Silver Bullet (1985) User Reviews (197)

A fun horror film

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 16 January 2004]

I'm not sure why, but it seems like the rating for Silver Bullet is somewhat low on IMDb in my opinion. Silver Bullet is a great horror movie by the master of scares Stephen King. I did read his novella "Cycle of the werewolf" which was OK, not my favorite book but had a very great idea. Silver Bullet took the idea and made it into a really terrifying story that was also a great update to the werewolf monster story. It made you think that what if there was someone in your town who was hiding a secret that they were a monster who could judge you and feel the need to just kill at their own will, and what if they knew that you knew what they were? It makes it a whole lot worse. Silver Bullet is a great movie to watch in the dark that I'm sure will give you goosebumps and make the hair on your arms stand up.

The good residents of Tarker's Mill are dense enough to ignore or explain away a series of violent deaths until a little boy is torn to pieces while flying his kite after dark. At that point, the men gang up and go into the fog-shrouded woods to hunt down whatever slasher is out there. The most they achieve is the sighting of one hairy arm and a few more sacrificial victims. But life goes on, and when the summer fireworks show is canceled because people have deduced it might be fatal to stay out after dark, the family's wheelchair-bound son Marty goes coasting off to the bridge to shoot his own fireworks. Needless to say, the hairy killer beast that is certain to be lurking there gets shot in the eyeball by one of Marty's rockets and is now an unhappy hairy killer beast.

The acting is decent enough, we have a baby Corey Haim who delivers a very strong performance as Marty. It's sad to think that with the success he had with Lucas, Silver Bullet and The Lost boys that he led the life he did, he could have been something great when you watch this performance. His relationship with Megan Follows who plays Jane his sister was so touching and very believable. We also have a young Gary Busey with those same teeth, lol, but he pulls in a decent performance as well playing the alcoholic uncle who is cool in his nephew's eyes but always lets everyone down. He's sick of doing that so really pulls through for his niece and nephew when they need him most. Everett McGill as the reverend/werewolf was chilling, you felt a certain sympathy for him at one point as you know he feels some guilt but then he turns very cocky trying to justify his killings and you hate him. He was a great choice for this despicable villain. I love Silver Bullet, it may be dated and the effects are not the greatest, but I think it's a great horror movie that still gives me chills.

7/10

Entertaining Werewolf Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 7 July 2010]

In the spring of 1976, in the former peaceful town Tarker's Mills, the inhabitants are scared with violent murders and press Sheriff Joe Haller (Terry O'Quinn) to investigate further and find the responsible. Meanwhile, the crippled boy Marty (Corey Haim) is very happy with the new motorized wheelchair that his dear Uncle Red (Gary Busey) gave to him. During the night, Marty sneaks out to use the fireworks Red gave to him in a bridge. However he is attacked by a haired creature but Marty shots a rocket in the left eye of the attacker and escapes. Marty tells his sister Jane (Megan Follows) that he was attacked by a werewolf and convinces her to seek out who in town could have an injured eye. Jane discovers that the local Reverend Lowe (Everett McGill) is the creature but now the siblings have to convince Uncle Red to help them to disclose the truth about the reverend.

In the 80's, "Silver Bullet" was a successful werewolf film on VHS in the rentals. I might have watched this entertaining movie at least twice in those years. Today I have just seen it again and I really liked it, specially the chance to see Corey Haim two years before "Lost Boys" and Terry O'Quinn decades before "Lost". But maybe the most important is the excellent transformation of the werewolf without the use of computers. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Hora do Lobisomem" ("The Hour of the Werewolf")

Good rendition about King's notorious novella , being stunningly narrated , well performed and professionally directed

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 29 November 2014]

This is a superior Stephen King terror , including the classic horror elements of intrigue , along with gore and grisly killing at the claws of a werewolf . It started in May in a small town Tarker's Mills , it was a place that was very peaceful , where nothing extraordinary ever happened until one night when murders began and every month after that whenever the moon is full , there a railroad worker (James Gammon) meets his gruesome demise at the attacks of a werewolf . As a werewolf terrorizes a small city where lives Marty Coslaw, (Corey Haim) - a paralytic boy , parents (Robin Groves , Leon Russom) his uncle (Gary Busey) and his sister (Megan Fellows) - the narrator of the tale . Our folks take a long time to figure out cues upon werewolf .

This werewolf movie contains chills , thrills, action , suspense and results to be pretty entertaining . From the opening scene to ending terror and intrigue is continued . ¨Silver bullet¨ has everything , ever spooky scene you've ever seen , every horror movie cliché that's ever been overspoken , adding the novelty about a wheel-cheer bounded protagonist . Enjoyable and sympathetic relationship between two brothers nicely played by Corey Haim , as a young handicapped boy, and Megan Fellows as attractive girl as well as the narrator of the story . Special mention to Uncle Red gloriously performed by that underrated actor called Gary Busey as a grumpy but likable person . According director Daniel Attias, Gary Busey ad libbed a great deal, for instance when Uncle Red is in the gun shop , as Attias checked with Stephen King, who said OK for these ad libs to be included . Exciting and eerie final confrontation between our heroes and the hairy werewolf .

