Wolfen (1981) ***1/2

Wolfen (1981) is a slow burn psychological horror thriller from director Michael Wadleigh (who directed 1970's Woodstock), his only narrative feature. There are a number of elements that make Wolfen stand out from the pack (sorry) in a year littered (sorry, again) with werewolf films (though Wolfen isn't really that), which included Joe Dante's The Howling (review) in March, Wadleigh’s Wolfen in July, John Landis' An American Werewolf In London (review) in August, and finally Larry Cohen's Full Moon High (review) in October. Those elements include an interesting and strong cast (lead Albert Finney in particular lends the film much of its gravitas), a moody and mysterious horn-heavy score by James Horner (ha), strong cinematography, and innovative use of Steadicam and a Louma crane to create the subjective "heat vision" perspective of the wolves (an effect popularized 6 years later in Predator (review). All of this, plus some occasional grisly violence, makes Wolfen a memorable movie that holds up well on repeat viewings.