I’ve been steadily promoting Howl of a Good Time since it was in pre-production just before the Hot Springs Horror Film Festival in Arkansas this past October. There has always been a few key elements as to why I was so excited for this short film, and I have to say all of my expectations were met in full. Here’s my review having been lucky enough to finally see it.
Howl of a Good Time is a nine minute film written and directed by the award winning creator, Patrick Rea. Cast members include Tamara Glynn (Halloween 5), Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil’s Rejects), Renae Geerlings (Compound Fracture), Chris Lazzaro (Jersey Shore Massacre) and Morgan Collar. The film also features small appearances from Ari Show, Rebecca Brenneman, Mike Brabender, Tim D. Welch, Jack Norman and Michael Leavy.
Since Patrick Rea’s short film just had its world premiere at HorrorHound Cincinnati last weekend, I’m going to try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible. With that goal in mind I’m going to use the same short synopsis we’ve had from the start: “Howl of a Good Time involves a horror-movie loving little girl who attempts to sneak into a private screening of fictional horror film Foaming at the Mouth II. However, it’s clear that this isn’t a typical film screening.”
Despite the fact that Rea has directed 34 short films and five features, this is actually only the third time I’ve ever seen some of his work. I do have to say, though, that I can see why he’s won so many awards and one of his previous films, Nailbiter, received distribution through Lionsgate. I get the impression that he has the ability to take a relatively small budget and make something that looks like a million bucks. It’s a rare trait, but having watched Howl of a Good Time I can tell that he is as talented and professional as he is smart with his production plans. I’m thrilled that he sticks with the horror genre so often!
Howl of a Good Time looks like a modern horror film, with all the lighting and audio and camera quality being top notch, but it still has a layer of nostalgia from a decade or two ago. That’s always been one of the reasons why I loved the idea of this movie – the venue. I, unfortunately, was not around for the golden age of horror when you could see a number of random b-movies at any local theater. As with the current trends, I’m sure there are just as many children now trying to sneak into R rated movies as there were a little while ago. Ah, there’s just something about movies set in old theaters that makes me wish I was born a few years sooner. Or in this case, it makes me wish I attended the Hot Springs Horror Film Festival!
The cast of Howl… I mean… Where do I start? Where could you find a better line-up? Leslie Easterbrook is one of the reigning scream queens of this generation and I just love everything she does. She has this way about her that injects a little bit of class into an otherwise unkempt genre of film. Renae Geerlings is so talented, too, and I’m glad to see that she’s getting more starring roles. I think in the next few years she’ll seriously be one of the biggest up-and-comers. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Chris Lazzaro in person this past summer and he is a friendly ball of energy. In this case, he was able to funnel that personality into another comical performance that was much needed here. Also, I think it’s important to note that many of the patrons waiting on the ticket line and many of the theatre patrons have other indie horror credits under their belt. It was nice to see them round out the cast.
Let me not forget Tamara Glynn, though, who really was an important player in Howl of a Good Time. She was an executive producer on this flick, producing it along with Bill Volland, Jason Leavy, Michael Leavy, Amy Perkinson Hale and Steven Della Salla. Her hard work paid off and I’m thrilled to see that Howl of a Good Time was already the recipient of a “Best Short Film” nomination and is an official selection at the Rincon International Film Festival in Puerto Rico. Let me not forget to mention that Howl of a Good Time is also Glynn’s official on screen comeback. After she played Samantha Thomas in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers in 1989, she had a few more gigs in Hollywood before going into retirement in 2001. Now she’s back and I can safely say that her acting chops have not rusted one bit. She was as lively and believable as ever and she made it look easy! Welcome back, Tamara!
To conclude things, I think I’m just going to spout off random points from my notes. I loved that Howl of a Good Time had references to other horror movies, such as the Psycho poster of Janet Leigh and the mention of Adam Green’s Frozen. As a horror fan, I was so sad when the three little girls were turned away at the ticket booth because they were young, even after they were so gung ho about seeing the movie. I loved the slight comedic elements in the movie. I loved the special effects… minus the hokey teeth. And I thought the twist ending was cool and unexpected.
Howl of a Good Time is another great hit from Patrick Rea and a triumphant return for Tamara Glynn. It also features cinematography from Hanuman Brown-Eagle and special effects from Scream in the Dark SFX.
FINAL SCORE: 8 out of 10
