As I’ve said in some other recent reviews, I never really started to watch horror films until the 1990s, so there are a lot of classic 80’s horror that I’ve never seen. And so when I saw that Shout! Factory was releasing Silver Bullet on a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, I was excited to finally check out this Stephen King classic.

It’s May 1976, the last full moon of the spring, and the small town of Tarker’s Mills is about to experience a horrific series of events that starts with the decapitation of a drunk construction worker by the train tracks. The townsfolk initially write the incident off as an accident, but when there are an increasing number of other incidents of people being viciously attacked and torn apart in the nighttime, the residents start demanding that Sheriff Joe Haller (Terry O’Quinn) do something to ensure their safety. Reverend Lowe (Everett McGill) tries to calm his congregation and help them deal with the losses, but tempers are flaring, and folks like Andy Fairton (Bill Smitrovich) are ready for a little private justice, heading out like an angry mob to hunt down whomever or whatever has been killing their friends and relatives.

15-year-old Jane Coslaw (Megan Follows) has alwways been a bit resentful of her younger brother, 11-year-old Marty (Corey Haim). He’s a cripple who needs a wheelchair to get around, and her parents are always on Marty’s side, constantly forcing Janie to put her brother’s wants and needs in front of her own. Marty loves his sister, and doesn’t mean to be a burden, but he can’t help his situation. Marty also enjoys the company of his Uncle, who visits every few weeks. However, his mother (Robin Groves) is not a fan of her brother—Uncle Red (Gary Busey) is going through his third divorce, and has a bit of a drinking problem. But Red would do anything for Marty—he even built him a custom, incredibly-fast, motor-powered wheelchair that he named the “Silver Bullet”.

One night, while out testing his new ride and lighting off fireworks on a remote bridge, Marty sees the werewolf, confirming his suspicions that this creature is responsible for all the grizzly murders in town. Marty is able to get away, thanks to the fireworks and speedy new wheels his uncle had given him, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before the wolf comes for him to exact his revenge. So Marty enlists the help of his sister and uncle to identify who is turning into this creature, and come up with the way to stop them. While Janie and Red don’t really believe Marty’s fantastical tales, it’s not long before they see some irrefutable evidence.

Silver Bullet is a really solid horror film. The filmmakers have created a creature that is both physically and mentally terrifying. Initially we are put into the POV of the creature, watching as it hides in the shadows, eerily stalking its prey, until the right moment comes to pounce and attack. And then, with the flick of its claws, the wolf is able to lop off a head, or shred a person to bits. The initial tone of the film is one of a slasher movie, with the mystery of who is under that fur. And there is this constant fear of who will be the wolf’s next victim. As the film progresses, the filmmakers reveal more of the creature as it makes some pretty gruesome attacks, and explore the identity of the wolf and why and how they are selecting their victims. Then the film evolves from slasher to psychological thriller as this game of cat and mouse plays out between Marty and the creature.

While this was the first time I had seen this film, I can already say that it is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It has a lot of the familiar themes that pop up in these Stephen King movies—it’s set in a small town, there are supernatural and religious elements, and there is the drunk father who ultimately gets what’s coming to him. The film is brilliantly cast and well-acted. There are so many recognizable faces (though they look a lot younger). In addition to the darker aspects of the film, there are also some nice moments of humor to ease the tension. I really enjoyed the relationship between Marty and his uncle, as well as how the relationship between Marty and his sister evolves over the course of the film.

Shout! Factory had delivered another top-notch Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release. Despite being over 30 years old, the picture quality is fantastic. The picture looks quite clean, with just a pleasant amount of grain, and the special effects still hold up quite well. You can see the tremendous difference in picture quality when comparing the movie itself to the trailer that is included on the disc. The release only includes a mono soundtrack, but I never found this to be lacking. The score sounds great, and all of the dialogue remains clear and easy to understand. Much of the disc’s bonus material was also included on the Blu-ray that was released last year in the UK, but Shout!’s release also adds a few exclusive items. The bonus material includes new commentaries with a producer, the director, and the composer (though the last one is more of an audio interview followed by selections from the score), retrospective interviews with two of the actors, the editor, and a pair of special effects artists, as well as some trailers and promos, and a photo gallery. The disc comes packed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a slipcover. Like many other Shout! releases, the insert inside the cover is reversible, giving the viewer a choice in how to display this title in his or her collection. The alternate view for this title can be seen below:

