Howling VI: The Freaks
Release date: 1991-04-18
Votes: 79
Genres: Horror
A villainous carnival owner traps a young werewolf to include in his growing menagerie of inhuman exhibits.
Reviews
John Chard
Harker's World of Wonders. The Howling (1981) remains to me one of the finest Werewolf movies ever made, though looking a bit tired these days, there still remains a wrought terror there, the effects work impressive even in this age of amazing effects advancements. What is actually surprising is that it would spawn a whole raft of sequels, becoming a cash cow franchise that not only failed to grasp the essence of writer Gary Brander's prose, but also in how the stories were schizophrenic in relation to the Werewolf formula. Part VI: The Freaks is not a great movie, but it has a grand idea at its core, shifting the story arc into the mysterious realm of circus freaks, thus making this very much of interest for anyone with a kink for carnival/fairground/circus horror films. It's this backdrop, and the all round eerie atmospherics wrung out by director Hope Perello and cinematographer Edward Pei, that keeps this sequel above average. Plot basically finds a drifter known only as Ian (Brendan Hughes) wandering into the town of Canton Bluff and in spite of some hostility from the sheriff of the town, manages to find some lodgings with troubled pastor Dewey (Jered Barclay) and his daughter Elizabeth (Michele Matheson). All seems rosy until the arrival of a travelling show called Harker's World of Wonders. Fronted by the mysterious R.B. Harker (Bruce Payne), it's a veritable showcase for the misfits, the freaks and the runts. But much like Harker has a dark secret, so too does Ian, and when revealed, the town of Canton Bluff will never be the same. Unfortunately the main promotional poster for the film gives the game away, so it's no spoiler to say that it's all building towards a monster face-off, with the character name of Harker a not very subtle clue as well. In between there is the standard relationship building narrative, with Ian battling his demons as he comes to adore both Elizabeth and Dewey, while the tours around the "show" are suitably creepy. Payne is giving good pompous aristocratic entertainment, while seeing Antonio Fargas and Carol Lynley in this gives novelty value whilst serving to remind that actors do sometimes have to work for food! It's dressed up nicely and never insulting, and in context to the budget available it deserves a gentle golf clap type of grudging appreciation. Even if it's hardly a must see for Werewolf lovers. 6/10
Movie Recommendation
The Howling1981-01-21After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a newswoman is sent to a rehabilitation center whose inhabitants may not be what they seem.More...
A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot1975-12-16Expert conman Joe Thanks teams up with half-breed Bill and naive Lucy to steal $300,000 from the Indian-hating Major Cabot. Their elaborate plan is full of disguises, double-crosses, and chases, but Joe always seems to know what he's doing.More...
Fire and Ice1983-03-25In this animated tale, a tiny village is destroyed by a surging glacier, which serves as the deadly domain for the evil Ice Lord, Nekron. The only survivor is a young warrior, Larn, who vows to avenge this act of destruction. The evil continues, however, as Nekron's palace of ice heads straight towards Fire Keep, the great fortress ruled by the good King Jarol. When Jarol's beautiful daughter, Teegra, is abducted by Nekron's sub-human ape-like creatures, Larn begins a daring search for her. What results is a tense battle between good and evil, surrounded by the mystical elements of the ancient past.More...
The Howling: Reborn2011-10-18On the eve of his high school graduation, unremarkable Will Kidman finally bonds with the girl he has long yearned for, reclusive Eliana Wynter. But he also discovers a dark secret from his past... that he is about to become a werewolf. Now, in an effort to fight destiny and save their love as well as their lives, they must battle not only Will's growing blood lust but an army of fearsome beasts bent on killing them... and then, us all.More...
Howling V: The Rebirth1989-05-01When a group of people from different walks of life converge in a Hungarian castle situated in Budapest which has been sealed for 500 years, they bring with them a werewolf which slowly begins to cut their numbers down.More...
Gate II1990-05-24It's been five years since Terry's friend Glen discovered The Gate to hell in his backyard. Glen has now moved away and Terry begins practicing rituals in Glen's old house and eventually bringing back demons through The Gate and leading to demoniac possession and near world domination.More...
Howling: New Moon Rising1995-10-17A number of vicious murders occur in a small California town after a motorcycle-riding stranger arrives. The gruesome slayings look disturbingly like the work of a werewolf. Meanwhile, in another nearby town, police are hot on the trail of a killer they believe is a werewolf.More...
John Q2002-02-15John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list.More...
Amélie2001-04-25At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?More...
Elena Undone2010-06-25The wife of a pastor who preaches against homosexuality embarks on an affair with a female writer.More...
To Have and Have Not1945-01-20A Martinique charter boat skipper gets mixed up with the underground French resistance operatives during WWII.More...
Happiness1965-02-10A young husband and father, perfectly content with his life, falls in love with another woman.More...
Sudden Death1995-10-27When a man's daughter is suddenly taken during a championship hockey game – with the captors demanding a billion dollars by game's end – he frantically sets a plan in motion to rescue her and abort an impending explosion before the final buzzer.More...
The Pelican Brief1993-09-17A law student's theory about the recent deaths of two Supreme Court justices embroils her in a far-reaching web of murder, corruption, and greed.More...
