See if your favorite person, TV series or motion picture is available: video/DVD/books
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Michael J. Fox made two movies in 1985, "Back To The Future" and this one. It wasn't easy. As noted in the Monstervision host segments for "Back To The Future," Fox had to work the movie-shooting schedule into that of his popular tv-series. So, how does this one compare to that Mystery Science Theater 3000 movie "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" (which they actually liked)? Well, it has its moments. And James Hampton of "Hangar 13" is fun as Fox's father, who has been putting off telling him that he would start growing a lot of hair with the onset of puberty...especially during full Moons. But then the script-writers just went nuts. Fox starts turning into a friendly werewolf whenever he wants, including broad daylight (riding on top of a speeding van), and during basketball games where none of the other actors seem to know how to play the game...
Over the years, there have been a number of werewolf and wolf man movies, but did you know that Bela Lugosi of Dracula fame starred in the first one? Lon Chaney Jr was his victim, and went on to become the best-known wolf man of the 1940s & 1950s in various sequels. Michael Landon starred in I Was A Teenage Werewolf and played the character so sympathetically (he said he was an outsider in school and identified with the misunderstood werewolf), it became a surprise hit. So will "Teen Wolf" ever become a classic? Well, last time I checked, it wasn't available on video, let alone DVD, so there doesn't seem to be a whole lotta demand for it as yet. Now here's Joe Bob Briggs with those drive-in totals:
HOWLING AT THE MOON
It's hard to believe but yes, a movie called Teen Wolf (1985), was actually a big hit at the boxoffice. Perhaps
it was because Michael J. Fox was the star. After all, he was at the peak
of his fame the year it was released. But maybe the real reason for the
film's success was simply this: teenagers want to see movies about
themselves and especially films that deal with those awkward high school
years when everyone feels like an nerd. It's even worse when you're a
werewolf and can't control your hormonal urges. Like Scott Howard (Michael
J. Fox), the typical high school loser. When this would-be basketball star
gets agitated, his ears turn pointy, his fingernails become claws, and he
responds to high-pitched dog whistles.
Teen Wolf not only
inspired an animated television series but a sequel as well - Teen Wolf
Too (1987), in which Jason Bateman takes over in the Michael J. Fox
role. But we're here to talk about the original Teen Wolf, this
week's main attraction on MonsterVision and here are those drive-in
totals, courtesy of Joe Bob Briggs:
"We have: Motor vehicle roof-surfing.
Two werewolf transformations.
The old Jello-down-the-girl's-blouse trick.
Party-dress-ripping.
Beer-can munching.
Werewolf breakdancing.
Wolf
bowling (no relation to dwarf tossing).
One fistfight.
Three cheesy basketball sequences.
Two and a half
stars."
Teen Wolf (1985)
Saturday, February 7
at 10:30 p.m. ET
Teen Wolf is available from Amazon.com - anyone out there have printed host segments?
Seen on MonsterVision 3/7/97 and 100% Wierd on 2/7/98
MonsterVision host segments coming someday (?)
© 1998 Turner Network Television, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All
Rights Reserved. Legal/Privacy Notice
Teen Wolf Too
After Michael J. Fox saw the box office results of "Teen Wolf" in 1985, he went on to make two popular sequels to "Back To The Future." But the studio wasn't done with "Teen Wolf," so they turned to another teen star on a popular tv series, Jason Bateman, as another member of the family who finds out he's a werewolf. Teen Wolf Too is not available on VHS or DVD, but maybe somebody has it on Betamax...it's your move.
Weekly World MonsterVision ... February 1998
Saturday 2/7/98
Teen Wolf (1985) at 10:30 p.m.
Those awkward
teenage years are even worse when you're a werewolf and can't control your
hormonal urges. Like Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox), the typical high
school loser. When this would-be basketball star gets agitated, his ears
turn pointy, his fingernails become claws, and he responds to high-pitched
dog whistles. Rating: TV-PG.
Following Teen Wolf is Joe
Bob's Last Call Flick:
The Fly (1986) at 12:45 a.m.
