With a name like I Was a Teenage Werewolf, one expects a comical high school flick with only an occassional hint of creepiness. But it’s a geuniune horror movie. Yes, it’s geared towards a younger audience–the singing and dancing scene, in particular–but, like Scream a few decades later, it dishes out great horror despite being a teen film. In other words, it’s not Teen Wolf. Not that there is anything wrong with Teen Wolf, it just isn’t horror.
Michael Landon gives a riveting performance as Tony, a troubled teen who seeks psychotherapy to deal with his anger issues. Unfortunately for Tony, the doctor he sees is not interested in helping him, but rather transforming him to a more primal state. Thus, after a few “treatments,” Tony becomes a werewolf.
The scenes that follow are as scary as any movie I’ve seen from the 50s and 60s. The scene where Frank (Michael Rougas) is walking through the woods at night, being tracked and eventually killed by the werewolf, is particularly frightening. And perhaps even scarier is the scene with the gymnast working out alone…alone until Tony shows up.
Then there’s the hunt scene, where the police and townsfolk search the woods for the deadly werewolf. This seems to be a staple of werewolf movies (the one from Silver Bullet is perhaps my favorite), and it’s the only part that I was mildly disappointed with. The werewolf should have killed more than just a dog.
I Was a Teenage Werewolf is fun and scary, and one the whole family would likely enjoy. And it’s free on YouTube!