The Last Picture Show1971-10-03High school seniors and best friends, Sonny and Duane, live in a dying Texas town. The handsome Duane is dating a local beauty, while Sonny is having an affair with the coach's wife. As graduation nears and both boys contemplate their futures, Duane eyes the army and Sonny takes over a local business. Each struggles to figure out if he can escape this dead-end town and build a better life somewhere else.More...
The Lady Vanishes1938-10-07On a train headed for England a group of travelers is delayed by an avalanche. Holed up in a hotel in a fictional European country, young Iris befriends elderly Miss Froy. When the train resumes, Iris suffers a bout of unconsciousness and wakes to find the old woman has disappeared. The other passengers ominously deny Miss Froy ever existed, so Iris begins to investigate with another traveler and, as the pair sleuth, romantic sparks fly.More...
Frankenhooker1990-06-01A medical school dropout loses his fiancée in a tragic lawnmower incident and decides to bring her back to life. Unfortunately, he was only able to save her head, so he goes to the red light district in the city and lures prostitutes into a hotel room so he can collect body parts to reassemble her.More...
Us2019-03-14Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.More...
Dune2021-09-15Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.More...
The Married Woman1964-12-04A superficial woman finds conflict choosing between her abusive husband and her vain lover.More...
Similar Movies
Nosferatu
1922-02-16The mysterious Count Orlok summons Thomas Hutter to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen. After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok's servant, Knock, prepares for his master to arrive at his new home.From Dusk Till Dawn
1996-01-19After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious vampire clientele.Interview with the Va...
1994-11-11A vampire relates his epic life story of love, betrayal, loneliness, and dark hunger to an over-curious reporter.Corbin Nash
2018-04-20A rogue police detective in search of his parents' killer is murdered and reborn the ultimate killer.Bram Stoker's Van Hel...
2021-03-29England, 1897. Abraham Van Helsing receives a letter from his former student Dr John Seward requesting his urgent assistance in the northern town of Whitby, where his fiancée Lucy is showing all the signs of vampirism. Van Helsing follows the bloody trail to the coffin of Count Dracula himself. Van Helsing is a fresh take on the legend of Dracula through the eyes of his greatest enemy.Blood: The Last Vampi...
2000-11-18In Japan, the vampire-hunter Saya, who is a powerful original, is sent by her liaison with the government, David, posed as a teenage student to the Yokota High School on the eve of Halloween to hunt down vampires. Saya asks David to give a new katana to her. Soon she saves the school nurse Makiho Amano from two vampires disguised of classmates and Makiho witnesses her fight against the powerful demon.Goosebumps
2015-08-05After moving to a small town, Zach Cooper finds a silver lining when he meets next door neighbor Hannah, the daughter of bestselling Goosebumps series author R.L. Stine. When Zach unintentionally unleashes real monsters from their manuscripts and they begin to terrorize the town, it’s suddenly up to Stine, Zach and Hannah to get all of them back in the books where they belong.Immortality
1998-11-27A vampire in London is searching for the ideal woman to 'redeem' him.Blood: The Last Vampi...
2009-04-02On the surface, Saya is a stunning 16-year-old, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400-year-old "halfling". Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts.The Lost Boys
1987-07-31When an unsuspecting town newcomer is drawn to local blood fiends, the Frog brothers and other unlikely heroes gear up to rescue him.An American Werewolf ...
1981-08-21American tourists David and Jack are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body.Dracula
1931-02-12British estate agent Renfield travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula, who is interested in leasing a castle in London. After Dracula enslaves Renfield and drives him to insanity, the pair sail to London together and Dracula, a secret vampire, begins preying on London socialites.Viking Wolf
2022-11-18After witnessing a grotesque murder at a party in her new town, a teenager starts having strange visions and bizarre desires.Shaolin vs. Vampire
1988-08-23Gordon Liu plays a stuntman named Daiyu, who is his town's sole vampire non-believer holdout. When his young daughter “adopts” a vampire kid, his viewpoint changes. Daiyu, with help from a female Japanese student, must defend his village against hopping vampires and an evil sorcerer who want their land.The Wolfman
2010-02-10Lawrence Talbot, an American man on a visit to Victorian London to make amends with his estranged father, gets bitten by a werewolf and, after a moonlight transformation, leaves him with a savage hunger for flesh.The Fearless Vampire ...
1967-11-13A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.Vampire's Kiss
1989-06-02A publishing executive is visited and bitten by a vampire and starts exhibiting erratic behavior. He pushes his secretary to extremes as he tries to come to terms with his affliction.Van Helsing
2004-05-03Famed monster slayer Gabriel Van Helsing is dispatched to Transylvania to assist the last of the Valerious bloodline in defeating Count Dracula. Anna Valerious reveals that Dracula has formed an unholy alliance with Dr. Frankenstein's monster and is hell-bent on exacting a centuries-old curse on her family.Assignment Terror
1970-02-24Aliens from a dying world plot to conquer earth by preying on man's superstitions. Bringing two dead scientists back to life, they use their knowledge to re-animate various earth monsters, including the werewolf, Frankenstein's monster, the mummy Tao-Tet, and the vampire Count de Meirhoff.Frankenstein, the Vam...
1962-02-08Two screwballs get mixed up with monsters, mad scientists and vampires.