A surprisingly good horror film, Late Phases pits a blind ex-serviceman against a ravenous beast stalking the residents of a retirement community when the moon is full. Nick Damici is outstanding as gruff Vietnam vet Ambrose McKinley, a widower who settles into his new house only to be attacked the very first night. Although he is able to fight off the beast, his beloved dog is killed, along with an elderly next-door neighbor. Sensing that the creature is a werewolf, Ambrose begins to prepare for the next encounter in 30 days, ordering some silver bullets for his guns. He also tries to sniff out the identity of the wolfman, eventually honing in on the local priest (Tom Noonan) as the likeliest suspect. The script has a few problems, featuring some old biddies straight out of a sitcom and a couple of beat cops who are as dumb as rocks, and the makeup effects are almost humorously low-tech by today's standards (folks running around in rubber werewolf suits). But while admittedly cheesy, director Adrían García Bogliano's film is also an enjoyable addition to the werewolf genre that is likely to be appreciated by horror fans. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf
Dark Sky, 96 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98, Mar. 10 Volume 30, Issue 3
Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf
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