Title: Wolfcop
RLJ Entertainment Inc. / Image Entertainment
Director: Lowell Dean
Writer: Lowell Dean
Cast: Leo Fafard, Amy Matysio, Sarah Lind, Jesse Moss, Jonathan Cherry, Aidan Devine
Running Time: 79 min, Not Rated (violence, gore, partial nudity)
Special Features: Film Commentary with Writer/Director Lowell Dean and Special Effects Artist Emersen Ziffle; The Birth of Wolfcop; Wolfcop Music Video; Film Outtakes; 4 Trailers;
Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Video on March 10, 2015
Lou Garou (Leo Fafard)is an alcoholic cop in a podunk Canadian/US border town of Woodhaven. During one of his hangovers, he is assigned to check out a disturbance in the woods and wakes up at home, with a pentagram carved into his chest. He finds out that a murder of a mayoral candidate occurred at the same spot he was at in the woods. He also notices his sense of smell and hearing are heightened. Lou decides to do some actual police work, and discovers that murders of this caliber occur every 32 years at the same time of a solar eclipse, and the town’s annual “Drink n’ Shoot” is cancelled just like the last time a murder occurred. Lou finds a strange connection to his own father’s murder and deputy Tina’s (Amy Matysio) dad 32 years ago. When he transforms for the first time, he is caught and captured by local Willie (Jonathan Cherry) who runs the local gun shop. Willie helps Lou discover the wolf within and keep it on the down-low; yet Lou still goes out to deal out some wolf-cop justice and cleans up the town. Soon the eclipse is upon them, and it’s up to Lou and Tina to stop the evil forces from continuing their tradition.
The Good: Lou Garou is a great character name. For those of you who don’t get it, I’ll drop some knowledge: Loups-garou is French for werewolf. There, don’t you feel smart? The most surprising hardcore scenes have got to do with A. The dick ripping during transformation and B. The wolf sex scene with 80’s-type ballad which “borders on beastiality” per director Lowell Dean in the commentary. He claims he wrote both of them first and I think it’s great he was able to keep them in the film because they are shockingly fantastic. The wolf transformation is very similar to that of American Werewolf in London or Hemlock Grove, but without the extra money. It wasn’t a lame freeze frame – pop – presto chango transformation. I liked the visceral feel to it.
The Bad: The sex scene montage was dumb and hokey. The chick looks like she’s getting rammed, but then she’s wearing a corset, panties and garters. For reals? Sure it looks kind of harlequin romance novel-y, but so impractical. They pan down to the werewolf feet and they look like those bigfoot furry slippers with the sharp toenails sticking out that were big in the 80s. You showed some righteous boobs so you’re forgiven; although they don’t belong to the lovely Sarah Lind. There were some decent scenes shown in the outtakes that would’ve been great – especially the one where deputy Tina is holding a dismembered penis and scrotum. The one-liners were mostly dumb, but there was potential magic there. Instead she makes a pun out of frame that maybe a choice few will get unless they watch the outtakes. They underused Amy Matysio. Her character looked like a lot of fun.
When I first heard about Wolfcop, I thought it was going to either suck hard or be somewhat brilliant; fortunately it was the latter. All I ask of you Lowell Dean is that you don’t flake out on us. Make Wolfcop II and use more Amy Matysio. I really enjoyed this film. It’s fun, it doesn’t fall flat, it’s not a steaming pile of excrement indie-horror film that feels like a waste of time…and guess what, it’s from Canada. WHAT?! A decent movie made in Canada…’eh.
Acting: B
Story: B+
Technical: B
Total Rating: B
Reviewed by: JM Willis
