Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) | (DVD) | USED

Title: Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988)

Genre: Horror

Plot Synopsis
A novelist suffering from terrifying hallucinations and nightmares is prescribed rest, so she and her husband retreat to a remote town called Drago. Visions of a nun, mysterious villagers, and a haunting bell plague her, while her husband drifts toward a local artist. As secrets emerge, she uncovers that the entire town harbors a deadly secret. Werewolves and supernatural horrors reveal themselves just when escape seems impossible.

Cast and Crew

• Director: John Hough

• Writers: Freddie Rowe, Clive Turner

• Cast:

  • Romy Windsor as Marie Adams

  • Michael T. Weiss as Richard Adams

  • Antony Hamilton as Tom Billings

  • Susanne Severeid as Janice Hatch

  • Lamya Derval as Eleanor

YouTube Trailer: Howling IV: The Original Nightmare | Trailer

IMDb Link: Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) 

Reviews from Letterboxd

1. SilentAddle – ★☆☆☆☆
   “Okay, this one might be less crazy than the second and third film, but that doesn’t make it better, in fact I’d go so far as to say this is kind of boring. Sure it’s a rehash of the original story (and closer to the novel), but somehow this looks like it’s older than the first film.”

2. MGW95 – ★☆☆☆☆
   “Howling IV is another attempt at adapting the novel the original The Howling was based on. I’ve heard this is a more faithful adaptation, but I haven’t read the novel so I can’t confirm this. Regardless of faithfulness to the source material the real question is whether it’s any good or not and the answer is a definite “no”. This a terrible film and unlike the previous two sequels this isn’t even bad in a fun way, it’s just bad. The performances are all flat, the dialogue is poorly written, the special effects are generally bad, the plot is nonsensical, and worst of all it’s just really boring.”

3. FakeVoorhees – ★½☆☆☆
   “Apparently, they threw so many wild ideas into Howling 2 & 3 that when it came time to make part 4, they were all out. So they just decided to remake the first one… except they made it boring. Even if parts 2 & 3 were a bit ridiculous, at least they were never dull.”

4. Jayson Kennedy – ★☆☆☆☆
   “An author plagued by worsening panic attacks retreats to a secluded desert town only to be haunted by howls in the night and off-kilter inhabitants by day. After two wonky yet admirable sequels, the franchise goes back to its roots with a more faithful adaption of Gary Brandner’s novel. Unfortunately this translates to long dream sequences, bland townsfolk, and very little wolf action until the end. A series that can’t win for losing after Joe Dante’s classic.”

5. nathaxnne [goodbye <3] – ★★★☆☆
   “Eleanor, the goth art witch werewolf, is the standout of the film. While the rest of the town coasts, she throws herself into her strange art and magick, giving the movie its only real spark of creativity and atmosphere. The film may be uneven, but her presence makes it memorable.”

Meta Description:
An author haunted by visions retreats to a remote town only to discover its inhabitants hide a murderous secret — a slow burn of werewolves, dread, and supernatural terror.