Fang [Review]

Werewolf films are few and far between, which is a shame, as they are one of my favorite movie monsters. So, when a new werewolf film hits, I’m more than likely to check it out. But, saying that, some just don’t seem to hit the mark and become quickly forgettable. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with Adam R. Steigert’s Fang.

I’ve been following this one for so long , just waiting, my anticipation building until finally I was able to get my grubby little hands on this sucker.

Fang follows Chloe Romero (Melodie Roehrig) and Joe Spencer (Theo Kemp), a young couple, who, on one fateful night commit a drug filled murder and decide to flee the town. With nowhere to go, Chloe decides their best bet is to visit a distant relative’s house in the middle of nowhere. So the duo pack the essentials; Paraphernalia and head out on a road trip.

Along the way meet two folks; Chris (Jason John Beebe) and Shelly (Jennie Russo) whose car had broken down and they suggest that they tag along to Mr. and Mrs. Crowley’s house, Chloe’s relative’s, in the hopes that they can use the phone and be on their way to the wedding. Sadly, things don’t go to plan. No phone, no electric and stuck in the middle of nowhere, the group heeds the advice of groundskeeper Harold Pinter (Gregory Blair) and they decide to wait in the house until the Crowley’s return so Harold can take Chris and Shelly into town.

Upon arrival of Doris Crowley (Melantha Blackthorne) and Roy Crowley (Patrick Mallette), something doesn’t seem to be right. Still, the group decide to stay for dinner even if it is rather forcibly and things soon become much more clear. From here it becomes a night of survival, will everyone manage to leave the house in one piece or will it be in several?

Fang does a great job in introducing us to many of the characters, so as a viewer, we have a much better connection and understanding. The story is fairly simple; there’s some werewolves and they must be destroyed, but this is what we need. We don’t need some over convoluted story with multiple arcs. Fang knows what it is and it delivers.

The special effects on display are where this one really shines, it’s gore-tastic fun! We have blood literally exploding onto the screen before our very eyes, we have flesh oozing with the red-stuff and some scenes that will surely make your stomach’s churn. It’s fun stuff, and yes, the monster is all practical, it’s a hairy delight.

And then there’s my love and admiration for Harold, played by Gregory Blair. His character is such a hoot. He takes me back to yesteryear of the creepy groundskeepers of an old Hammer film, he hams it up and it’s just perfect. But, his character also becomes quite a force to be reckoned with, think Billy Cole from Fright Night, where he’ll get in on the action too.

Jennie Russo delivers as the strong female protagonist as she goes up against the bodacious Melantha Blackthorne, who seems to be having a blast in her role as Mrs. Crowley, she’s snarling, gnarly and out for blood . Patrick Mallette plays an evil character and has some fun scenes which also delivers some sweet gore effects.

For me, I felt that it ended too soon. The ending felt slightly rushed, but they did leave it open and to also tie-in with other future works of Adam. But, I was hoping for a much bigger battle at the end and it never quite came to fruition.

Saying that, I had fun with this. It was a blast, from quirky characters, to gore-filled scenes and a werewolf that wasn’t CGI! Fang teases you from an appetizer all the way to the main-course, and yet, leaves room for more. And keep those eyes peeled for a slew of easter eggs from Adam’s previous films.