This film was rightly based on King's ¨The cycle of werewolf¨ . Stephen King movies adaptations are converting as prolific as his novelettes , from ¨Creepshow¨ along with ¨Cats's eye¨, ¨Silver bullet¨, ¨Maximum overdrive¨ unique directed by King and various TV take on as ¨Rose red¨ , ¨The storm of the century¨ , ¨The stand¨ , ¨Golden years¨ and ¨Langoliers¨ have been numerous his adaptations . The motion picture was well financed by Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis , but he was very unhappy with the werewolf used in the film . The film was compellingly directed by Daniel Attias , though Don Coscarelli was scheduled to direct but left over creative differences with Dino De Laurentiis. Filming lasted in October 1984 and finished slightly before Christmas of the same year . This was Daniel Attias's first and only feature film he directed For the rest of the 1980s to today he mostly directed TV episodes for some famous shows (such as Ray Donovan , The Americans , Crossbones , The Killing , Resurrection , True Blood) and hasn't made another theatrical film. Rating : 6,5/10 . Well worth watching for terror cinema fans and Stephen King buffs . It's an edge-of-your seat winner .

Once Bitten...Somewhat Smitten

[BaronBl00d · 20 January 2002]

Although there are many reasons why this film is a far cry from excellence, Silver Bullet is, at the very least, very entertaining. The film chronicles how a werewolf has been killing off various people in a small town. A young boy in a wheelchair discovers who the werewolf is, and then must prepare with his sister and crazy, dead-beat uncle to meet the wolfman when the moon is full on a Halloween evening. The film's plot really tests your suspension of disbelief, but the characters, the acting, and the direction are all done in a very likable style with a generous dose of humour. Corey Haim plays the youth very nicely, as he rides up and down the streets in a souped-up wheelchair(?). Gary Busey gives a fine performance as his uncle. The killings are fairly brutal, and the special effects are not too bad. The film is a lot of fun, and even though you will know who is the wolfman long before you should know....the film zips along with an energetic, entertaining pace.

"Holy jumped-up Jesus palomino!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 3 December 2016]

That's Uncle Red, Gary Busey in my summary line after the first encounter with the werewolf minister. It's probably the coolest line that doesn't have anything to do with anything, but coming from Busey it sounds almost philosophical, doesn't it? Almost as good as "It's an ass-kicker" describing the souped up Silver Bullet, but that line said something about something, so there's a neat contrast in Stephen King's screenplay. Very good.

Well I don't know about the special effects here, they seemed pretty tame even by Seventies standards. There were plenty enough cut- aways from the werewolf to suggest that the makeup wasn't all that great, but I guess if you're a young kid watching it would scare the bejeezus out of you. That's what these flicks go for anyway, so it probably works on that level.

And say, what about the Silver Bullet itself - once Uncle Red did his little number on the thing, it didn't look like it would pass EPA regulations with all that smoke exhaust coming out the tailpipe. The one thing Stephen King did well here was head off at the pass all those critics who would have found fault with the silver bullet concept by putting in that scene of the old guy compensating for the weight of the bullet so it wouldn't tumble. You can tell he was a Lone Ranger fan as a kid.

Overall, this King flick is about middle of the pack of the dozen and a half I've seen. The most memorable moment for me was winding down memory lane with that Rheingold Beer jingle early in the story - 'My beer is Rheingold, the dry beer, Think of Rheingold whenever you buy beer." Doing that from memory gives you an idea how far this Stephen King fan goes back.

Decent werewolf film.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 4 March 2012]

Film adaptation of Stephen Kings' "novelette" "Cycle of the Werewolf", scripted by the author himself, gets some things right, and is fun enough, and appealing enough, no matter if it can't compare to werewolf classics like "The Wolf Man" (1941) and "An American Werewolf in London".

Likable Corey Haim is Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic who manages to learn the human identity of the monster stalking his peaceful small town during the summer and fall of 1976. With the eventual help of his sister Jane (Megan Follows) and colourful, wild man uncle Red (the perfectly cast Gary Busey), he hopes to end the nightmare.

The only feature directorial credit for TV veteran Daniel Attias (who was an assistant director on movies such as "One from the Heart" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial"), it very nicely captures a small towns' ambiance during different seasons, and also has some fairly good suspense and atmosphere. There are some good touches here and there, especially when Jane learns who the werewolf is; during this scene her face is half in shadow and the effect is spooky. Fine music by Jay Chattaway helps, as well as more than a few laughs, largely supplied by the flamboyant Busey, who delivers some pretty priceless quips. (I could quote the best one here, but it would give away a crucial revelation.)

Both Haim and Follows are completely believable, and the supporting cast features a couple of familiar faces: Terry O'Quinn ('Lost', "The Stepfather" '87) as the ineffective local sheriff, Bill Smitrovich ('Life Goes On') as hostile loudmouth Andy Fairton, Robin Groves ("The Nesting") as Marty and Janes' mother, James Gammon ("The Cell", "Major League") as drunk and obligatory initial victim Arnie Westrum, legendary tough guy Lawrence Tierney ("Dillinger" '45) as bar owner Owen Knopfler, and William Newman ("Squirm", "Monkey Shines") as service station owner Virgil Cuts. Everett McGill is particularly fine as the Reverend.

