Silver Bullet

As elsewhere with Stephen King, the splatter 'n' gore (decapitations, something akin to in-the-woods shark damage) elbows aside his more interesting observations about the mean, festering spirit of small town life: a snarling drunk declares the disabled fit only for gassing, parents abandon their children to the protection of an alcoholic uncle, even as the body count reaches double figures. There are few surprises beyond the early dismemberment of Lawrence Tierney, the only cherishable face in the cast. Carlo Rambaldi's creature credit may seduce the unwary to expect more than the Halloween mask we're offered. The movie's poster is much scarier.