What’s Included:

Film: (1:34:52)

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
• Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

• A Little Private Justice – Interview With Actor Kent Broadhurst (11:51)
  In this brand new featurette, actor Kent Broadhurst (“Herb Kincaid”) talks about his early career in show business, getting to play a good guy for once in Silver Bullet, and what the reactions the film still gets today. He also shares some behind-the-scenes stories about filming the scene where his character discovers his son’s corpse, and the dream sequence where the whole congregation turns into wolves.
  
• Cutting To The Bone – Interview With Editor Daniel Loewenthal (16:39)
  In this brand new featurette, editor Daniel Loewenthal talks about his early work in films, and the interesting way he initially got into editing. Then he discusses working with Corey Haim and Gary Busey, shares some fun behind-the-scenes stories from the set and editing room, and talks about the disappointing initial reactions to the film and why audiences enjoy it today.
• The Wolf Within – Interview With Actor Everett McGill (16:15)
  Actor Everett McGill (“Reverend Lowe”) talks about how he got involved with the project, playing the creature, where he drew his inspiration for his performance, the conflict inside Reverend Lowe, working with the director, filming in North Carolina, his experiences with the other actors, and more. This interview also appeared on the 2018 UK Blu-ray release.
• Full Moon Fever – The Effects Of Silver Bullet (21:03)
  Special make-up effects artists Matthew Mungle and Michael McCracken talk about how they first met on a previous project, and how they got involved on Silver Bullet. The guys share stories about the work they did on the film—such as the werewolf transformation and congregation dream sequence scenes—as well as some fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes. This interview also appeared on the 2018 UK Blu-ray release.
• Audio Commentary With Producer Martha De Laurentiis (1:34:52)
  Michael Felsher, owner/operator of Red Shirt Pictures, moderates this brand new feature commentary with producer Martha De Laurentiis. They start off with a discussion of how she first got into the business, and what it was like working with Dino De Laurentiis, and then moves into topics like casting the film, the R rating, and more. This is less of a scene-specific commentary, and more of a general discussion about the film, the production, and the film industry.
• Audio Commentary With Director Daniel Attias (1:34:52)
  Michael Felsher also moderates this commentary with the film’s director Daniel Attias. They start off with a discussion of how he first got into directing, and some of the history surrounding this production. This commentary is a little more inspired by what is happening on the screen, but still turns into more of a general discussion and sharing of behind-the-scenes stories about the film. This commentary also appeared on the 2018 UK Blu-ray release.
• Isolated Score Selections And Audio Interview With Composer Jay Chattaway (1:34:52)
  Michael Felsher also moderates this audio interview with the film’s composer Jay Chattaway, who talks about his career leading up to this film, and shares his insights into creating the score for Silver Bullet. The interview lasts for about 38 minutes, and is followed by about 30 minutes of selections from the film’s score. The film’s normal dialogue track returns for the final 25 minutes of the movie. This interview/audio track also appeared on a 2018 UK Blu-ray release.
• Theatrical Trailer (1:27)
• TV Spot (:31)
• Radio Spot (:39)
• Still Gallery (6:20)
  A montage of production and behind-the-scenes photos, posters, advertisements and home video packaging photos that auto-advances every 5 seconds, while selections from the film’s score play in the background.

Final Thoughts:

Silver Bullet is a solid werewolf movie that still holds up quite well over 30 years later, and may be one of my favorite Stephen King movies in general. It does an excellent job of building tension and keeps you guessing over the course of the movie. The film is perfectly cast, with excellent performances all around. Shout! Factory’s release provides solid picture and sound as well as over an hour of new retrospective interviews with the cast and crew, three commentary tracks, and more. This release comes highly recommended, especially for fans of the movie, who will definitely appreciate the new HD video presentation as well as the brand new bonus material.