Only the creature effects, overseen by Carlo Rambaldi, disappoint. Some transformation shots are good but the final incarnation of the werewolf just isn't that impressive, and doesn't inspire that much terror. One major set piece wherein just about everybody in a congregation metamorphoses IS rather amusing.

In any event, despite any flaws, "Silver Bullet" manages to entertain reasonably well, although it gets too syrupy by the end. Still worth seeing for werewolf cinema completists.

Seven out of 10.

a campy good time

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 7/10 · 4 December 2016]

Stephen King's Silver Bullet is one of the most charming werewolf flicks in the stable, one that combines adult orientated, gory horror with the fable-esque, childlike sensibility that seems to permeate King's work. It's also quite funny, thanks to the presence of a boisterous, rotund and quite young Gary Busey. Young Marty (Corey Haim) lives in a sleepy little town where not much of anything happens, until a rash of brutal murders occur in the area. Attributed to a serial killer by townsfolk, Marty has other ideas, specifically that a werewolf has taken up residence among them, and is snatching victims in the night. Taken seriously only by his sister (Megan Follows) and kindly Uncle Red (Busey) he bravely stalks suspect number one, who happens to be the creepy town priest (an intimidating Everett Mcgill). Things escalate into a series of gooey, effects driven set pieces that drip with wonderful 80's schlock and awe, as of course is the tradition with anything based on King's work. Other notables include Terry O Quinn, Bill Smitrovitch, Lawrence Tierney, King's own son Joe Wright, and late great character actor James Gammon in an opening sequence cameo. It's not all that scary, but more about the beloved tropes of such stories as these, the timeless monsters that inhabit them, as well the the intrepid young heroes whose lives growing up and finding themselves equally as important and high stakes as the horror elements.

Slight werewolf tale from the pen of Stephen King

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 21 November 2015]

SILVER BULLET is a slight werewolf story adapted from the Stephen King novella. The tale is a simple one and there's a lack of story complexity that means this feels slightly stretched for its running time. It's a far cry from the quality of SALEM'S LOT which had enough material to fill out a TV miniseries, although saying that, it's not without its merits.

The presence of Corey Haim as the protagonist brings this in line with other '80s kid-centric efforts like THE LOST BOYS and THE MONSTER SQUAD. I thought his character's disability made him into a really interesting lead, flawed and yet powerful because of his disability. The whodunit aspect of the narrative is the worst part of the film because it's so obvious from the outset, but thankfully there are reasons to watch other than the storyline.

One of these is Gary Busey in a great, cast-against-type role as Haim's drunk uncle. Busey brings his usual energy and humour to the part and is undoubtedly the most enjoyable thing here. The supporting cast features some engaging faces from the era, including Terry O'Quinn (THE STEPFATHER) as the town sheriff and Everett McGill (UNDER SIEGE 2: DARK TERRITORY) as the local reverend. Megan Follows contributes a realistic turn as Haim's sister and was best known for her recurring role as ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.

SILVER BULLET benefits from some well-directed set-pieces, in particularly a lengthy wheelchair chase scene which sounds silly but actually turns out to be very tense. The special effects aren't as good as in other werewolf movies from the era (most notably AN American WEREWOLF IN London), although some of the Carlos Rombaldi transformation effects are pretty cool. Overall I would class SILVER BULLET as good fun, if not great entertainment.

One of my all-time favorites...

[TerminalMadness · 8/10 · 23 January 2004]

I first saw this movie when I was ten years old, my uncle, a horror fanatic, showed this to me and my brother and it scared the living soul out of me.

Ten years later it still remains as one of my favorite horror films of all time and I consider it one of the best of King's work.

When a small town is being ravaged by horrible mutilations, townsfolks begin to think it may be a monster doing the killings. A small crippled boy comes in contact with the werewolf and confides in his older sister and uncle and they all set out on a search for the monster. What they discover will be shocking.

The film is very well directed and relies a lot on tension and atmosphere and solely on the acting which is performed well by Corey Haim, Megan Follows and Garey Busey who is immensely likable and memorable as the uncle.

The film itself as a horror movie is excellent with a lot of sheer tension and some great horror scenes in which we never see the werewolf until the end. That's an aspect that makes this film truly horrifying and the murders are gruesome and never pulls its punches. The mysterious identity of the werewolf is shocking and it leaves us on pins and needles until the exciting end of the film.

I highly suggest this among horror fans and think it's worth a look.

***half out of **** stars.

Few yards shy of being a favorite

[ODDBear · 7/10 · 4 April 2009]

Werewolfs and Stephen King; sounds like a combination that can't miss! While "Silver Bullet" does have it's moments it's still a few yards shy of being a bona-fide genre favorite.