David
Cronenberg's ooey, gooey remake of the 1958 sci-fi favorite with Jeff
Goldblum as the ill-fated scientist who experiences weird side effects
after he shares his genetic transporter with a ......well, you know.
Rating: TV-14-V.
Following The Fly is 100%
Weird:
Trog (1970) at 3 a.m.
Joan Crawford as an
anthropologist? Yes, and what a stern taskmistress she is. Watch her
subject an innocent troglodyte to rock 'n roll music and table manners.
The special effects department obviously were confused about which
direction to take on the title creature: He has the body of a caveman and
the head of a monkey. But no matter. Joan, in her final film, is the main
attraction. Listen to her passionate delivery of lines like "I implore you
to let me use my hypo-gun!" Rating: TV-PG.
Saturday 2/14/98Excalibur (1981) at 11 p.m.
Okay, so
there aren't any monsters in this grandiose epic from director John
Boorman but there are wicked sorceresses and magic spells and macho
swordfights and orgies and all sorts of pagan rituals to keep your
interest. Think of it as a bloodier, more adult version of the King Arthur
myth and you'll have a good time. It's also thought-provoking. For
instance, it raises questions like how can you have sex while clad in full
body armor?
Rating: TV-PG.
Following Excalibur is Joe
Bob's Last Call Flick:
Swamp Thing (1982) at 2:20 a.m.
How
often does a monster get to play the good guy? Not often enough. So would
you please turn out and support Ray Wise (a Twin Peaks alumnus)
when he mutates into that burly green guy called Swamp Thing. Directed by
Wes "Scream" Craven. Rating: TV-PG.
Following Swamp Thing is
100% Weird:
Tomahawk Trail (1950) at 4:40 a.m.
Renegade
Apaches launch an unrelenting attack on a lone cavalry division which is
under the command of an inexperienced West Point graduate. Things look
pretty grim until Sgt. Chuck Connors steps forward to save the day.
Look for Harry Dean Stanton in one of his earliest roles. The music score
is by Les Baxter who is now enjoying a musical revival thanks to his
numerous exotic and fifties cocktail albums. Rating: TV-PG.
Saturday 2/21/98
Maximum Overdrive (1986) at 11
p.m.
Life at a small-town truck stop gets very hazardous when shock
waves from a passing comet transforms a parking lot full of machines and
vehicles into mobile man-crushers. This horror fantasy starring Emilio
Estevez and Pat Hingle marks the directorial debut of Stephen King (he
also wrote the screenplay), with a soundtrack by AC/DC. Rating: TV-14-LV.
Following Maximum
Overdrive is Joe Bob's Last Call Flick:
Creepshow (1982) at
1:20 a.m.
Vengeful cockroaches, walking corpses, and fungus from outer
space are some of the lovely sights on display in Creepshow (1982),
an affectionate tribute to the E.C. comics of the fifties, directed by
George Romero ( Night of the Living Dead ) from a screenplay by
Stephen King. The film opens on a dark and stormy night with an angry
father tossing his son's horror comic into the trash can: a sequence which
becomes the framing device for a quintet of gruesome tales rendered in a
macabre, tongue-in-cheek style. Rating: TV-14-LV.
Following
Creepshow is 100% Weird:
Queen of Outer Space (1959) at
4:15 a.m.
In the year 1985, 26 years in the future, four American astronauts crash-land on
Venus and are taken prisoner by an army of man-hungry alien women who look
like Las Vegas showgirls. Zsa Zsa Gabor, with her Hungarian accent and
slit skirt wardrobe, takes top acting honors in this camp classic
featuring leftover spacesuits from Forbidden Planet, the giant
spider from World Without End, and the rocketship from Flight to
Mars. The well-known science-fiction author (Ben Hecht) who wrote the novel this movie's based on tried and failed to have his name removed from the credits. Zsa Zsa plays a freedom fighter, not the Queen. Rating: TV-PG.
Saturday 2/28/98Immortal Combat (1993) at 11:00
p.m.
