Hello Halloween month pals, Slick Dungeon here. Have you ever had one of those summers where a werewolf just ravaged your home town? If so, you can relate to Silver Bullet, the silly, campy, but still somehow entertaining werewolf film based on the Stephen King novella Cycle of the Werewolf. There will be spoilers in this review so if you haven’t watched the movie, strap yourself into your modified wheelchair, hang out with your eccentric uncle, watch the movie, and come on back here to read the review.

Silver Bullet Background

This story actually started out as… a calendar? Yes, that’s right. There was a calendar that was going to be illustrated by the amazing Bernie Wrightson with short vignettes by Stephen King. But King just couldn’t keep it that short so it ended up as a novella, but still with illustrations by Wrightson.

Eventually, this story became a film starring Corey Haim, Everett McGill, Gary Busey, and Megan Follows.

This one sharply divides audiences. Some people think this is one of the worst werewolf films of all time, while others find it campy and humorous. Almost no one thinks it’s a quality film, but I find some entertainment value here.

Siblings

The story is narrated by Megan Follows as Jane Coslaw. She relates the story of what happened to her and her brother in 1976 in Tarker’s Mills, Maine. Jane has a rough life because she’s often expected to look after her little brother, Marty who is paraplegic, played by Corey Haim.

In town a series of murders happens. First, a railroad worker is decapitated. Then a pregnant woman is slaughtered. An abusive father dies in his greenhouse. And finally, Marty’s best friend, Brady Kincaid dies. What do all of these murders have in common? They are brutal and bloody. Almost as if an animal had attacked them.

These events will ultimately bring Jane and Marty closer together than ever before.

Vigilante Justice

After Brady’s death the townsfolk get sick of nothing happening and the lack of justice. They decide to take matters into their own hands. Despite protestations from local law enforcement, the group goes out looking for the murderer. Three of the party die in a brutal attack.

The local Reverend starts having nightmares of werewolves attacking him, and he wakes up saying, “Please God, let it end.” Not suspicious at all…

Uncle Red

Things get worse in town, more people die, Fourth of July fireworks are canceled and a curfew is put in place. Jane and Marty have an eccentric and alcoholic uncle named Red, played by Gary Busey.

Red is seen as a loser by his own sister and the whole town knows he’s a drunk. But he’s the cool uncle who genuinely cares for his niece and nephew. He’s one of the few people who treat Marty as a whole person, rather than someone to be pitied because he is in a wheelchair.

Speaking of wheelchairs, Red is good at making stuff. So he makes an awesome motorized wheelchair for Marty and names it the Silver Bullet.

Marty goes out with his sweet ride and a bunch of fireworks in the middle of the night. As he’s lighting these things off, the werewolf shows up. Marty blasts the creature in the eye with one of the rockets and he escapes. He tells Jane all about it.

The One Eyed Man

Because Marty snagged this thing in the eye, he tells Jane she needs to look out for someone with one eye. Jane goes around town collecting recycling to take back to the church. She doesn’t care about the recycling but it’s a good excuse to look everyone in the eye. Jane has no luck until she ends up back at the church to turn in the recycling.

Sure enough, Reverend Lowe has only one eye. I guess his dream was suspicious after all. Jane tells Marty who the werewolf is. Marty writes anonymous notes telling the Reverend he should kill himself. But that’s not what the man does. Instead, he tries to run a kid in a wheelchair off the road. What a great guy. A passerby saves Marty from certain doom.

Convincing Adults

Even with all the carnage that has befallen the town, it’s tough to convince adults there is a werewolf on the loose. Uncle Red is skeptical but he chooses to believe his nephew. Red does the smart thing and enlists the help of the Sheriff. The Sheriff goes to Lowe’s house where the Reverend has locked himself in his own garage to try to end the killings. But that doesn’t work because Lowe kills the Sheriff. And he knows to go after Marty and Jane next.

The Real Silver Bullet

What’s the only thing that can kill a werewolf? Say it with me, a silver bullet. Jane has a silver cross and Marty has a silver medallion. They convince Red to take these items to a gunsmith to make an actual silver bullet.

You know what happens from here. The moon is full, the werewolf comes out, there’s a scuffle, and Marty shoots the werewolf right in the eye. And we see it’s Reverend Lowe after the werewolf reverts back.

At the end, Jane says after that she was able to tell Marty she loves him. It only took killing one werewolf so I guess it could have been worse.

Silver Bullet in Conclusion

I’m the first to admit this film is not even close to for everyone. But, I think there is some entertainment value here. It’s silly and campy and it makes you laugh. Gary Busey is fascinating to watch and it’s made better because he improvised a ton of his lines. You shouldn’t expect Shakespeare out of this film. Heck, you shouldn’t expect Creepshow out of this one. But, if you can switch your brain off a bit and just enjoy the ride, watch it as a comedy rather than horror, you can have a good time watching this one.

Want More?

Want to see some of my other King reviews? Take a look here!

Looking for a good King read? Check out this one!

Do you think a silver bullet really would stop a werewolf? If so why would it have to be silver? Let me know in the comments!

Howlingly yours,

Slick Dungeon