The opening is magnificent; here's where the film's narration actually works. A grotesque opening sequence sets the tone perfectly and we're into one of those typical Stephen King small towns where great horror lies just beneath the picture pretty surface of the idyllic small town.

Well, everybody knows the story here; a werewolf is terrorizing the town.

While Corey Haim was a likable performer in his younger years, the decision to rest the film on the shoulders of two kids does diminish the film's scary potential. The set-pieces here are pretty good though, with that scene on the bridge with Haim lighting fireworks on the bridge; I remember that scene from when I was a kid.

"Silver Bullet", while displaying striking individual scenes gets somewhat bogged down when focusing on the kids here, giving them silly dialogue and rather campy scenes. Plus that narration gets very corny and irritating after the initial scene.

Gary Busey, always a likable actor, gives a one-note performance here as Haim's well meaning, but rather child-like alcoholic, uncle. That said, quality actors on board here with Everett McGill stealing the show as the town priest.

But all in all, "Silver Bullet" is a classic in the werewolf genre. I still prefer, say "The Howling" to this one, but I remembered it scared me silly when I was a kid and that fog bound search midway through is still atmospheric and somewhat scary. It's a no-brainer for horror buffs.

Never Takes Off.

[AaronCapenBanner · 3/10 · 20 September 2013]

Based on the Stephen King novel "Cycle Of The Werewolf" film deals with a mysterious werewolf who is terrorizing a small-town, and the efforts of a paralyzed boy(played by Corey Haim) his sister(Meghan Fellows) & Uncle Red(Gary Busey) to combat it, and convince the disbelieving townsfolk about the threat is real...and closer than they think.

Misfired film contains an unconvincing werewolf, and poor writing(some of the dialogue is awful) Veers uncomfortably into comedy as well, and the identity of the werewolf is obvious the moment the person appears on screen. Eccentric performance by Gary Busey is amusing to a point, but film otherwise is ineffectual and silly.

A fun, low-key horror

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 8/10 · 19 October 2006]

Silver Bullet is my favorite of Steven King's horror adaptations (yes, I do like this better than The Shining) . King even penned the screenplay himself (from his short story 'The Cycle of the Werewolf'), but since he was also responsible for the awful Maximum Overdrive, that's no solid proof of quality. But it a damn cool movie.

What makes it so different and unique is that it's horror movie told from a child's perspective (though I admit that the retrospective narration seems out of place) and has a brother/sister dynamic that's quite cute and makes you really care for the characters.

Corey Haim plays Marty Coslaw, a young boy who is confined to a wheelchair for reasons unknown. His older sister Jane is forced to take care of him and throws tantrums whenever the mum and dad take Marty's side (which is always). But the chair doesn't stop Marty from being mischievous. Especially when his manic, reckless Uncle Red (a fat Gary Busey-absolutely brilliant, as always) builds him a motorized wheelchair/bike called the Silver Bullet.

There is killer in their small town who strikes every month when the moon is full. The townsfolk gradually become more and more weary as autumn rolls on and Marty takes a personal offence when his best friend is murdered, his best girl is run out of town and a fireworks display is cancelled. Then he witnesses what the killer really is. But who is going to believe a kid's story of a werewolf? Despite the red-herrings, it's easy to figure out who it is before the main revelation. But it's still a fun mystery.

Filmed with the little-used JDC-Scope process, Silver Bullet has brilliant cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi and a wonderful score by Jay Chattaway. There's not much horror to it, but I don't think it was ever the intention to dwell on the violence. Even though I would call this film suitable for kids (despite the 18/R-rating) it's still way better than the PG-13 junk we get these days.

The film is also notable for Everett McGill (so evil as the baddie in Under Siege 2), an under-rated and under-used actor in a typically eccentric role as a charismatic Reverend. Doesn't he look like a cross between Christopher Reeve and David Hasselhoff?

A perfect Halloween movie or any night with the curtains drawn and lights off.

"Come on Rebel! We gunna bust'em up good tonite!"

[Cristopher_Jeorge · 6/10 · 10 February 2005]

Playing like an after school werewolf special, Silver Bullet is a more than tolerable King adaptation. It does lack in the effects department and maybe some of the acting is phased by some over the top melodrama but something about this movie is charming. That something is The Buse, oh yeah your favorite big screen nut-job Gary Busey steals this one entirely playing the caring, wise cracking, souped up wheel chair building and oft skunk drunk Uncle Red. He's the comic relief, the voice of reason and the unwilling hero all in one. This guy should make a point to do more horror in the immediate future. It works for him because the guys a fright show in his own right. He could easily become the next Tom Atkins. Now if your'e asking yourself who Tom Atkins is take a look at the Fog or Night of the Creeps and you'll immediately find yourself saying, "oohhh that guy? Yeah he's cool as *BEEP*!" Silver Bullet is worth the watch for scary Gary's performance alone but other highlights include, white trash wrestling fan yelling at TV set "ooh that hurts ma'parts",car vS. wheel chair high speed chase, genre vet George "Buck" Flower having his block knocked off in the first reel, the ole'$1.47 rocket in the werewolf eye trick, and everybody's favorite stepfather Terry O'Quinn as the wimpiest sheriff in cinema. My biggest knock against this movie other then the rather cheese-tastic werewolf (guy in a bear suit) is that it's the second horror movie I've seen were the cast reknown Hollywood madman Lawrence Tierney and totally waste him. They should of had him go head to head with the werewolf. He would have neutered that son of a sheepdog.