Yet another maniac is plotting to take over the world using
biological warfare techniques and superhuman warriors created in her
secret laboratory on a remote Caribbean island. The mad scientist is
played by Meg Foster in a scene-chewing performance that deserves some
kind of special drive-in award. Roddy Piper and Sonny "The Streetfighter"
Chiba play Los Angeles detectives who uncover her diabolical
plan.TV-14.
Following Immortal Combat is Joe Bob's Last Call
Flick:
Superbeast (1972) at 1:35 a.m.
Deep in the jungles of
the Philippines, a female pathologist stumble upon the secret laboratory
of - yes, you guessed it - a mad scientist who wants to introduce her to
someone who is tall, dark, and horrible. TV-PG.
Following
Superbeast is 100% Weird:
Reckless Kelly (1994) at 4:00
a.m.
Anybody remember Yahoo Serious, the Australian comedian who made
his much-publicized American debut in Young Einstein in 1988? Well,
he's back in another odd mixture of farce and fantasy, playing the spirit
of Ned Kelly, an infamous outlaw from Down Under. In case you're
wondering, Yahoo's slapstick antics make Jim Carrey look subtle. Rating:
TV-14.
Saturday 3/7/98She (1965) at 10:00 p.m.
Ursula Andress
is "She Who Must Be Obeyed" (her full title), a 2,000 year old queen from the lost city of
Kuma who remains youthful by bathing in the Flame of Eternal Life. When
she meets rugged adventurer John Richardson, she recognizes him as her
long-lost lover from a former lifetime. John, however, isn't too excited
about jumping into those funny blue flames. Christopher Lee co-stars as
Billali, a high priest who enjoys presenting human sacrifices for the
Queen's delight, and Peter Cushing plays Major Holly, the only character
immune to the insanity around him. Robert Day directed this lavish Hammer
production which inspired the sequel, The Vengeance of She. Rating:
TV-PG.
Following the 1965 version of She is Joe Bob's Last
Call Flick:
She (1985) at 12:35 a.m.
Sandahl Bergman, who
some of you fondly remember from Conan the Barbarian, is back in a
no-budget, apocalyptic sci-fi adventure populated by big blonde Amazons,
hippie vampires, and chainsaw-welding warriors. Oh yeah, even Frankenstein
makes a guest appearance. Music by Rick Wakeman and Motorhead. Rating:
TV-PG.
Following the 1985 version of She is 100%
Weird:
She (1965) at 3:00 a.m.
An encore presentation (no host) of the
R. Rider Haggard fantasy-adventure starring Ursula Andress as the
eternally youthful ruler of Kuma. Where is it? Well, it's a lost city
somewhere in the desert where the extras like to break into wild, tribal
dances every few minutes. Rating: TV-PG.
Saturday 3/14/98
The Seventh Sign (1988) at 10:30
p.m.
What if the fate of mankind depended on Demi Moore? Well, it does
in this apocalyptic thriller and she proves more than willing to shoulder
the burden. It all begins when she rents a room in her garage to Jurgen
Prochnow who is not what he appears to be. As Demi begins to question the
identity of her mysterious lodger, she finds herself being drawn into a
nightmarish scenario in which she is plagued by strange religious visions
and freak acts of nature predicted in the Bible's book of Revelations. Rating: TV-14.
Following The Seventh
Sign is Joe Bob's Last Call Flick:
Look Who's Talking Too
(1990) at 12:45 a.m.
Kids say the darnest things, especially in this
sequel to Look Who's Talking in which tiny toddlers candidly reveal
their deepest thoughts. Expect lots of doo-doo jokes and cheap shots at
inept parents. The voices of the babies are provided by Roseanne Barr,
Damon Wayans, Bruce Willis, and Mel Brooks. As an added bonus, John
Travolta gets to perform a gratuitous dance routine. Rating:
TV-PG-L.
Following Look Who's Talking Too is 100%
Weird:
Demon Seed (1977) at 2:45 a.m.
