ViewGuide

Created Jan 03, 2010 04:52AM PST • Edited Jan 03, 2010 04:52AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   Prospective viewers of “Silver Bullet” would serve themselves best by turning attention towards the book on which Daniel Attias’s sole film is based (Stephen King’s “Cycle of the Werewolf”) or any number of better made werewolf movies that are out there (the horror-comedy “An American Werewolf” and “Ginger Snaps” spring to mind) than actually witnessing this mediocre flick for themselves. Never properly evoking the feeling of a community living in fear nor that of a generally-adequate werewolf flick, “Silver Bullet” instead settles for a pretty uneven adaptation of the King novelette, its general ineptitude and standing as another ‘80s B-movie of slim rewards proving alternately fun (as in the scene where the beast picks off the members of a lynch mob in a deep fog, going so far as to beat one to death with a baseball bat) and eye-roll worthy (witness the bizarre screams of a man who finds his son’s torn-up corpse). Aficionados of the era will probably recognise Corey Haim and Megan Follows as the brother-sister twosome plagued by the existence of the town beast, the duo actually existing as the best things about the film, palpably conveying a sibling relationship that gives the film a sense of feeling and power it would otherwise have lacked. As their uncle, the most crudely-realised alcoholic perhaps in screen history, Gary Busey is the very essence of average. Sporadically fun and generally watchable though this never-scary horror may be, it pretty much loses any remaining adoration by the time we get to observe the would-be highly intelligent monster afford ol’ Corey a full fifteen seconds to load into the barrel the titular bullet that would spell its demise. Undone by lacklustre, lazy filmmaking, “Silver Bullet” demands about zero attention.

4. Acting

   OK 2.5

   Haim and Follows are good, but supporting actors and actresses are pretty unimpressive. And yes, that includes a post-“Stepfather” Terry O’Quinn.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Pretty Bad 1.5

8. Male Costars Pretty Bad 1.5

10. Film

    Barely OK 2.0

    Aesthetically forgettable, lousily directed and shallowly written, “Silver Bullet” would be everything but a creative and technical triumph.

11. Direction Barely OK 2.0

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals Barely OK 2.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.8

    A couple of grim kill sequences, but the fear factor and overall edge of the production proves more suited to kids not quite ready for Joe Dante’s “Gremlins” than for adults seeking any real chills.

17. Sex Innocent 1.1

18. Violence Fierce 2.1

19. Rudeness Salty 2.1

21. Reality

    Supernatural 3.1

    It’s a movie about a guy who transforms into a wolf and starts eating people. I think that says it all.

22. Circumstantial Supernatural 3.1

23. Biological Supernatural 3.1

24. Physical Supernatural 3.1