Werewolf of Washington: Politics with a Bite!

Jack Whittier (Dean Stockwell) is a reporter in Washington D.C. who was in a romantic relationship with the presidents daughter.  When he wanted to end it, without ruining his career or hurting Marion (Jane House) he has himself stationed in Budapest, but the President (Biff McGuire) believes he was banished there for favoring the White House too much, and offers Jack the job of Press Secretary.  Jack, knowing that this was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse, decides to leave Hungary and return to D.C.  Unfortunately, on the way to the airport his car crashes and is subsequently attacked and bitten by a wolf.  He eventually makes it back to Washington, where he ends up transforming into a werewolf and killing the spouse to a potential supreme court judge.  As the movie progresses, more people die and Jack realizes he is to blame.  He tries to warn everyone, but no one will believe him.  He is eventually caught on camera and convinces the racist bigoted Attorney General (Clifton James) and Marion’s new fiancé (Beeson Carroll) who lock him in chains.  Unfortunately, the President demands he accompany him on a helicopter ride with the Prime Minister of China…at night…under a full moon!  The president is attacked and bitten!  Can Jack escape and find a way to live a life in politics as a werewolf (I mean there are worse things than that in congress!)? Or will someone need to “put him to sleep” so to speak?  Watch and find out!

Ever watch a movie so bad, that it is actually entertaining. This is one of those movies.  The production value is not up to par, with the transformation scenes not only taking too long, but with little finesse in its implementation.  The acting is a bit over the top.  Dean Stockwell can sometimes come off monotone in his line delivery, even when appearing to be angry.  And in this he seemed to only have two levels with no variation between them, calm and rage.  The real saving grace of the film is its offbeat subtle humor.  A scene where Jack is trying to tell the President that he is a werewolf, but his hand gets stuck in a bowling ball is hilarious.  And when he transforms on the helicopter and the President starts yelling, “Down Boy!” is just priceless.  Jack’s performance as the werewolf was more along the lines of a puppy. His movements were more like a 4-year-old pretending to be a dog, than an actual mythical monster.

There is also a scene that made me believe that this was possibly the first of a planned series of films.  After running from a meeting with the president’s war counsel, Jack transforms somewhere under the White House, where he runs into Dr. Kiss (Michael Dunn), the scientist working on special projects that even the President doesn’t exactly understand.  In this scene what looks like a “Frankenstein” creature’s legs are sticking out from some medical machinery, and another character, possibly a vampire, was in a glass case.  Dr. Kiss was able to calm Jack down, who Jack then proceeded to lick in gratitude, like a dog. Could we have gotten films such as “Vote Frankenstein!”  or “Dracula for Congress!” .  I am just guessing that was the plan, but oh how I wish it were true and that those movies got made!