The Howling

The Howling (1981)

30 mistakes - chronological order

(4 votes)

Visible crew/equipment: When R. William Neill is watching the news on the TV, in the TV station, you can see a camera reflected in the right hand side of the TV screen. (00:03:20)

Hamster

Visible crew/equipment: When Karen enters the phonebox with the yellow smiley sticker inside, you can clearly see the cameraman in the glass of the phonebox, as he pans round. (00:03:25)

Hamster

Visible crew/equipment: When Karen enters the pornography store, to meet Eddie, as the camera lowers to follow her, you can see it reflected in the glass of the front desk. (00:07:45)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Fred Francis is at the control booth, his stance changes between every shot, from standing up straight, to bending over, with his leg up, then down, etc. (00:09:35)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: In the control booth, the amount of black handkerchief that sticks out of Fred Francis' front jacket pocket, keeps on differing between several shots. (00:09:40)

Hamster

Audio problem: When Eddie is talking to Karen in the pornography booth, while the film is playing, what he is saying frequently mismatches his mouth movements. (00:10:05)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: After Karen has a nightmare on the couch, Bill comes in and comforts her. Karen's grip on Bill's shoulders changes between shots. The position of her head changes too. (00:13:30)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When the female reporter is bent down at the table covered in items (then scared by the dog), the items on the table shift positions between shots. (00:14:55)

Hamster

Revealing mistake: When the two station reporters are investigating Eddie's room, as the female bends down to the table, she is scared by a dog. In one shot you can see a black wire on the dog. (00:14:55)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When the female reporter is scared by the dog, she whacks the dog with her book, which then flies out of the window. In the very next shot the book is suddenly back on the table. (00:14:55)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Karen and Bill are in bed, and Karen has a nightmarish flashback, she pulls back from Bill. Between shots, the position of her hands on his arm, and the bedsheets wrapped around them changes. (00:16:30)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When the 6 News begins it's broadcast, Karen is seen passing the camera and walking over to the news desk. It cuts, then goes back, and Karen now walks past and towards the desk a second time. (00:17:35)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Karen is in George Waggner's office, being recommended to visit the Colony, the large potted tree/plant behind her keeps on moving, ie. it's branches keep moving, and it shifts across. (00:19:30)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Terry is on the beach, she stops the dictaphone, and begins to write. Between shots the dictaphone changes position on the tape player. (00:48:35)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Terry begins to write notes on the beach, she has nothing in her left hand. In the next shot shes holding sheets of paper, with no indication of her picking them up. (00:48:35)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Terry approaches the cabin, after hearing voices, as she walks towards the door it is open about a quarter of the way. In the next shot it's shut. (00:52:55)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: When Terry jumps out of the window, she rolls into a log, and moves the hatchet from an angle so it falls down. In the next shot it's sticking up at an angle again. (00:55:30)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: After being attacked by the werewolf, Terry runs into Dr. Waggner's office. Between shots, as she goes over to the table, to the telephone, the phone changes the direction it faces. (00:57:30)

Hamster

Continuity mistake: Terry drops the phone on the floor, so that it hangs from the desk. The telephone cable is long enough to allow it to reach the file cabinet without being too tensed. If she dropped the receiver there, the cable would not retract so much as to leave it hanging from the desk. (01:00:45)

Hamster

Charlie Barton: Sorry to scare you, ma'am, thought you was a cowjacker.

More quotes from The Howling

Trivia: While giving a lecture at the Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute, director Joe Dante trash talked the novel "The Howling" on which the movie is based. One person in the audience raised his hand and asked, "So, you don't like the book, huh?" with Joe stating, "No, not really." The man responded that he was the one who wrote the novel. To Joe's surprise, the man in the audience was Gray Brandner, the author of "The Howling."

More trivia for The Howling

Question: Was it the colony's idea to turn Bill into a werewolf or did Marsha choose to do it of her own free will? I think it's the former because nobody seems to be angry at Marsha for doing it.

Answer: I think they were purposely brought there to both join the colony. Marsha, who desired Bill, was impatient and bit him. As for not being mad at her, the Colony was slowly turning to her leadership, instead of the Doctor's compassion treatment.

More questions & answers from The Howling

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.