SILVER BULLET (Daniel Attias, 1985) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 13 May 2006]

I had watched this in my childhood on Italian TV - along with a number of other 80s horror stuff, including the two FRIGHT NIGHT, HOUSE and THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD films. Some moments from it - particularly the dream sequence - were still vivid in my memory, and I enjoyed it quite a bit...though it's undoubtedly the least of the major 80s werewolf films.

The backwoods setting makes for a nice atmosphere throughout (and looks forward to another Stephen King adaptation, albeit a non-horror one, STAND BY ME [1986]) and the love/hate relationship between the teenage brother and sister - played by Corey Haim and Megan Fellows respectively - is like a breath of fresh air to the all-too-familiar proceedings. The make-up effects and transformation sequences by Carlo Rambaldi are good, if not quite in the same league as Rick Baker's work on AN American WEREWOLF IN London (1981; still my favorite film ever from this sub-genre, and that's some feat for a relatively recent title!).

The werewolf attacks come thick and fast, though it's not overly gory - or even scary! Actually, the fact that crippled Haim is marked for assassination by the monster (in both its forms) associates the film more with the thriller than the horror genre! Still, like I said earlier, the hallucination of the local priest where he imagines his congregation turning into lycanthropes en masse is quite effective (if negating somewhat the eventual revelation of the monster's human identity!). Similarly, the fog-bound scene where the werewolf is hunted down by the angry villagers is straight out of THE WOLF MAN (1941) - were it not for its prevalent humor and the sheer cheek of having the lycanthrope take a baseball bat away from one of its 'predators' (a welcome but disappointingly under-developed role for 1940s tough-guy actor and notorious hellraiser Lawrence Tierney!) and proceed to beat him to death with it!! The later scene where the werewolf is blinded by a rocket fired by Haim also strains credibility, as does the climax with its nick-of-time retrieval of the silver bullet (while Gary Busey as Haim and Fellows' no-good and disbelieving uncle attempts to fend off the monster, but escapes unscathed despite being thrown around the place - rather than killed instantly, like the monster's previous victims - a number of times!)...

All things considered, the film makes for a pleasant diversion if nothing more. By the way, though the DVD I rented was supposed to be the R2 SE (I was especially looking forward to Daniel Attias' Audio Commentary) issued by Metrodome, when I played the disc it turned out to be Paramount's bare-bones R1 edition!!

An example of a master's touch

[rsimard · 18 July 2004]

I was about to turn off the TV as opening titles rolled for Silver Bullet and I saw the "Cycle of the Werewolf" reference, as I really don't care much for fantasy monsters at all. This being a Stephen King, though, I thought I'd give it a look. I'm glad I did.

The difference between this and the standard, cookie-cutter, grade-B monster/werewolf/e-mail-spammer horror flick could be a tutorial for playwrights, screenwriters and cinematographers. Instead of the tired horror-flick plot - monster terrorizes small town after killing some folks (usually with heavy-handed special-effects gore, repeated frequently throughout); populace panics and does a lot of stupid things; standard-issue hero arrives; standard-issue sexy young heroine falls in love with him and the movie ends with the standard-issue hero dispatching the monster moments before monster is about to make standard-issue heroine his/her/its next victim - this one deftly draws on strong theatrical principles and creativity to make the viewing real entertainment.

The young protagonist, who could be a paraplegic edition of ELL-LEE-YUHHT from E.T., his mid-teenage sister, which character, as an adult, opens the story with off-camera narrative (by Tovah Feldshuh), and an equally-charming third kid, who happens to be the boy's uncle and is chronologically but in no other respect an adult, endearingly played by Gary Busey, are developed skilfully as characters in their own right, entirely apart from the werewolf theme. By making us know and care about them, as well as the lesser characters, King creates a warm and personal relationship between them and the audience, something rarely achieved in standard horror/suspense fare. Busey is just right as the uncle who finds responsibility to be rather an impediment to enjoying life.

Injecting just the right touch of comedy where you'd least expect it and making it work - to avoid spoiling, I'll just say something about the woods at night and a bunch of people who don't belong there - a few red herrings to keep you guessing, and one broad clue to the identity of the werewolf that the sharp-eyed and -eared might catch but is otherwise not at all tipping a hand, all combine to hold the interest and attention of the viewer. The knitting-together of various threads - the significance of the monster's attack on the suicidal woman, for one - creates a certain intricacy that typical monster-flick shows rarely have.

