Everyone should have an Uncle Red . . .
I mean I don't, but I wish I did. And in
Stephen King's Silver Bullet, the relationship between Uncle Red (
Gary Busey), Marty Coslaw (
Corey Haim) and Jane Coslaw (
Megan Follows) was really at the heart of the story. Well, that and the murderous werewolf that was stalking the local residents, that is.
The film begins with a bang (
well more like a thud) as one of the town drunks who works on the railroad tracks is found dead. Everyone kind of assumes that in a drunken stupor he somehow got himself caught on the tracks. But when other (more respectable) townsfolk wind up dead, everyone realizes that there is some kind of monster on the loose. Only they don't realize how right they are about the monster part.
Marty who is paralyzed and his sister, Jane who is constantly given the responsibility to watch over Marty, are the only two in town who realize what is stalking the townspeople. After their Uncle Red gives Marty a new hot-rod wheelchair (fondly nicknamed The Silver Bullet) and some Fourth of July fireworks, Marty sneaks out of his second story bedroom to shoot them off. This is no easy feat for a little boy whose legs don't quite work. I mean, getting out might not be too far beyond the realm of possibility,
but getting back up? It was a stretch to say the least. But I digress . . . So Marty is off shooting off his fireworks which wake up the Werewolf who promptly comes to attack Marty. But Marty has saved a rocket for his last firework and shoots it into the monster's eye. He then hightails it back home and somehow gets away from the wounded Werewolf.
The next day he begs Jane to help him find out who in town is the Werewolf. She is not quite sure she believes Marty but decides to do her best to see all the townspeople. At the end of her travels she runs into a towns person who does have an eye injury (
I won't disclose now in case you watch). She is then convinced so she and Marty go to the only adult they think might help them - Uncle Red. He is reluctant to help but when the kids both give him silver necklaces to have made into a silver bullet, he does. He then arranges for their parents to be away on the next full moon (which happened to fall on Halloween -
what a coincidence!). And then they wait for the Werewolf to cometh . . .
This is a really cute and touching story. It is like a G-rated horror film in my opinion. Well, G-rated might be an understatement, but it is a great little horror flick to watch with the kiddies on a Sunday afternoon.
Something to look out for in the movie is the character of Owen Knopfler (
Lawrence Tierney) as he walked around with his "Peacemaker". I just couldn't help thinking "Toby Whang? . . . Toby Wong? . . . " everytime I saw him in a shot. If you are a
Reservoir Dogs fan, you will get my reference! If not, watch Reservoir Dogs it is an awesome film.
Stephen King's Silver Bullet Movie Cast and Credits
Directed by
Daniel Attias
Writing credits
Stephen King (novella Cycle of the Werewolf)
Cast (in credits order)
Gary Busey .... Uncle Red
Everett McGill .... Reverend Lowe/Werewolf
Corey Haim .... Marty Coslaw
Megan Follows .... Jane Coslaw
Robin Groves .... Nan Coslaw
Leon Russom .... Bob Coslaw
Terry O'Quinn .... Sheriff Joe Haller
Bill Smitrovich .... Andy Fairton
Joe Wright .... Brady Kincaid
Kent Broadhurst .... Herb Kincaid
Heather Simmons .... Tammy Sturmfuller
James A. Baffico .... Milt Sturmfuller
Rebecca Fleming .... Mrs. Sturmfuller
Lawrence Tierney .... Owen Knopfler
William Newman .... Virgil Cuts
Sam Stoneburner .... Mayor O'Banion
Lonnie Moore .... Billy McLaren
Rick Pasotto .... Aspinall
Cassidy Eckert .... Emma
Wendy Walker .... Stella Randolph
Michael Lague .... Stella's Boyfriend
Myra Mailloux .... Stella's Mother
William Brown .... Bobby Robertson (as W.H. Brown)
Herb Harton .... Elmer Zinneman
David Hart .... Pete Sylvester
Graham Smith .... Porter Zinneman
Paul Butler .... Edgar Rounds
Crystal Field .... Maggie Andrews
Julius LeFlore .... Smokey
Roxanne Aalam .... Uncle Red's Girl
Pearl Jones .... Mrs. Thayer
Ish Jones Jr. .... Mr. Thayer
Steven White .... Outfielder
Conrad McLaren .... Mac
Tovah Feldshuh .... Older Jane (voice)
James Gammon .... Arnie Westrum
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