WolfCop

If you see the amazing cover art for this film, you'll have certain expectations as to what you'll be in for when you watch this movie. You might think this is in the same vein as the low budget SyFy picture 'Sharknado', complete with all of the cheese and terrible special effects. However, 'Wolfcop' is so much better and so much more than those never-ending monster v. monster movies that seem to be coming out with a budget under one million dollars.

In fact, writer/director Lowell Dean knows exactly the type of movie he's made and he's wisely invested in the visual effects here, because while the acting and dialogue might be somewhat lacking, the story and visual effects are mostly top notch. Well, top notch for this type of film. When it comes down to the end of the day, 'Wolfcop' is just a hell of a lot of fun and packed with moments where you'll scream out "Yes" or "That was awesome."

This is one of the few rare occasions where a low budget monster movie got things right. The film follows Lou (Leo Fafard), a police officer who would rather spend his time drinking and dozing off, rather than doing any actual police work or investigations. When a crazy local resident calls in to say some suspicious things are going on in town, Lou is forced to investigate. As soon as Lou sees this suspicious activity with his own eyes, he awakens back at home with a pentagram carved into his stomach. Not exactly his plan to say the least.

Sooner than later, Lou heals absurdly fast, starts to grow a ton of hair, and has super senses. Turns out, Lou is now a werewolf by night, which somehow makes him a better police officer and detective. Who knew that if we could turn into a werewolf, things would come much easier for us than it does Lou. With the help of his partner Tina (Amy Matysio) and a local named Willie Higgins (Jonathan Cherry), the trio set out to solve crimes and make their small town of Woodhaven a safer and better place.

Lou soon figures out something much bigger is at play in Woodhaven, and certain people are not who they seem. With tons of conspiracies, twists, turns, and blood, Lou must determine just what the hell is going on with his town. Lowell Dean has crafted a highly entertaining mix of 80s pop culture, grindhouse horror, and comedy with 'Wolfcop'. It never slows down and it never tries to be something bigger than it is.

There really isn't anyone you'd recognize in the cast, but they all turn in fun performances, even if  they borders on cheesy at times. 'Wolfcop' is one of those instant cult classics that actually lives up to its name and will be enjoyed by many genre fans for a long time.

'Wolfcop' comes with a surprisingly good 1080p HD transfer presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. With this type of movie, I'd expect a lackluster video presentation, but was completely satisfied with this video presentation. Detail is quite vivid and sharp throughout with the exception of a few heavy CG shots that make the video go a tiny bit on the soft side. Other than that, every piece of gore, guts, and werewolf hair can be seen with ease. Even the wider shots show great detail, which gives the image some good depth throughout. Colors are bright, vibrant, and simply pop off screen.

The blood is deep red and the cop outfits are a good tan brown. Greens, blues, and oranges are all well-balanced and saturated, without any color correction problems. The black levels are deep and inky with some very minor moments of crush and the skin tones are natural, given the circumstances of the werewolf transformation. The only small issue I found was some minor video noise here and there, but it never hindered my viewing experience, which leaves this video presentation with good marks.

This release comes with an impressive and fun lossless DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix. The filmmakers knew what they were doing here with the sound. Each noise and sound is amped up to the fullest degree, especially when 'Wolfcop' becomes 'Wolfcop'. The sound effects are always robust and full. Gun shots ring out loud, explosions are fantastic, and each kick, hit, and take down are gritty and roaring.

Ambient noises come through the rear speakers nicely as well. There is some great directionality here as well. Dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to follow, and free of any pops, shrills, cracks, and hiss. The bass kicks into high gear quite often and never has a distorted rumble to it, but rather a smooth loud rumble. The LFE is excellent and the dynamic range is very wide, leaving this audio presentation with excellent marks.

Audio Commentary - The writer/director Lowell Dean and Special Effects artist Emersen Ziffle sit down and discuss what went in to making 'Wolfcop'. These guys are quite funny and seemed to have a great time making the film as they discuss how they came up with the story and how they executed the idea. This is worth the listen.

Music Video (HD, 3 Mins.) - A music video set in the bar from the film with Wolfcop himself.

'Wolfcop' Unleashed (HD, 46 Mins.) - An excellent making of 'Wolfcop'. It covers just about every aspect of production, complete with interviews with the cast and crew. The makeup effects were my favorite part.

The Birth of 'Wolfcop' (HD, 16 Mins.) - This is bizarre. Looks like a company called CineCoup was somewhat behind this film, and here are promos for the company itself as well as some very short behind the scenes footage. Nothing here is really worth looking at.

Film Outtakes (HD, 3 Mins.) - Your usual gag reel of the cast and crew having fun on set with some laughs and flubbed lines.

Trailers (HD, 12 Mins.) - Various trailers for the film as well as promos for a couple of companies. There is even a Special Thanks section for the Indiegogo supporters.

If 'Wolfcop' is anything, it's a lot of fun. The film never drags and the story is packed with comedy, one-liners, blood and guts, and twists and turns that you can't help but want to watch this with your friends once a month. I really hope they make a sequel to this, because I'd love to see more of this character. The video and audio are both very satisfactory and the extras are worth watching. 'Wolfcop' is one film you don't want to miss if you enjoy this type of thing.