The Wolf Man (1941), Werewolf of Washington (1973), An American Werewolf In London (1981), The Howling (1981), Wolfen (1981… man a lot of werewolf movies came out in 1981), Silver Bullet (1985, look this one up it’s wild.), Underworld (2003), werewolf movies all focus on the tragedy and inner conflict that come with lycanthropy.
But let's talk about the funny werewolf movie where Werewolf Marty McFly plays basketball.
1985’s Teen Wolf is a comedy that plays on the werewolf genre. It doesn’t strictly follow any of the rules werewolf movies arbitrarily play by. It plays fast and loose with the concept. Like how once Scott Howard wolfs out for the first time he can just… wolf. Yeah he can just be a wolf in broad daylight and the full moon doesn’t even fuckin matter. The only werewolf logic it follows is werewolves exist.
The plot follows teenage Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) living with his dad Harold (James Hampton). Scott wants nothing but to be popular and win the big basketball game, star in the school play, and just be a generic popular kid in 80s films. During a basketball game Scott loses control of himself and wolfs out. He races home to find his dad is a wolf as well, and that his family are werewolves. And no one is terrified. No mobs, no wolf hunts, no hunter-esq character to hunt these creatures. He’s treated like a celebrity and his life does start looking up. He’s captain of the basketball team, he gets the lead in the school play, and even lands the girl of his dreams. He’s accompanied by his friends Stiles (Jerry Levine) and Boof (Susan Ursitti). Stiles coaxes Scott into doing wacky shenanigans, like buying alcohol without an ID, how scandalous!, because his best-friend is a werewolf. However, Scott learns that popularity isn’t all it's cracked up to be and that his life before wolfing was pretty solid. Big sappy happy ending.
The film stars Michael J. Fox, then the star on the 80s sitcom Family Ties, but before Back to the Future would go and define not only his career, but him as an actor. This was actually being filmed around when Back to the Future was being filmed. Fox has a quip about it.
“Down the street Steven Spielburg is filming a new movie, and here I am playing a werewolf.”
It’s a solid enough 80s comedy. Michael J. Fox does a good job playing a wisecracker who suddenly becomes famous. The wolf effects are pretty standard, tons of hair, not trying to reinvent the wheel. My criticism for the movie is that it feels a bit rushed. Once Scott becomes a wolf, it feels like they rushed it to get the big game at the end. Not a huge criticism, but still. Also Mark Holton is in this movie. You know? The guy who stole Pee-Wee’s bike and ate the Leprechaun’s gold coin. His character’s name is Chubby. Just wanted to point that out.
The film has more of a cult legacy, it came out after Back to the Future so it didn’t reach the heights it was expecting. There was a sequel in 1987 starring Jason Bateman that’s… practically the same movie but in college. And a 2011 tv series that reimagined the show as a teen drama. Because of course. Of course some tv executive schmuck reimagined fucking Teen Wolf as a supernatural teen drama.
All in all, solid 80s comedy. Don’t go into it expecting high class storytelling when the concept is werewolves playing basketball.
I give it three skulls out of four. Steve says check it out. Recommend if you like movies coated in 80s cheese.
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