Howling: New Moon Rising (also known as Howling VII and Howling VII: Mystery Woman) is a 1995 direct-to-video

Direct-to-video

Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...

 horror

Horror film

Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 sequel to The Howling

The Howling (film)

The Howling is a 1981 werewolf-themed horror film directed by Joe Dante. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the screenplay is written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless...

, written, starring and directed by Clive Turner.

It is the seventh film in the The Howling

The Howling (film)

The Howling is a 1981 werewolf-themed horror film directed by Joe Dante. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the screenplay is written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless...

series, directly succeeding Howling VI: The Freaks

Howling VI: The Freaks

Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....

.

The film ties together the previous three sequels, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

Howling IV: The Original Nightmare is a 1988 direct-to-video horror film. It is a sequel to The Howling, and was directed by John Hough from a screenplay by Freddie Rowe and Clive Turner, this is the first Howling film distributed by Warner Bros.....

, Howling V: The Rebirth

Howling V: The Rebirth

Howling V: The Rebirth is a 1989 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Neal Sundstrom from the screenplay by Freddie Rowe and Clive Turner, and filmed in Budapest, Hungary....

, and Howling VI: The Freaks

Howling VI: The Freaks

Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....

, featuring characters and footage from each.

Synopsis

An Australian man named Ted, intricately connected to the previous three Howling films, arrives in a small western town where he begins to mingle with the local townsfolk, secretly recording his own enigmatic agendas into a tape recorder in his hotel room. At the same time a number of mysterious slayings appearing to be the work of a large animal begin to occur in the area. A detective investigates the case, helped by a priest who is certain the killings are the work of a werewolf, leading the two of them to uncover several clues that connect events from the majority of the latter part of the series.

Reception

Response to this film was highly negative, with the biggest criticisms being its shortage of werewolves and the fact that, when one is seen, it is clearly an actor in a Halloween mask and furry arms. Another criticism was that scenes were taken straight from Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

Howling IV: The Original Nightmare is a 1988 direct-to-video horror film. It is a sequel to The Howling, and was directed by John Hough from a screenplay by Freddie Rowe and Clive Turner, this is the first Howling film distributed by Warner Bros.....

, Howling V: The Rebirth

Howling V: The Rebirth

Howling V: The Rebirth is a 1989 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Neal Sundstrom from the screenplay by Freddie Rowe and Clive Turner, and filmed in Budapest, Hungary....

and Howling VI: The Freaks

Howling VI: The Freaks

Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....

, drawing comparisons to a clip show

Clip show

A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...

. The "actors" were locals living in the small desert town where the film was shot, basically playing themselves sitting around telling jokes and drinking beer.

Release

This film has been released on DVD in the UK. As of 2009, New Line Cinema has no plans to release a DVD in the United States, most likely because of the negative response this film has received.

Background

• Elizabeth Shé cameos as Mary Lou Summers from the fifth and sixth films. Although having a small role, her character is essential to the plot.

• Romy Windsor of Howling IV: The Original Nightmare
  Howling IV: The Original Nightmare
  Howling IV: The Original Nightmare is a 1988 direct-to-video horror film. It is a sequel to The Howling, and was directed by John Hough from a screenplay by Freddie Rowe and Clive Turner, this is the first Howling film distributed by Warner Bros.....
  
  also makes a special appearance as Marie Adams, her character from that film.

• A clip of Howling VI: The Freaks
  Howling VI: The Freaks
  Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....
  
  is shown as "police evidence" relating to a body found at the beginning of Howling: New Moon Rising.