Some blood and gore is unavoidable in a story like this; but again, it's handled with skill and delicacy instead of blunt force. The attack scenes are crafted to use the viewer's imagination much more than the special-effects department to create the impression. Watch carefully and you'll notice that the illusion is created by alternating very brief flashes of action streaking by the lens, almost too fast to discern, with establishing shots of the victim's accumulating injuries, with the audio gluing it all together. A few frames of the monster's snout or eyes moving past, a claw (or later on, a club or baseball bat) streaking by, but not not visibly headed for any particular target, horrified looks and increasing amounts of blood from the victim who may get tossed across the room or otherwise propelled violently but you never see the propelling directly, and your imagination does the rest.

It's not the masterpiece of the ages; but it's a film to enjoy once, and then, if you're into the theatrical arts at all, see again - for study.

Quintessential drive-in fare...

[poe-48833 · 7/10 · 5 August 2016]

It was summer, and the drive-in beckoned. On the menu that night was SILVER BULLET, based on the Stephen King novella illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. Werewolves? Hell, yeah- we were there. While the werewolves themselves weren't all we'd hoped they'd be, the movie as a whole was watchable. Gary Busey, beset by whatever personal demons he was battling at the time, did a decent job of sucking it up and getting the job done. Even that irritating kid did a good job, but the girl was the standout performer. And you just gotta love a preacher with an eye patch who turns into a f---ing werewolf. Like UNDER THE DOME (and FIRESTARTER and CAT'S EYE and NIGHT FLYER, etc.), SILVER BULLET was shot here in Crack Town. Them was the days...

A guilty pleasure that deserves a good remake

[michvanbeek · 7/10 · 4 July 2023]

Silver Bullet is a real guilty pleasure. Although the film is actually too badly made for words, look at the werewolf's suit or how certain bloodied faces come into view. It's cheesy and campy and at the same time Silver Bullet is still one of the best werewolf movies to date. That definitely has to do with the writing of grandmaster Stephen King, but also a lot with the atmosphere that the film exudes. The pure 80's style, but certainly also the wonderful soundtrack of the film contribute to this. Gary Busey is a hero anyway and plays the role of uncle Red here and does it very well. In addition to Busey, we see Corey Haim as his little crippled nephew Marty. Great movie that maybe deserves a good remake.

One of the Better Stephen King Movies

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 13 April 2013]

A werewolf terrorizes the small city where paralyzed Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim) lives with his uncle (Gary Busey) and his sister (Megan Follows), the narrator of the story.

This film is a great example of 1980s horror with a touch of humor to it. Maybe the producer did not like the werewolf costume, but I think it fits the tone of the movie just fine and has actually held up well. I would much rather watch this film than a classic like "The Howling" (with all due respect to Joe Dante).

My biggest issue with this film (perhaps my only issue) is the narration from the sister. Why is that even included? If you remove the few moments she talks, it would not detract from the movie at all -- she offers nothing in the way of explanation or plot. And it really makes no logical sense if you think about it: why would she know what the priest dreams? But, oh well.

Terry O'Quinn has a small role, but it is still great to see him. Before he got (more) famous as John Locke on "Lost", the horror fans knew him as the Stepfather. So any time he makes a horror appearance, it is a welcome treat. Gary Busey is also great, being his typical crazy self. They say he became crazy after his motorcycle accident, but it really seems to have been present before that.

A quick shout-out to the "bear trap joke". Not sure which film did this first, but it is always nice to see.

Last, but not least, we must salute Daniel Attias. This was Attias' directing debut before going on to be successful in television work. He did an amazing job and I am impressed. Apparently Don Coscarelli was going to be the director before things fell through. While Coscarelli is certainly a legend in the horror world, I am not sure if he could have made the film any better... it is in many ways now a classic.

Interesting Werewolf movie.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 19 March 2003]

First off, I am not the biggest werewolf fan in the world. In fact, for the most part I don't care for them. This is just one of the exceptions that I do like...An American Werewolf in London is another. This one is about a werewolf killing people in a small town. Of course, the people are up in arms about it and want something done. A boy who is paralyzed and his sister end up finding out the identity of the werewolf as the werewolf attack the boy and the boy was able to defend himself by shooting out one of its eyes. The sister went around to people's houses and eventually came across a man with one eye. They convince their uncle that a werewolf is what is killing everyone and he has a silver bullet made. The parents go off one night during a full moon and the uncle and kids must confront the werewolf. I won't give away who the werewolf is for anyone who hasn't seen this yet. All in all a pretty cool flick, nothing great about it just easy to watch and enjoy.

I Love Werewolf Movies - And This Is My Favourite Of Them All

[Dianafan79 · 10/10 · 6 July 2008]

Werewolf movies (excepet An American Werewolf In Paris) never disappoint me and this is my ultimate film in two ways. It's my favourite werewolf movie and it's my favourite Stephen King movie.

