Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Silver Bullet Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 12, 2019

1985’s “Silver Bullet” is an adaptation of 1983’s “Cycle of the Werewolf,” a “novelette” from Stephen King, who tried to do something with the slight idea of a monster on a monthly prowl, terrorizing a small town. And who better to pull together the screenplay than King himself, working to make something substantial for the screen, mixing traditional stabs of horror with observant scenes of family life, creating an unusual genre effort. Directed by Dan Attias, “Silver Bullet” closely follows the King template, paying reverence to the author, trusting him to deliver something spooky and strange. The movie gets most of the way there, benefiting from King’s contributions, which preserve his idiosyncratic vision for a literary-minded creature feature.

“Silver Bullet” has something of a problem with horror. It’s a werewolf movie, inspiring a mild mystery concerning the identity of the ferocious killer, who doesn’t hesitate to slaughter innocents in town, with one victim, a young boy, introducing an unexpectedly sincere subplot concerning the child’s father and his inability to grieve such a tremendous loss, turning to anger to find his peace. However, “Silver Bullet” isn’t simply an eerie exercise in cheap scares. King is trying to extract a bit more personality from the story, spending time with Jane (Megan Follows) and her physically disabled brother, Marty (Corey Haim), who adores his mechanic uncle, Red (Gary Busey). Another picture would dismiss Jane, depicting her as a shrill obstacle in Marty’s way, but King preserves an honest sibling dynamic. Marty loves to play pranks on his sister, but genuinely feels bad when he goes too far. And Jane tries to be there for her brother, but remains irritated by the caregiver role assigned to her. It’s a nice change of pace for a genre film to remain interested in the inner workings of young characters, while Red is a force of nature, allowing Busey to Busey up a storm, but the uncle cares about his family members, trying to do right by them and, more importantly, strive to believe Marty when he shares the reality that a werewolf is on the loose.

For additional analysis, please read Svet Atanasov’s 2018 review.

Silver Bullet Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Silver Bullet" has appeared on Blu-ray before, including last year's release from Umbrella Entertainment. Shout Factory appears to use the same master, with the AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivering a satisfying look at the cinematographic particulars of the picture, which tends to favor a diffused appearance, especially around werewolf attacks. Detail comes through, presenting textured costuming and monster fur, and facial surfaces retain intended wear and tear. Colors are compelling, handling period outfits with some primary heft, and greenery is appealing, preserving the small town atmosphere. Delineation is comfortable, doing well with the feature's intense nighttime activity. Source is in decent shape, lacking any major areas of damage.

Silver Bullet Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers a clean and clear listening event for "Silver Bullet." Dialogue exchanges are crisp and inviting, securing softer emotional exchanges and louder argumentative acts. Scoring needs are met, finding cues defined, from more orchestral passages to the occasional blast of synth. Sound effects are pronounced, handling all sorts of werewolf attacks and the small engine roar of Marty's wheelchair. Atmospherics are engaging, with a full sense of group activity.

Silver Bullet Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features producer Martha De Laurentiis.

• Commentary #2 features director Daniel Attias.

• Commentary #3 features composer Jay Chattaway, which includes isolated score selections.

• "A Little Private Justice" (11:51, HD) is an interview with Kent Broadhurst, with the actor initially detailing his early career aspirations and his latter year move to screenwriting, including the award-winning "Wild Iris." While offered a smaller role in "Silver Bullet," Broadhurst worked to find his moments, presenting raw emotions for director Daniel Attias when a dead body dummy didn't look right, saving the shot. Talk of motivation is included and Broadhurst's experience with makeup effects. He closes with a memory of his first viewing of "Silver Bullet" and his overall happiness with the picture and the filmmaking experience.

• "Cutting to the Bone" (16:39, HD) sits down with editor Daniel Loewenthal, who recounts his career development, moving to San Francisco to train with seasoned professionals, also cutting his teeth on adult entertainment. The interviewee discusses his initial meeting with Attias and his personal interactions with Corey Haim. On-set for most of the shoot, Loewenthal eventually handled some second unit work and witnessed the extent of producer Dino De Laurentiis's demands, also sharing the vibe of the Italian crew. Werewolf achievements and disappointments are examined as well.

• "The Wolf Within" (16:15, HD) is a conversation with Everett McGill, who admits that his friendly relationship with Martha De Laurentiis got him the job on "Silver Bullet," which eventually had the actor playing two roles. Memories of Attias are shared, and McGill goes into the process of finding the character while enjoying the North Carolina shoot. Memories of co-stars are offered, and the interviewee describes his experience becoming a werewolf, trying to achieve some level of comfort with the grueling makeup process. McGill closes with a summary of dramatic themes and the legacy of "Silver Bullet," mentioning how fans snuck in photos to sign while he was doing press for "Twin Peaks: The Return."

• "Full Moon Fever" (21:03, HD) is a dual chat with special makeup effects artists Michael McCracken Jr. and Matthew Mungle. Coming off a collaboration on "The Ice Pirates," the pair found themselves with a chance to show off their talents on "Silver Bullet," sharing their makeup highlights during production. Achievements and mishaps are lovingly examined, and the sheer effort of the church transformation sequence is recounted. Various werewolf anecdotes are included as well.

• Still Gallery (6:20) collects BTS snaps, publicity shots, lobby cards, poster art, and VHS covers.

• Radio Spot (:39) includes a single ad.

• T.V. Spot (:31, SD) shares a commercial for "Silver Bullet."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:27, HD) is included.

Silver Bullet Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Silver Bullet" touches on ideas of loss and religion, but King also indulges his love for alcoholic buffoons, keeping the picture stocked with middle-aged men who lust for vigilante justice but remain woefully unprepared for a monster in their midst. There are ideas embedded in the screenplay to give it texture, while the rest of the feature deals with the essentials of monster mayhem, showcasing torn bodies and gushing wounds as the creature takes out members of the community, freaking out the locals. And yet, the grand display of gore and a rampaging threat isn't quite as compelling as the interplay between family members and local gatherings. King clearly favors such layered humanity and displays of terrible impulse control, making "Silver Bullet" the rare werewolf film where the werewolf is the least interesting element of the production. Director Dan Attias tries to give his man-in- suit some presence in the endeavor, and it's fine as this type of entertainment goes, but the King-iest stretches of the effort are compelling, helping to give the movie some personality between displays of full moon fever.