Teen Wolf

“He Always Wanted To Be Special … But He Never Expected This!

Like all teenagers, Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox, the Back To The Future trilogy) is going through some … changes. But unlike the rest of the students at Beacontown High School, Scott’s changes include long hair that covers his entire body, claw-like fingernails, fangs, a heightened sense of smell, superhuman strength and the extraordinary ability to … play basketball? And that’s just the beginning.

Naturally, these uncanny new features turn this lovable loser into the most popular kid in school. But by embracing his newly minted popularity, has the Teen Wolf lost sight of what it truly means to be Scott Howard?”

Why is Teen Wolf so beloved? That seems to be the question that everyone involved of the film has asked themselves over the course of their careers. As strange as the premise of the film is, a teenager going through a drastic transformation to discover that he is a werewolf and becomes immensely popular in school because of it, at its heart, Teen Wolf embodies the experience of high school and the feeling of acceptance.

The silliness of the premise and our acceptance of it is perhaps one of the most interesting things about the film. We’re introduced to a world where werewolves are simply people living among us. Instead of bloodthirsty, murderous beasts that are forced to change with the full moon, the werewolves in Teen Wolf can change at will, in a seemingly instantaneous process keeping full control of their faculties. Not only do the people in the film seem perfectly fine to have a werewolf playing basketball and walking the halls of the high school, but we as the audience seem to accept it just as instantaneously, as the theme of the film takes precedent over the intricate details.

This theme of acceptance is extremely important in the success of the film, and also serves as an attractor to so many young people who might find the story mirrors themselves. Not to the extreme of becoming a supernatural creature, but as something much more common, such as partaking in drug use, alcohol, or something that might make you more popular among your peers despite the dangers. More importantly, accepting yourself for who you are, the good and the bad, successes and failures is the prevalent theme.

Teen Wolf also personifies everything about the 80’s, which is perhaps why it has held up so well over 30 years later. The style, the great inspirational sports climax, the music, all are absolutely 80’s and are so much fun to watch. Most impressive are the make-up effects of the film. At the time, and for the minuscule budget the film had, these effects have held up quite well over time, despite the amazing quality of the blu-ray which gives away some of the magic given how clear you can see everything.

Video

Teen Wolf is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. The new 2k scan of the interpositive is absolutely stunning. As mentioned above, the picture is so clear and detailed you can see make-up lines in the prosthetics and other movie-magic tricks that otherwise would have been unrecognizable. Thankfully, this doesn’t hinder the enjoyment of the film at all, but leave you in awe at how great this transfer looks. Color levels look good as well, and grain is kept at the intended level throughout the film, with no defects noticed.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. Despite this being a mono track, this sounds exceptional. The most impressive aspect of the audio is definitely the great score, an instantly recognizable sequence, along with an equally impressive soundtrack that plays perfectly the tones of different parts of the film.

Special Features

On paper it may seem as though this set lacks an impressive list of extras, but in fact this may be one of the most comprehensive featurettes I’ve seen in a long time. The Never. Say. Die featurette runs an impressive length of almost two and a half hours. Even though Michael J. Fox unfortunately doesn’t make an appearance, pretty much everyone else involved with the project does, and goes in depth discussing the entire process of bringing the film to life. I highly recommend checking this featurette out, and watching the entire thing, as there are some extremely interesting anecdotes and memories that I absolutely loved hearing about.

The official list of extras are as follows:

• New 2017 High-Definition Film Transfer Taken From The Interpositive
• Say. Die. The Story Of Teen Wolf – A Comprehensive Documentary About The Making And Legacy Of The Film, Including Brand-new Interviews With The Cast And Crew (143 minutes)
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

Teen Wolf remains a cult classic to this day for good reason. Its light hearted but important themes remain relevant to this day, and hold the test of time. Scream Factory definitely has given this film the treatment that it deserves, and is highly recommended. Pick this up as soon as you can!