Marty is a young teenage boy who is disabled and is in a wheelchair. The fact that a lot of their parents attention is directed towards Marty caused resentment in his older sister, Jane. Marty himself is frustrated with being treated as a child and relies on his Uncle Red to make him laugh. Red, who spends most of his time getting married, then divorced and then drunk loves his nephew and the two are close. Red makes petrol powered wheelchairs so that his nephew can go anywhere he likes. Then one day a young pregnant woman is mauled to death in her bedroom. As more and more of the townsfolk are killed by an unknown assassin Marty works out that it could be, according to the date of the murders, a werewolf. He confides in his Uncle Red that that's what he thinks it is. But is laughed off. Then, as a firework display is cancelled due to the murders, Red gives Marty some fireworks and the boy creeps out of the house in the middle of the night to set them off, and finally Marty see's the werewolf. Setting off a firework it hits the werewolf in the eye. His sister Jane notices that Marty is unnaturally quiet and asks him what is wrong. Marty tells her and Jane and Marty convince Uncle Red what is going on in their little town. He doesn't believe them but soon has no choice but to! And the biggest surprise is who the werewolf is! I love this movie as I love the relationship between Marty and Uncle Red. YOu get a sense that both of them pretty much live for one another and give each other a sense of meaning. Red pretty much has nothing but drink and Marty loves Red for the sense of confidence he gives him. It's great to see their relationship.

This film is a must see Stephen King movie. It took me a while to track down the DVD. It's not that readily available on DVD in the UK and you have to find it online but it's well worth the wait. I'd highly recommend it. I gave it 10/10.

For UK Readers: This film is most regularly aired on Sci-Fi though it hasn't been aired for some time.

Lycanthropism begins at home

[lucifer_over_tinseltown · 7/10 · 2 February 2021]

For starters, Busey and Haim > Mac and Me. Though Mac and Me had that wildly adventurous, oddly hilarious, death-defying wheelchair plunge off of a cliff. Seriously though, they make for the best tag team since the Hart Foundation. I wish I had an Uncle Red, boy do I. Most of mine did drink like monkfish, perhaps the only commonality they shared with Uncle Red. None had his mechanical acumen. I wasn't allowed anywhere near fireworks and had to settle for sparklers. Anyway, good things happen in bad ways when you let oft-imitated, never duplicated horror master Stephen King write the screenplay to the movie based on his own novelette, Cycle of the Werewolf. Namely, the best human to lupine transformation ever filmed...though, in reality, it wasn't too much of a stretch for the very hirsute reverend to transition to wolf. He was the hairiest dude in the flick. Nobody was buying that the bereaved, bald as a baby's bum, slightly effeminate dad was the werewolf. Maybe the Stepfather, none other than Terry O'Quinn, may have been suspected early on by bush-league sleuths. But back to the pros and cons of this classic horror/comedy film. Pros: the aforementioned human to lupine transmogrification; top notch acting by Haim & Busey; coolest wheelchair ever; awesome car/wheelchair chase scene; convincingly real demonstration of the inherent dangers of fireworks; highly informative tutorial on how to make a silver bullet; hysterical drunken jokes by creepy Uncle Busey; self-deprecating jokes by the crippled Haim (regarding his legs). Cons: vilification of hirsute men; victimization of bald men; alcoholism as a cool thing; Busey's teeth; Busey creepily touching young Megan Follows and watching her recoil in horror (doubt that was scripted); insanely cruel, very un-PC jokes at the expense of the handicapable; a family surname that sounds like the grossest side fixin' ever: Cole Slaw. Seven fixed stars because it was the best, most Kingly, Werewolf VHS tape of the 80s!

Average werewolf film

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 5/10 · 13 November 2008]

A small town is experiencing some mysterious deaths. The authorities believe a killer is on the loose but young wheelchair bound Marty Coslaw(Corey Haim) seems to think there could be a werewolf involved, his crazy alcoholic uncle Red doesn't believe him but agrees to help him solve the case. Another Stephen King adaptation, this time of his "Cycle of the werewolf" novella. The film is very 80's with the usual comic leanings but there's still enough of a werewolf plot to keep you interested, even if the identity of the lycanthrope isn't disguised to well. SFX are average for the time, Gary Busey takes the acting plaudits here, Haim is lightweight but perfect for the role.

This this easily my all time favorite werewolf movie

[kevin_robbins · 10/10 · 19 October 2021]

Silver Bullet (1985) is in my DVD collection and is also available on The Sundance Channel (I recently DVR'd it). The storyline follows a family with an older sister, a wheelchair bound brother, a drunk uncle and parents who do the best they can. When a string of murder start happening around town the son finds himself a target and narrowly escapes. He will look to his older sister and uncle to believe him and help in his investigation that his most recent attacker was indeed...a werewolf. This movie is directed by Daniel Attias (The Wire) and stars Gary Busey (Point Break), Corey Haim (The Lost Boys), Everett McGill (Heartbreak Ridge), Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables) and Terry O'Quinn (Young Guns). The storyline for this is fantastic and does such a great job developing the family and horror elements separately and then crashing the two worlds together. The dynamics between the uncle and his sister as well as the dynamics and resentment between brother and sister as they manage his handicap is brilliantly developed. The priest storyline is excellent as is the werewolf transformations. The wheelchairs created by the uncle are so good and really capture the imagination. There's some classic intense scenes in this like the covered bridge and fireworks sequences. There's really so much to like about this film. This this easily my all time favorite werewolf movie that I would score a 10/10 and strongly recommend. This is a masterpiece.

