Monster of the Day #687

We close out ’70s Wolfmen Week with this oddity (which, unlike yesterday’s subject, is available on DVD). Genre-crossing films were a lot rarer back then, although this film is a lot like Robert Quarry’s Deathmaster, made during the same period only with werewolves instead of vampires.  The pace is pretty slow and the scenes with the cult are intentionally dreamlike. It kind of worked for me, but I know others who were quite bored with it. The film also early on developed a bad rep among monster movie fans as one of those pictures that really stinted on the monster stuff.  As you can see, the make-up is pretty elaborate and actually quite good, seemingly an early prototype for Naschy’s werewolves. Ironically, the quality of the make-up probably meant they couldn’t afford to use it that often.  Bonus points for having the always interesting Severn Darden in the cast.

  • Flangepart

    “I not only use Hair Club for Werewolves, I bit the owner.”

  • Cullen Waters

    I’ve avoided guessing for most of the week, but Werewolves on Wheels?

  • Yep.

  • I thought it was better than it could have been. Not being much of a fan of biker flicks, that it worked so well for me was pretty impressive. Yeah, nice monster stuff.

  • zombiewhacker

    Since you bring up Naschy, I was watching “Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror” on Youtube the other day. Terrible movie, but I don’t think any actor, included Chaney, ever got as “into” his wolfman character as much Naschy did. (“Hyperactive” I believe was Michael Weldon’s apt description.)

    Talk about chewing the scenery!

  • I’m guessing that’s the film that provided the more ‘animated’ werewolf footage for FURY OF THE WOLFMAN? One of the films providing the stock footage had higher production values and rather enthusiastic werewolf performance (better make-up too, in general the film seemed to be Hammer-influenced) while the newer footage was practically comatose in comparison.

  • zombiewhacker

    Correct. Stock footage from FBT wound up in Fury. Those are the only scenes in Fury that woke me up.

  • wasted of a good movie title, IMO. Anyone on this blog could make a better plotline for such an awesome title. ranks up with Satan’s Cheerleaders for one of the most disappointing films ever, based on the excitement I felt about the name.

  • Back-handed compliment?

  • Hm. Thought I was outright insulting it. I mean, some film titles work just fine with their films.Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers fulfills expectations. Even Blood Feast gives idiots like me what we wanted, though with such amazing ineptitude it wraps around and becomes awesome again. But Werewolves on Wheels is just a loss.

  • I felt that way about FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER, as for a film with such a wonderful title, it was a pretty listless affair.