SILVER BULLET (1985)
aka Stephen King’s Silver Bullet
Article 4886 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 7-30-2015
Directed by David Attias
Featuring Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim
Country: USA / Netherlands
What it is: Werewolf movie

A young crippled boy stumbles upon the existence of a werewolf who is responsible for several murders in the area, but can he convince anyone of it?

Stephen King adapted his own novella into the screenplay for this adaptation of his work. I do have a few minor quibbles with the movie. The special effects, while being similar to those in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, aren’t quite as impressive, The motorcycle/wheelchair combo designed for the boy is a cutesy touch that seems to be in the wrong movie, and the movie leaves some of its interesting ideas undeveloped. Nevertheless, it’s a credit to the movie that those ideas are there in the first place, and what I like about the movie, I really like. There’s a certain Bradbury-like feel to the movie, what with its small-town setting and being told from a child’s point of view. I also like the relationships and conflicts between the characters. And I love the ways it uses its references to THE WOLF MAN; the first victim of the werewolf bears a strong resemblance to Lon Chaney Jr., and the movie not only uses the ground fog from the earlier movie, but it actually finds a practical horrific use for the effect. And I love the line about the Lone Ranger. All in all, I really liked this one.