Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim) and his sister Jane (Megan Follows) live with their parents, Bob and Nan Coslaw (Leon Russom and Robin Groves) in the quiet little Maine town of Tarker’s Mills. Marty is eleven years old and is paralyzed from the waist down. He rides a motorized wheelchair around town. Marty is otherwise an average kid. His best friend is Brady Kincaid (Joe Wright). Jane is almost fifteen and the designated babysitter of her annoying younger brother. Rounding out the family is Uncle Red (Gary Busey), Nan Coslaw’s alcoholic deadbeat brother.
In 1976 the town began to experience some strange and frightening events. A railroad worker named Arnie Westrum (James Gammon) is found beheaded along the railroad track. It is believed he was hit by a train. Then an unmarried and pregnant Stella Randolph (Wendy Walker) is found mutilated in her room. Then Milt Sturmfuller (James A. Baffico), the abusive father of Marty’s friend, Tammy (Heather Simmons) is killed, his body ripped to shreds. Finally, Marty’s friend Brady is murdered. The town is in an uproar. A vigilante posse decides to hunt down the unknown killer. Sheriff Joe Haller (Terry O’Quinn) is unable to control the mob. What happens is that a fair number of the vigilantes become victims of the killer as it slinks through the fog.
Terror grips the town. The Fourth of July town picnic and fireworks are cancelled. Curfews are set and people are encouraged to stay inside at night. Marty’s Uncle Red gives him a streamlined gasoline powered three wheeled wheelchair he calls the “Silver Bullet”. He also gives Marty some fireworks to make up for him missing the town’s fireworks. Marty sneaks out of the house and drives his new Silver Bullet to a footbridge where he begins lighting his fireworks. Suddenly Marty is attacked by an actual werewolf. Marty lights a rocket and aims it at the werewolf. The rocket hits the animal in its left eye, giving Marty a chance to flee.
Marty tells Jane about the incident and convinces her to help. Convincing his Uncle Red that a werewolf is killing people in Tarker’s Mills and that the werewolf is going to kill Marty is going to be a little tougher.
“Silver Bullet” was released in 1985 and was directed by Daniel Attias. It is an American horror film. The movie was based on Stephen King’s 1983 novella “Cycle of the Werewolf”.
Some of the werewolf effects in the movie were good, and some were not. During the dream scene, where everyone in church starts turning into werewolves, was the best part of the movie. The actual main werewolf costume, when it was seen in full view, wasn’t all that great.
There are some aspects of the film that follow standard werewolf lore and some that don’t. For example: The use of a silver bullet to kill the werewolf is standard. The movie doesn’t get into how the werewolf came about or why it doesn’t necessarily have to be a full moon for it to appear. The timeline of the storyline is a little confusing since it appears that the werewolf is killing people all the time, but it does cover a time span of several months and the werewolf is rather opportunistic when possible.
This is not a gloomy gothic tale or abnormally dark movie, but it is entertaining. It’s slightly campy but it has some scary parts. What saves it from being totally silly is some really nice acting and a good amount of creepy cinematography. Busey is a little over-the-top but when isn’t he?