‘Teen Wolf’ still has a bite
More than three decades after its initial release, “Teen Wolf” is still capable of sinking its claws into viewers. If you need proof, check out the new, lavish Blu-ray package from Scream Factory.
The “Collector’s Edition” set features not only the movie in highdefinition but also an exhaustive, nearly three-hour documentary which examines the production from all angles.
One of the key figures participating in the documentary is Easton, Pa. native Scott Rosenfelt, who produced “Teen Wolf” and has fond memories of overseeing the horror comedy classic.
“I was excited that someone thought enough of the film to create a Collector’s Edition,” says the producer. “Unfortunately, the director died just before all of this but I was glad to bear witness to how it all came together.”
“Teen Wolf” stars Michael J. Fox as a high-schooler who discovers he has the ability to morph into a werewolf. Charmingly unpretentious and earnestly acted by both Fox and James Hampton (who plays his werewolf dad), the movie works from start to finish.
Director Rod Daniel doesn’t aim for scares but rather treats “Teen Wolf” simply as a coming-of-age comedy in which Fox must learn to be true to himself.
“It [has] a universal theme: high-school boy is going through something he can’t articulate, then has a parent wanting to help and the boy keeps pushing him off,” says Rosenfelt.
“Finally, he gives in and approaches his father to discover they have something in common. It’s about family, love and finding yourself .”
Brought on to produce the film even before it was cast, Rosenfelt’s smarts and experience were at least partly responsible for director Rod Daniel being able to make a complicated special-effects movie for a mere $2 million.
“We only had four weeks to prep the film and four weeks to shoot as [Fox] had to go back to his series [“Family Ties”],” recalls Rosenfelt. “Michael had a hard out on the schedule and we had no wiggle room. Everything had to happen perfectly. And that never happens.”
The movie is rich in terrific supporting performances, including Hampton as Fox’s father, Susan Ursitti as his girlfriend, Jerry Levine as his best buddy and Jay Tarses as his coach.
“I enjoyed…casting all of the great character actors in the film,” notes Rosenfelt. “They were all gems. And some of the improvs on the set were fantastic, especially from Jay Tarses. He was a writer and director, not an actor, but was friends with the director and he killed it.”
Rosenfelt credits Fox with helping make the movie work despite the actor’s reservations about an itchy wolf suit and the long hours spent in the make-up trailer.
“[Fox] was amazing and a great deal of fun,” says Rosenfelt. “And he worked hard, put in the effort and was a team player. He wasn’t a very good basketball player, but we made him look good.”
When “Teen Wolf” debuted, it was socked with brutal reviews. Rosenfelt still remembers that Vincent Canby of the New York Times calling it “aggressively boring.”
“I had no idea what that meant, and still don’t,” says Rosenfelt.
Despite the critical brickbats, the movie became an enormous hit and went on to spawn a sequel starring Jason Batemen, an MTV series and, according to an announcement at this year’s Comic Con, an upcoming podcast.
Rosenfelt opted out of the sequel, and is glad he did.
“The company that made the film wanted Jason Bateman to play the lead, and I didn’t think there was a movie unless it [starred] Michael, and that wasn’t going to happen.
“Plus I didn’t like the direction of the script and Jason Bateman’s father was brought in to produce. And I saw there were too many cooks in the kitchen. So that was that. And the movie wasn’t that good, was it?”
Rosenfelt went on to produce scores of Hollywood hits, including “Mystic Pizza,” “Home Alone” and “Smoke Signals.” But “Teen Wolf” stands out as one of his favorites.
“When we had our first public screening, my heart was in my throat wondering if anyone would think the film was funny,” he recalls. “[I’ll never forget] that first laugh – and it was a big laugh. And then everyone howled when Michael saw that his father was a werewolf. I’ll never forget that ever.”