| | | They Hunt Us.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, English, Subtitled, Spanish, Dolby Digital (5.1)
Two packs of werewolves, one that lives to hunt and kill and the other that lives in peace with society, are signaled by the moon of the coming of an ancient prophecy. A 13-year-old-boy - half wolf, half human - will control the destiny of the species triggering an all-out war between the two packs as the boy's life hangs in the balance.
"...eye-candy slick...[with] a claw-full of decent action scenes...Good lookin and action driven..." Arrow in the Head
"...the best werewolf movie since Dog Soldiers...an action-filled monster adventure from the beginning till the end." SlasherPool.com
Editor's Note
Though a statement at the opening of the film explains that the creatures of the title are, in Native American lore, people who have the ability to transform into various animals, SKINWALKERS focuses on two warring factions of werewolves. One is a family concentrated on protecting Timothy (Matthew Knight), a boy about to turn 13 who is the offspring of mortal Rachel (Rhona Mitra) and a Skinwalker. Timothy's family, led by kindly Uncle Jonas (Elias Koteas), chooses to avoid slaughtering innocents during full moons by restraining themselves in straps in the back of a beaten traveling camper. Their rival clan, captained by Varek (Jason Behr), lives with a leather-clad biker gang, riding from town to town and reveling in their bloodlust. When the clock strikes midnight on Timothy's birthday, he will be able to (in terms not explicitly spelled out) end the bloody reign of the Skinwalkers--but not if Varek and his gang can catch and kill Timothy before he officially becomes a teenager.SKINWALKERS focuses more on its action sequences than on the horror elements, but those seeking a good chase sequence will find plenty to enjoy in the film's second half. Director James Isaac (JASON X) gives the film a graphic novel-like visual style, with plenty of red tints and scenes of rising moons. Elias Koteas (CRASH, EXOTICA) seems to be having fun as a werewolf patriarch, but veteran Canadian supporting actress Barbara Gordon seems to be enjoying herself even more as a pistol-packing grandma. Stan Winston's creature designs resemble the man-beast creations from 1977's ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU more than they do Rick Baker or Rob Bottin's revisionist werewolves from AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and THE HOWLING, but they are effective nonetheless.
| Features | Audio Commentary With Director Jim Isaac | | Audio: English DTS ES 6.1 Surround Sound, DD-EX 5.1 Surround Sound | | Deleted Scenes | | Featurette: The Making Of Skinwalkers | | Interactive Menus | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Pre-Visualization & Digital FX Comparisons | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Lions Gate |
| Release Date: 1/8/2009 |
| Running Time: 110 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2007 | | Catalog ID: 21413 | | UPC: 00031398214137 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Elias Koteas | | Jason Behr | | Natassia Malthe | | Rhona Mitra | | Adam Kane - Cinematographer | | Allan Lee - Editor | | Andrew Lockington - Original Music By | | Anthony A. Ianni - Art Director | | Brian Gilbert - Executive Producer | | David A. Armstrong - Cinematographer | | David Hackl - Production Designer | | Dennis Berardi - Producer | | James DeMonaco, et. al. - Writer | | James Isaac - Director | | Tony Lanni - Art Director |
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| | Professional Reviews | Reel.com 8 of 10
Skinwalkers, like the title characters who battle throughout its running time, is a curious hybrid--part Western, part werewolf movie, and part biker flick--but it works surprisingly well thanks to the style of its execution and the commitment of its performers. Director James Isaac isn't a household name among horror fans the way that his contemporaries Eli Roth and Rob Zombie are, but on the basis of this film and his underrated Friday the 13th entry, Jason X (in which the stale franchise was creatively energized by sending Jason to outer space), he's got the chops to breathe new life into old forms...Elias Koteas brings genuine emotional gravitas to his part as a good skinwalker struggling to protect Timothy, and Behr is an appropriately intimidating villain. Even the smaller roles have a lot more definition than one might expect, and Natassia Malthe provides a nice nod to another component of the film's ancestry as a Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill-esque sexpot biker. The solid performances provide tonal continuity for what could have been a clumsy grab-bag of effects; the movie feels unified in spite of the fact that it's equal parts The Howling and Peckinpah. - Jim Hemphill
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