Wolfcop

WolfCop (2014)

*** (out of 4)

Alcoholic sheriff Lou Garou (Leo Fafard) spends most of his days drinking and sleeping on the job. One night he investigating a disturbance in the woods and it hit over the head. The next morning he wakes up not knowing what happen but when the next full moon rises he turns into a werewolf. Through some research he finds that a cult might be behind it.

WOLFCOP, thanks in large part to its title, has been getting some pretty good press over the past couple months and it's easy to see why. If you're looking for a dramatic masterpiece then you're obviously not going to find it here but then again, I doubt most film snobs are going to give a film called WOLFCOP that much attention. The film isn't anything great but I think it's a nice throwback to the 80's direct-to-video type of flicks that just threw everything out there at you and hoped something would stick. This isn't a movie that's so-bad-it's-good. No, the film is actually well-made, features some good acting and a story that's got a few new things.

I think the best thing going for the film is that Fafard gives such a good performance that he perfectly brings this character to life and makes you like him. No matter if he's just playing the drunken cop or the rocking werewolf, the actor gives a really good performance and draws you into the material. The supporting cast is also quite good with Amy Matysio, Sarah Lind and Jonathan Cherry all adding to the charm. It also doesn't hurt that the transformation scenes contain some pretty fun and fresh stuff. This includes not the typical transformation where hair simply comes out of the skin. Instead, here we get the skin falling off in gory details. I thought this was a pretty clever idea and led to some rather fun but gory moments. There's also a scene where the guy's penis transforms and I don't recall Lon Chaney, Jr. ever doing this.

Another thing going for the film is that it doesn't overstay its welcome. At just 79-minutes the film runs pretty smoothly and thankfully never feels too long. That's not to say there aren't some problems here because there are. The screenplay, while fun, doesn't have too much in it outside a few new twists on the subject matter. I'd also add that the movie is set firmly in its "B" movie nature and doesn't try to be anything more. WOLFCOP isn't the greatest werewolf movie ever made and it's not the greatest "B" movie ever made but it's fast, cheap and rather fun, which is all that matters.

WOLFCOP is a straightforward B-flick about a cop who turns into a werewolf. There's no more to it or less to it than that. It's very much in the spirit of the MACHETE films, albeit with a lower budget, in that it goes for a whole retro/non-serious vibe and just about gets by on goodwill alone.

The low budget is often apparent during this production, so the scriptwriter goes for a jokey tone throughout to make things easier to watch. The acting isn't very good, but the quality of the special effects is a real surprise; they actually turn out to be very good indeed, with some excruciating werewolf transformations that work well. The titular fiend looks rather cheesy but then that's the point.

Otherwise, the film is chock-full of grindhouse-style violence and some jumbled plotting. It's an amiable time-waster although those looking for genuine originality or insight will be disappointed; WOLFCOP is a film that offers nothing new for fans and instead is happy to go through the usual and expected motions.

...from writer-director Lowell Dean. Small-town sheriff's deputy Lou Garou (Leo Fafard) is a drunk and a loser, but after he gets kidnapped and subjected to an occult ritual by a band of masked cultists, he finds himself transforming into a super-strong werewolf. He uses his new-found beast power to fight crime, but the cultists aren't done with him yet.

A sort-of parody of high-concept 80's cop movies, this doesn't quite have the resources or the script to go as far as it needed to work. Not enough time is spent with the uniformed werewolf on patrol, instead devoting too much time to secondary characters and the cult's ulterior motives. At times it seems the movie starts to take itself too seriously, but then they devote a lengthy scene to the werewolf using an auto body shop to customize his police car with big metal "W" emblems and other such silliness. The cast of mostly unknowns is good, and despite its deficiencies this is better than most of the movies of similar budget level.

This film is much better than it has any right to be. Made with a modest budget but a loving touch, WolfCop knows to embrace its cheesiness and that of its drive-in schlock predecessors and play to its strengths without taking itself too seriously. Whenever it falls flat, it feels more endearing than broken, which I suppose is due to the makers actually caring about what they were filming, and I'll take a lovingly crafted low-budget slopfest over an a-list blockbuster that wasn't given a single rat's behind by it's authors.

With that being said, there isn't really anything that stands out as exceptionally good. Although the fun had while filming is apparent and the enthusiasm of the effects department (if such can be said to have existed here) shines through, nothing can be graded more than "pretty good, considering". On the flip side of things, I couldn't find anything really horrible here either, as WolfCop is adept at covering its tracks (pun intended).

Booming with b-movie grit and outrageously strange choices of plot elements, WolfCop is a must watch for fans of "so bad it's good" – films and those interested in amateur films. Other viewers might need to take this movie with a grain of salt. And quite some alcohol.

An alcoholic cop wakes up one morning feeling a little different. His senses are stronger, dogs like him and when the full moon hits, he turns into a killer werewolf. A killer werewolf with a sense of duty to uphold. He becomes the WolfCop.

A low budget Canadian horror comedy flick in the style of Hobo With A Shotgun. While Hobo was decent, I felt a little underwhelmed with it. It was a little too serious for a low budget grindhouse flick that was suppose to emulate the 70's and 80's of cheesy horror. WolfCop seems like the type of film that would fill those needs and for the most part it does. With a modest budget of a million dollars, Lowell Dean manages to make the film look and feel like it belongs with those 70's and 80's flicks you'd find at the bottom of a dollar bin at Wal-Mart. If the film was too crisp and smooth, it wouldn't fit the atmosphere.

Dean tries his best to blend horror and comedy, a lot of the jokes fall flat, but there is just enough in there to make it entertaining. The execution was never going to be able to match the concept. I wanted more of the WolfCop on duty, foiling one robbery and crashing one drug op wasn't enough for me.

The monster effects are decent and there is a bit of comical gore to be had. I couldn't help but laugh at the faceless screaming man. For those wondering if a WolfCop can have sex with a human...he sure can. In a late night Baby Blue 2 on CityTV kind of way.

The theatre wasn't packed, but the audience who was in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves. This film does not take itself seriously, which is a good thing. I hope the film manages to find a cult following and if the ending of the film holds true, we will see a sequel sometime soon. Until then, enjoy the "it's so bad, it's good" nature of WolfCop.