Howling V: The Rebirth
Encyclopedia
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
.
Like most of the other The Howling
films, it is only loosely based on "The Howling" series of novels by Gary Brandner
. While the plot of this film seems largely derivative of The Beast Must Die
, the setting of a large castle (rather than that film's mansion) and the castle's backstory are taken from the narrative of the original The Howling
novel, where it served as the backstory of a town named Dradja.
It stars Phil Davis, Victoria Catlin, Elizabeth She, Ben Cole, and William Shockley
. 96 minutes, rated R. The movie was released on 2 DVD copies as a double feature with Howling VI: The Freaks
in 2003 by Artisan Home Entertainment and in 2007 by Timeless Media Group.
However, as the story progresses and the ultimate truth is revealed, ties between predator, prey and the very castle itself will be fatally exposed.
this film is regarded as the high point of the latter sequels among fans, although the performances, especially that of Elizabeth Shè, have received some negative
criticism.
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...
. It was directed by Neal Sundstrom from the screenplay by Freddie Rowe and Clive Turner, and filmed in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Like most of the other 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...
films, it is only loosely based on "The Howling" series of novels by Gary Brandner
Gary Brandner
Gary Brandner is an American horror author best known for his werewolf themed trilogy of novels, The Howling. The first book in the series was loosely adapted as a motion picture in 1981...
. While the plot of this film seems largely derivative of The Beast Must Die
The Beast Must Die (film)
The Beast Must Die is a 1974 horror film directed by Paul Annett. The screenplay was written by Michael Winder, based on the short story "There Shall Be No Darkness" by James Blish...
, the setting of a large castle (rather than that film's mansion) and the castle's backstory are taken from the narrative of the original The Howling
The Howling
The Howling is a 1977 horror novel by Gary Brandner. It was the inspiration for the 1981 film The Howling, although the plot of the film was only vaguely similar to that of the book....
novel, where it served as the backstory of a town named Dradja.
It stars Phil Davis, Victoria Catlin, Elizabeth She, Ben Cole, and William Shockley
William Shockley
William Bradford Shockley Jr. was an American physicist and inventor. Along with John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain, Shockley co-invented the transistor, for which all three were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics.Shockley's attempts to commercialize a new transistor design in the 1950s...
. 96 minutes, rated R. The movie was released on 2 DVD copies as a double feature with 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....
in 2003 by Artisan Home Entertainment and in 2007 by Timeless Media Group.
Plot
After being shuttered for over 500 years following a horrific, intentionally staged family massacre, a mysterious Hungarian castle opens its doors with the apparent intention of attracting tourist business. A diverse group of people from different parts of the globe is assembled at the eerie dwelling after having been chosen at random (or have they?) when they applied for a visa. But once they arrive some begin to wonder if there is more going on than meets the eye. First they hear terrible stories about savage packs of wolves that used to roam the area and then people begin to disappear, only some of whom are found later with their throats torn out. It soon becomes clear that a murderer is among them, and the culprit may only partially be human.However, as the story progresses and the ultimate truth is revealed, ties between predator, prey and the very castle itself will be fatally exposed.
Cast
- Philip DavisPhilip DavisPhilip Rivers Davis is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council since October 1992, representing Gippsland Province until 2006 and the Eastern Victoria Region since...
as The Count - Victoria Catlin as Dr. Catherine Peake
- Elizabeth Shé as Marylou Summers
- Ben Cole as David Gillespie
- William ShockleyWilliam Shockley (actor)William Shockley is an actor and musician.Shockley was born in Lawrence, Kansas and found his love for music at the age of seven...
as Richard Hamilton - Mark Sivertsen as Jonathan Lane
- Stephanie Faulkner as Gail Cameron
- Mary Stavin as Anna
- Clive Turner as Ray Price
- Nigel Triffitt as The Professor
- Jill Pearson as Eleanor
- József Madaras as Peter
- Renáta Szatler as Susan
Response
The Howling V: The Rebirth is regarded among fans of the series as one of the better sequels, all of which received somewhat negative reactions. The film has been praised for the high value of its production design and setting, given the film's obvious budget limitations. The film has also received praise for its whodunnit plot line. Along with Howling VI: The FreaksHowling 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....
this film is regarded as the high point of the latter sequels among fans, although the performances, especially that of Elizabeth Shè, have received some negative
criticism.