Werewolf story is a real howler

Howling III (STAR) Dr. Harry Beckmeyer Barry Otto Jerboa Imogen Annesley Donny Leigh Biolos Thylos Max Fairchild Bancannia Entertainment presents a film written and directed byPhilippe Mora. Produced by Mora and Charles Waterstreet. Based onthe novel by Gary Brandner. Photographed by Lou Irving. Music byAllan Zavod. Running time: 90 minutes. Classified: PG-13. At localtheaters.

"Howling III" is writer-director Philippe Mora's second shot ata wolf-man movie. ("The Howling" in 1980 was an unrelated filmdirected by Joe Dante and co-written by John Sayles.) Instead ofcreating a lame horror picture like his "Howling II" (1984), Morastitches together a four-limbed mongrel: a touch of pseudoscience, abit of grit in Australia's Outback, some humor and, lastly, specialeffects.

The effects include the weirdest scene since the critter poppedout of John Hurt's chest in "Alien." I'll save you the curious theagony of sitting through "Howling III": It shows the birth of amarsupial werewolf infant (a cross between the Snuggles bear and adachshund Slinky) to werewolf Jerboa (Imogen Annesley.) The littlenipper is the spawn of a standard man and its mother, with a bellypouch and dental problems.

This $2 million stew wants to be all things bright and beautiful.It's not.

The movie begins with some unexplained killings in modern-daySiberia, which piques the interest of anthropologist Dr. HarryBeckmeyer (Barry Otto). Beckmeyer, who inherited his deadgrandfather's film of aborigines dancing around what appears to be acaptured werewolf, suspects werewolves are real. Meanwhile, Jerboaescapes from an Australian settlement of Mad Max-type werewolves (ledby Thylos, played by Max Fairchild with bald-headed menace) andarrives in Sydney. She falls for a young filmmaker who sets her upin a comic horror film. (What irony!) The weregirl, who just wantsnormal things - love, fame and a good costume for the cast party -flips out from flashing lights and turns wolf. After an accident,she winds up strapped in a hospital bed for "observation," whichmeans plenty of prodding by human bureaucrats. Some werewolvesdisguised as nuns shred hospital security and recapture her.

As if this weren't improbable enough, a Russian ballerinaemigrates to Sydney at the telepathic urging of Thylos. In one ofthe few good scenes, the petite dancer, Olga (Dasha Blahova), winsthe heart of Beckmeyer during a rehearsal, then changes into a beastand puts the bite on her dance partner. She, too, is hospitalized,along with Thylos, who is nabbed in a military roundup. After seeingthe wolves' awful facial contortions, officials decide to kill themrather than probe fur ther. But lovestruck Beckmeyer frees Olga and Thylos and escapeswith them to the Outback to rekindle a lupine colony with Jerboa.

The biggest problem with "Howling III" is tone. Like the thesilly "Teen Wolf Too," it tries to find the good side of being awerewolf. Gore is minimal, and at times the movie portrays attacksfrom the wolf's point of view. But "Howling III" constructs tediousexplanations about werewolf origins and throws in plenty ofscientific buzz words and machinery. There is a sentimentalized,save-the-werewolf pitch, too. Why do werewolves kill innocent folks?Because, the audience learns, the half-human species is fightingsystematic extermination begun by Queen Victoria.

Mora skips over 15 years in a matter of minutes. Jerboa movesto California as an actress. Beckmeyer, with the sedate Olga,becomes a hero. All live happily until photographers turn Jerboa'swolf side loose. Will there be another "Howling"? Please, no,Mora.