullet and Bad Moon are both with Warner Brother. Now those are two werewolf movies that deserve the Scream treatment.

[S.D. Bob Plissken]

The original Howling is an absolute classic.

Howling 2 is hilariously awful, but I can't see it getting a Collector's Edition from Scream Factory or anyone else. MAYBE a regular Blu release, but even that seems unlikely, unless it's paired with something else.

Howling 3 has some entertaining moments, but most of the comedy (it IS a satire) falls flat.

Howling 4 is a re-adaptation of the original novel that hews slightly closer to the source material, but overall it's just a piece of crap and not worth your time.

Howling 5 has a slightly entertaining "Ten Little Indians" tale going on in a Romanian castle. The FX are cheesy and so is the film in general, but it's slightly endearing. Mostly forgettable, but a step above the three sequels that came before it.

Howling 6 is a change of pace, as it features a more Wolf Man-ish werewolf and as the protagonist, no less! It centers around a traveling freak show whose vampire overlord of an owner wrecks havoc on a small southwestern town. Vampire vs. werewolf. It's not high art, nor is it the original (not even close), but it's the best of the sequels.

Howling 7 is beyond atrocious and easily the worst in the series. If you are going to watch it, do so with friends (and preferably alcohol as well).

Howling Reborn is a forgettable Twilight-ed up piece of crap reboot that thankfully never gained tractioned.


Howling 3, 5, & 6 received a triple-feature Blu release recently that runs real cheap, if you are interested. Aside from giving the second one a go at least once, I wouldn't bother watching any of the others if I were you.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

Does anyone on here actually like Howling II?

Oh, I do love it when we rub Howling II discussions in Cliff's face every few months or so!

I haven't seen "The Beast Within", but I have seen "Communion", and Philippe Mora of II and III is a VERY...STRANGE....director. As the MST3K line says, he's weird, which results in creativity.
On the commentary for III ten years later, Mora said he couldn't even remember what he was thinking when he directed it, and that sums up his style pretty well. It's not the cast was "on" anything, it's just that quick cuts, free-association scenes, non-acting that look like they were in one take, and strange foreign actors who don't know how to act even if they can speak English, are just sort of the way Mora thinks.
(If you see Mora's newsreel documentary "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", it might not seem to reflect his style, until you put the quick free-association clips together, and then it vaguely starts to have that Howling III feel to it...)

4 and upwards are just plain cheap and cheesy, but "cheesy" =/= "Bats**t crazy". One could say the same thing about Paul Verhoeven in his day.

Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken

Howling 3 has some entertaining moments, but most of the comedy (it IS a satire) falls flat.

3 was Mora going back to his native Ozploitation roots, and...comedy is the one thing Australia has NEVER successfully been able to export.

Originally Posted by thompsonjohn

Even Roger Ebert had some fun with "Howling II" saying, "no one presides over a ritual quite as well as Sybil Danning" and regarding the infamous repeated nudity in the closing credits, "providing the movie with its second and third interesting moments." I can only imagine what Roger thought the first most interesting thing about the movie was, Christoper Lee in the sunglasses or the new wave band and theme song repeated throughout.

I'll admit it, I'm defending the movie just for Sybil Danning. In Mora's movies, where either non-acting or weird-foreign acting is the rule, a good B-movie trouper like Danning or pre-Burton/Jackson/Lucas Christopher Lee just gives the thing a little B-movie class.

[redrunner97]

Originally Posted by demonknight

I agree. I even thought Part 4 was easily better than 3.

4 is good, and 6 (Howling VI: Freaks) was pretty rad as well.

Fan:
1,2,4,6

Hate:
3, 8

5 and 7 aren't too bad.

But come on Cliff, let us have Howling 2 already!

[Wolfking]

Originally Posted by octagon

Is there any general consensus about The Legend of Hell House?

I like Richard Matheson, I like creepy mansion stories and it's hard to go wrong with Roddy McDowell but for some reason 'cheesy and not in the good way' is in the back of my mind when I think about this.

I love the story Hell House he wrote, I read it and found it chilling, then I saw the movie and was slightly underwhelmed, they cut out a lot of the scares and creepy imagery that was in the book and toned it done, I still enjoyed it and I understand some of what cut because of movie ratings, but I would love to see this get remade with all the missing details added, make a much more creepy and scary movie in my opinion.

[DenOfEarth]

I'm confused, does Sleepaway Camp come out on the 13th of next month or 27th?

[Wolfking]

Originally Posted by DenOfEarth

I'm confused, does Sleepaway Camp come out on the 13th of next month or 27th?

27th, I think someone asked this on Facebook too

[Wolfking]

Sad News about possible Cold Prey future

Hello,is there any chance you guys will bring cold prey 1,cold prey 2,cold prey 3 on blu ray? I know shout is bringing cold prey 2 on DVD but,I would die if you could bring those gems to blu ray

Reply

Scream Factory: Sorry no chance. Cold Prey II sold poorly.

[cropsy]

Originally Posted by Mateo Sanboval

I like the atmospgere of the picture, but I know plenty of folks that think it's pretty poor. It builds slowly to be sure, but the acting is so over the top in places that is just bonkers by the end. I quite enjoy it. I'm also eager to hear the director's commentary which, from the review here, sounds like a good listen.

I love The Nest, its one of my favourite scream releases, its got a human/cockroach hybrid on wheels- whats not to love. The commentary track is well worth a listen too. I'm also looking forward to Deadly Eyes which is simialr to the nest in some ways and is another great little movie. Does anybody on here know when there might be some extras announcements on Deadly Eyes?

On The howling sequels, the quality is more up and down than a prostitutes knickers but i own them all and being the idiot i am would get them all on hd but if anyone puts out part 7 they need to give their head a wobble.

[Undeadcow]

Originally Posted by Wolfking

Sad News about possible Cold Prey future...

Hmmm... that's logical, releasing a sequel first on DVD only would seem a reasonable forecast for blu-ray sales of a trilogy.

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by Undeadcow

Hmmm... that's logical, releasing a sequel first on DVD only would seem a reasonable forecast for blu-ray sales of a trilogy.

Anchor Bay apparently still has the rights to the original film, so even if Cold Prey 2 sold well on DVD, a trilogy Blu-Ray probably was not going to happen any time soon. Unfortunately, Cold Prey 2's poor sales doesn't bode well for Cold Prey 3 being released in any format.

[jaws3dfan]

Whats the 1 Horror film you hate but Everyone else seems to love??

For me it's "Susperia"