"The Howling" (1981)

The following exchange from Scream best describes The Howling:

Girl Customer at Video Store: Hey, what's that movie with the werewolf and E.T.'s mom in it?
Randy: The Howling... 2nd aisle on the right (something like that).

Yup, that pretty much describes the entire movie-- just add in a vicious serial killer and you've got it.  Dee Wallace (y'know, E.T.'s mom) almost gets killed by a serial killer, but is rescued last-minute by the police.  Her shrink suggests that she and her husband go on a "spiritual retreat" to help her deal with her issues of almost being stabbed to death.  When they arrive at the resort, they start to suspect that they may not only be dealing with werewolves, but also the supposedly dead serial killer....

(Photo Credit)

You can watch The Howling instantly on Netflix, or you can go ahead and bite the bullet (preferably silver, if you're dealing with werewolves!) and purchase it at Amazon.  In the meantime, check out this nifty trailer:



P.S. The director of this film was really big into wolf references.  From books titled Howl to Wolf-brand chili, there are tons of those subtle hints in the movie.

P.S.S. The special effects was originally going to be done by Rick Baker, but he left this to do An American Werewolf in London.  His assistant, however, stayed on and became the head designer.  Both films were released in the same year and received tons of praise for the effects.  What's with werewolves and 1981, eh?