Teen Wolf
| Teen Wolf | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster capitalizing on actor Michael J. Fox's then-recent box-office success, Back to the Future. | |
| Directed by | Rod Daniel |
| Written by | Jeph Loeb (as Joseph Loeb III) Matthew Weisman Tim Hayes |
| Produced by | Mark Levinson Scott M. Rosenfelt George W. Perkins |
| Starring | Michael J. Fox James Hampton Susan Ursitti Jerry Levine Mark Arnold Jay Tarses Scott Paulin |
| Cinematography | Tim Suhrstedt |
| Edited by | Lois Freeman-Fox |
| Music by | Miles Goodman |
| Distributed by | Atlantic Releasing Corporation |
Release date | August 23, 1985 |
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
Teen Wolf is an American film released on August 23, 1985 by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf. The film was directed by Rod Daniel based on a script co-written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. The film grossed over $33 million in the box office and debuted at #2 in its opening weekend, behind Back to the Future (also starring Michael J. Fox).[1]
Plot
High school student Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) is seventeen years old, sick of being average and wishing he were special. His father runs a local hardware store. Scott plays basketball for his high school's team, the Beavers, with a not-so-good win-loss record. The girl of his dreams, Pamela Wells (Lorie Griffin), is dating Mick, a jerk from an opposing high school team, the Dragons. After another of the team's losses, Scott begins to notice strange changes to his body. While at a party, Scott keeps undergoing changes and eventually he returns home, locks himself in the bathroom, and undergoes a complete change and becomes a werewolf, while his father demands that he open the door. He tries to refuse, only to finally give in and obey, to find his father has also transformed into a werewolf.
Harold never told his son about the condition because "sometimes it skips a generation" and he was hoping it wouldn't happen to Scott. Scott first reveals his transformation to the public at one of his basketball games, after getting pinned in a pile-up. After momentarily stunning the crowd with The Wolf, Scott goes on to wow them with his basketball skills and he finishes the game with a quadruple double.
Scott subsequently learns to use his family "curse" to gain popularity at school, becoming the team's star basketball player, and learns to transform at will between his normal self and The Wolf. His basketball team goes from last to first, and Scott begins spending most of his school time as The Wolf. He also wins the heart of Pamela while ignoring the affections of his best friend, Boof (Susan Ursitti), who has loved him since childhood.
Scott's other best friend 'Stiles' (Jerry Levine), a party animal with an entrepreneurial streak, quickly cashes in on Scott's new-found popularity, selling Teen Wolf T-shirts and other merchandise. Stiles' "wolfmania" reaches such extremes that he trades in his own vehicle for a stepvan dubbed "Wolfmobile."
After a freaky encounter with Mick at the Spring Dance that almost turns violent, Scott wishes to be himself. During the final basketball game (Beavers VS. Dragons again), Scott refuses to "wolf out" and insists on winning the game on his own. Coach Bobby Finstock tells Scott that the team is doomed to fail without The Wolf, but Scott is able to prove him wrong. In a dramatic ending, and with the help of four fouls from Mick, Scott is able to rally the team back to within a point as time is expiring. Scott is fouled one last time by Mick on the final play and given two shots. In a clear violation of the rules, Mick is able to stand underneath the basket as Scott attempts his foul shots. Scott makes both baskets and the Beavers win the game by one point.
Pamela attempts to get Scott's attention after the game is over, but he passes her by to hold Boof in his arms, kissing her passionately.
Cast
- Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard/Teen Wolf
- James Hampton as Harold Howard
- Susan Ursitti as Lisa "Boof" Marconi
- Jerry Levine as Rupert "Styles" Stilinski
- Matt Adler as Lewis
- Lorie Griffin as Pamela Wells
- Jim McKrell as Vice Principal Thorne
- Mark Arnold as Mick McAllister
- Jay Tarses as Coach Bobby Finstock
- Mark Holton as Chubby
- Clare Peck as Miss Hoyt
- Gregory Itzin as English Teacher
- Doris Hess as Science Teacher
- Scott Paulin as Kirk Lolley
- Elizabeth Gorcey as Tina
- Melanie Manos as Gina
- Doug Savant as Brad
- Troy Evans as Dragons coach
- Richard Brooks as Lemonade
Film's history and legacy
Teen Wolf (along with Commando) was one of the first two scripts written by Jeph Loeb.[2]
It was actually filmed before Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future, shooting on the same Pasadena street that Zemeckis' film was scouting for. It wasn't released until after the Universal blockbuster. By the time Fox finished Teen Wolf, Eric Stoltz had been released from the Zemeckis film and Fox was hired in his place. For its Italian release, Fox's character name was even changed from Scott to Marty in order to capitalize on the success of the Universal film. In Brazil, the film was released with the title O Garoto do Futuro, which roughly translates to The Boy from the Future, in another move to associate the film with the success of Back to the Future.
The beaver mascot logo used in the film was the then current Oregon State University Beavers' logo.
The movie was followed by a cartoon spin-off in 1986, and a sequel in 1987 titled, Teen Wolf Too, with Jason Bateman starring as Todd Howard, Scott's cousin. On August 27, 2002, both Teen Wolf films were released on a single-disc DVD by MGM Home Entertainment.
In June 2009, MTV announced that they would be adapting Teen Wolf into a television series "with a greater emphasis on romance, horror and werewolf mythology".[3]
The Australian director Russel Mulcahy directed the pilot film of the television series.[4]
Reception
Although the film was a modest hit for Atlantic Releasing Corporation, the film's critical reception was generally negative[5], Rottentomatoes.com gave the movie a 'rotten' rating of 47%.[6] An unsuccessful comedy on the teenage werewolf theme came three years earlier with Full Moon High. The trend continued in 1999 with the television series Big Wolf on Campus, which was more visibly inspired by the Teen Wolf cartoon spin-off than by the live action film.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=highschoolcomedy.htm
- ^ R.J. Carter (January 1, 2002) Interview: Jeph Loeb: Look! Up In The Sky! The-Trades.com. Retrieved 2009-10-31
- ^ http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005302.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562
- ^ Russell Mulcahy Piloting MTV's Teen Wolf to Twilight Glory
- ^ http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795509.html?categoryid=31&cs=1
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/teen_wolf/