Silver Bullet

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 24 May 2008]

A small town community is rocked by a rash of killings thanks in part to a werewolf, and Sheriff Joe Haller(Terry O'Quinn)has no clues as to who the predator is. With a curfew effecting the town and frightened, angry citizens wanting the killer apprehended, it'll be up to brother and sister Marty & Jane Coslaw(Corey Haim & Megan Follows), along with their dis-believing alcoholic Uncle Red(Gary Busey)to stop the one committing the violence.

Bothered with having a responsibility for helping take care of crippled brother Marty, Jane must somehow trust him when he claims that he shot the werewolf in the eye with a bottle-rocket one night while lighting them in a nearby park. When his identity is discovered by Jane, they will have to convince Uncle Red to assist them or their very lives may be in jeopardy.

You know looking at "Silver Bullet" now, I feel it's a tale of two halves. A rock solid opening up until the fog-misted werewolf slaughter of gathered citizens, joining a mob out to find the beast, and the stunning show-stopping highlight, a dream sequence of the priest whose congregation turn into werewolves. Then the film suddenly changes. The one plagued with lycanthropy, once before was a good man, troubled with the beast, but at a certain point turns into a grubby-faced psycho attempting to murder Marty with his car, even threatening the wheel-chair bound kid inside a crippling bridge. When the sheriff is told Marty's story about being threatened by this person, he goes to the person's abode without a deputy backing him up. And, it seems that the town up and forgets about the terror plaguing their community murdering their citizens after the incident in the foggy park where the werewolf picked off several out to kill it. When Stephen King's screenplay shifts completely towards Marty & Jane's battle of wills with the man troubled with lycanthropy, the folks from the first half slide out of the picture. But, the first half effectively, I felt, displays a town riddled with paranoia and horror, especially when a child, a friend of Marty's, is brutally murdered. There's an effective attack on a pregnant woman on the verge of suicide. Another effective sequence is where the werewolf attacks a nasty repugnant citizen with a foul demeanor and profane mouth in his greenhouse. The last half does show two werewolf effective transformations..one where the killer turns after his identity is discovered by the sheriff, and at the end from the beast back into a man. Less effective, I felt, were the decapitated heads which never looked very real. I think the true success of this beloved werewolf flick is the undeniable chemistry between Busey and Haim. Their bond really helps bring the characters to life, as does the troubled brother-sister relationship..these elements are indeed important in fleshing the leads out into real characters, building up to a rather underwhelming conclusion when the werewolf comes to claim their lives. One touch I had never noticed before that really impressed me was the last time Marty would see his friend Brady alive, asking him if he was coming..the camera closes in on Haim's face as he stares as if knowing that this would perhaps be the last time he'd see his pal alive(..I felt it worked as an ominous omen the director was foretelling to us, that the werewolf would attack anyone in it's proximity).

A silver bullet would do the trick

[lost-in-limbo · 4/10 · 18 July 2009]

I remember the first time I saw it over a couple of years ago, I wasn't much of a fan and just re-watching it sadly it's still the case. Some moments do work, but there's plenty that don't which I mainly lay blame on the unfocused screenplay (a jilted mix of horror and glazed sentiment), and ramshackle execution. So I guess I find myself in the minority that can't seem to enjoy it, and just have fun for what it is even with lambasted faults.

I wanted so much to like it the second time around, and hey I found the performances of Gary Busey (especially so with his energy), Everett McGill and Terry O'Quinn quite riveting. On the other hand Corey Haim (who I guess he forgets about his handicap) in the lead role just didn't work for me… while his relationship with Megan Follows' character is sincere, but so overwrought. The rest of the performances by the cast are immensely average, and Lawrence Tierney (who seemed to pop up in minor roles in the decade) is wasted.

Stephen King adapts his own novel 'Cycle of the Werewolf', but the screenplay wants to be a patchily trite melodrama with flimsy horror overtones. Although when it's not centering on the werewolf angle, it mops along. The tacky script doesn't help either, as I found myself snickering. The theme feels poorly dissected and lacking. It's vague. No real details are chucked it. Though what's not so is just who is the werewolf… there are clues, but it seems pretty obvious anyway.

So being a werewolf, how were the special effects. Pretty cheap… overdone and unimaginative. However the most striking use of the FX came from a very well done dream sequence involving plentiful transformations. As for the main werewolf suit, it wasn't bad but it definitely had no imposing traits. Actually some sequences were kind of laughable. The character in normal form felt more sinister than when they traditionally transformed into the beast.

Director Daniel Attias' goes for grisly and graphic inclusions, which do lack a build up of terrorizing tension. The over-the-top climax is the only time where some suspense is pulled out, before finishing on a sudden whimper. A spotty atmosphere is created honing a bleak air, which is not well served by the cheesy, overbearingly forceful score. There was one death that stayed with me, which we don't actually see but you do feel the impending doom in the lead up and aftermath. The attacks early on are scattered, but feel calculated and do give you a clue to who it might be.

Watchable, but disappointingly weak and hokey low-budget werewolf feature.