Julie Christie becomes
imprisoned in her own home by a highly intelligent computer brain named
Proteus IV which has a strange request: It wants her to be the father of
their child. Oddball romance or a robot's wildest rape fantasy? You decide
in this underrated sci-fi thriller from director Donald Cammell
(Performance). The weird electronic music is by Ian Underwood and
Lee Ritenour. Rating: TV-PG. If the kids come in, just tell them you were watching Smart House
Saturday 3/21/98Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) at 10
p.m.
A high school cheerleader discovers she is descended from a
courageous vampire hunter from the Dark Ages which probably explains her
expertise at battling bloodsuckers. Kristy Swanson plays the somersaulting
Valley Girl who takes on the evil Uno (Rutger Hauer) and his nocturnal
followers. Donald Sutherland, Luke Perry, Candy Clark, and Paul Pee-Wee
Herman Reubens round out the quirky cast. Based on a popular comic strip
which also inspired the current television series. Rating:
TV-14.
Following Buffy the Vampire Slayer is Joe Bob's Last
Call Flick:
Red Sonja (1985) at 12:30 a.m.
Conan the
Barbarian inspired a whole slew of spear-chuckin' wannabes but this
one leads the pack. Why? Because it has the same dang Conan crew. It stars
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sandahl Bergman, is directed by Richard
Fleischer, and is based on the pulp writings of Robert E. Howard (creator
of "Conan"). Just for novelty's sake, Sly Stallone's ex, Brigitte Nielsen,
is tossed into the mix along with a nutty plot about a magic talisman.
Rating: TV-PG-L.
Following Red Sonja is 100%
Weird:
Missing Link (1989) at 2:45 a.m.
Set during
prehistoric times, this oddball production from former hairdresser Jon
Peters follows the world's last ape man as he wanders the plains of
Africa, defending himself from wild animals with his trusty stone axe. The
special effects makeup is by Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in
London). Narrated by Michael Gambon, the star of Peter Greenaway's
art-house drama,The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover.
Rating: TV-PG.
Saturday 3/28/98NO MONSTERVISION SCHEDULED. PRE-EMPTED BY
TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES WEEKEND ON TNT.
Saturday 4/4/98It Lives Again (1978) at 10:30
p.m.
Kathleen Ryan's worst fears about her troubled pregnancy are
confirmed when she gives birth to a killer baby with sharp fangs and
deadly claws. Her horrified husband, Frederic Forrest, convinces her to
flee with him and the child to a hidden research facility where other
mutant babies frolic in their cages. Meanwhile, the government issues an
all-points-bulletin alert for the fugitive couple. Larry Cohen's highly
political follow-up to It's Alive co-stars John Ryan, Andrew
Duggan, John Marley, and Eddie Constantine. Rating:
TV-14.
Following It Lives Again is Joe Bob's Last Call
Flick:
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1986) at 12:45
a.m.
After several gruesome attacks, a brood of mutant babies are
considered a threat to society and exiled to a deserted island. The third
in the popular "It's Alive" series, Island of the Alive stars
Michael Moriaty of Troll as a paranoid nutcase who thinks the killer tykes have
been unfairly exploited by the media and organizes a good will mission to
the island. Talk about a bad idea! Written and directed by Larry Cohen.
(Black Caesar, The Stuff)Rating: TV-PG-L.
Following
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive is 100% Weird:
The
Swarm (1978) at 3 a.m.
A dark cloud of killer bees are headed
toward Houston with one purpose only - to stick their poisonous stingers
into every cast member of this Irwin Allen disasterpiece. The special
guest victims include Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Michael Caine, and
Richard Widmark. A past MonsterVision movie. Rating: TV-PG.
Watch for these great titles on MonsterVision in the upcoming months of 1998:
Stephen Spielberg's The Goonies
Joe Dante's Gremlins
And Joe Bob's favorite World War 2 / sci-fi / UFO / monster movie, Zone Troopers
Back to Monstervision
or check out
MonsterVision host segments for Howling 3
Elvis has left the building, and he took Joe Bob with him.
Entire page above © Bill Laidlaw for Sci-fans.com - not a Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved
Weekly World MonsterVision descriptions
© 1998 Turner Network Television, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Legal/Privacy Notice
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