The Werewolf of Washington (1973)

A Brilliant Conflict

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

In continuing to review werewolf movies in chronological order, I'm now at 1973 with something called The Werewolf of Washington. Dean Stockwell is a presidential associate in Hungary when he gets bitten by a wolf. I'll stop there and just say this was quite a funny and maybe a little horrific satire of presidential politics. In fact, I think it was meant to make fun of the Nixon administration! The low budget shows and some of the acting seems on the low energy side but this was so entertaining, I can forgive those flaws. In summary, The Werewolf of Washington is such an obscure treat!

I saw this by way of Elvira and it was pretty bad,even though there was some unintentional humor in a few scenes.What I noticed is that when Dean Stockwell turns into a werewolf,his suit is never messed up or torn.Plus,it looks like the same suit every time he turns into one.What I'd like to know is what that midget was working on when Dean as the werewolf came in? It looked like the Frankenstein monster,with the big shoes and everything,even though I only saw part of it.And there was this guy in a cage on the far left.What was the midget making down there?And why was Dean as the werewolf acting like a dog? I mean,he even licked the midget a few times.He seem tame,but not like before when he killed those other people. I'm assuming it was the boiler room.It didn't make sense,whatever they were making or doing and it was never explained.What I also noticed is when Dean is turning into the werewolf in the helicopter,how come he doesn't try to get out?Why just sit there? I know,I know,I shouldn't take this movie seriously,right? I did like Dean's performance,even though he really didn't have much to do when he was the werewolf..I kind of liked the ending,even though they didn't show it..I give it a 4,I guess.

what a waste of time time this woofer is.i realize it's suppose be a comedy/horror.at least i think it is.the problem is,it's funny for all the wrong reasons.one of them is the horrific dialogue,,which is rivaled by the horrid acting.plus the look of the so called werewolf is unbelievably amateurish.it just doesn't look real at all.instead of inspiring fear,it does inspire guffaws.this movie is part of Elvira's Movie Macabre series.and on this disc,there was the option of having Elvira come on and make amusing comments about the movie periodically,sort of like what they do on Mystery Science 3000.that was the only good thing about the movie.otherwise,this thing is abysmal.2/10 for Elvira.

I swear, it's getting to the point where if I see that one of the DVDs I've rented or bought is from the company known as Alpha Video, I'm tempted to return it unwatched. Lousy 16mm print sources, fuzzy images and very problematic sound have been the hallmarks of just about every DVD I've seen from this outfit. Case in point: "The Werewolf of Washington" (1973), a strange political satire/horror hybrid that fails dismally on both fronts and is rendered almost unwatchable by Alpha Video's crummy-looking DVD. In this one, Dean Stockwell goes to Budapest as a reporter, is bitten by a werewolf, and later becomes the assistant press secretary to the American president. Only prob: He's now a werewolf himself! Unfortunately, this cool-sounding plot is undone by a ridiculous script, lame acting (Stockwell excepted; he's excellent) and extremely poor editing/continuity. The sound, lighting and sets are all fairly amateurish, and Milton Moses Ginsberg's direction alternates between flashy (wait'll you see that shot taken from below water level in a toilet!) to downright inept. The initial appearance of the werewolf is ludicrous and bound to inspire more laffs than shudders, although it must be conceded that later transformations are handled well and that the monster does look pretty scary (although Stockwell's effete drug dealer in 1986's "Blue Velvet" was even scarier). But Stockwell turns into the monster five nights in a row in this picture; do we EVER get full moons five nights in a row?!?!?!?! Anyway, the film does boast two neat scenes--an attack on a woman in a tipped-over phone booth and a transformation aboard the Prez' helicopter--and I suppose does demonstrate that we COULD be stuck with worse monsters in D.C. than the ones we have now. Hard to believe, I know!