By ROCCO THOMPSON
Starring Leo Fafard and Yannick Bisson
Directed by Lowell Dean
Written by Lowell Dean
RLJE Films
Fans of liquor, donuts, and ill-behaved lycanthropic policemen have something to howl about: ANOTHER WOLFCOP is out on Blu-ray! The follow up to writer/director Lowell Dean’s fangtastic Canadian Horror-Comedy WOLFCOP (2014) is, as marketed, both “dirtier” and “hairier”, though also messier than its predecessor’s well-measured blend of occult weirdness and man-wolf grue.
Leo Fafard returns as Lou Garou, the alcoholic deputy who found himself transformed into an unstoppable creature of the night by the ancient, shape-shifting beings who controlled his homey shitburg of Woodhaven in the previous installment. ANOTHER WOLFCOP picks up a month after the defeat of the lizard overlords, and Garou’s fuzzy alter-ego has become a local legend–much to chagrin of the new chief of police, Tina (Amy Matysio). When Swallows, a villainous entrepreneur (Yannick Bisson) blows into town hoping to start a new brewery and revive the Woodhaven hockey team, Garou quickly realizes that he has more on his mind than mere hops and pucks. It’s up to WolfCop to save the day as only he can: with hooch guzzling and chest-cavity-clearing punches aplenty!
Right out the gate, ANOTHER WOLFCOP is a far more viscerally gross (quite a feat when your first film features a protagonist who peels himself like a flesh banana) balls-to-the-wall sequel, treating audiences to impalement, eyeball-munching, decapitation, and one humongous lupine penis before the opening credits roll. Garou’s once partner, now superior, Tina (Matysio) and best friend Willie (Jonathan Cherry) are back to provide much needed support. Matysio is given more to do this go ‘round and Dean seems to have realized that the more incompetent boobs she’s surrounded by, the more fun she is to watch. Cherry remains a perfect comic foil to Fafard’s oh-so-stoic hero, and Kevin Smith shows up briefly as the town’s new mayor. Though Garou has always been a man of few words, here he practically disappears into the background when he isn’t wolfed out. The film’s poster may ape 1987’s COBRA, but this hairy lawman makes Stallone look like mister personality.
The first WOLFCOP featured a perfectly modulated tone, never too low-brow nor overly serious, but ANOTHER WOLFCOP leans a little too hard on silly names and the scatological. The finale, which sees a bevy of busty cheerleaders kicking the snot out of a baddie and a pack of shrieking muppets bursting forth from the guts of the townsfolk is mayhem defined, but without the first film’s smart campiness, it’s just that. Still, the cast is game, the thrills are plenty, the therianthrope sex is ludicrous (taking “nipple play” to a whole new level) and at seventy-nine minutes, ANOTHER WOLFCOP is a mangy though loveable dog that doesn’t outstay its welcome
RLJE films’ presents ANOTHER WOLFCOP on Blu-ray in anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen with DTS-HD Master Audio. The film looks expensive (quite a feat for a cheapie made in just seventeen days) and every bursting squib and gooey effect registers with maximum visual impact. The sound is so excellent you may find yourself re-playing the credits sequence just to hear Shooting Guns’ hair-metal throwback WolfCop theme (“It can get hairy solving crimes!”) again. The disc also features THE MAKING OF ANOTHER WOLFCOP, FRIENDS AND FOES: MEET THE CAST, and THE MONSTER SHOP: SPECIAL FX, among others. These are quite enjoyable, though none are over ten minutes in length. There’s also a music video for Shooting Guns’ “Barn Burner,” featuring Fafard. Unfortunately, there’s no commentary to speak of.
RLJE Films has brought ANOTHER WOLFCOP to Blu-ray in a technically accomplished package that’s sure to please fans of Officer Garou and the other denizens of Woodhaven. Though Dean’s sequel just doesn’t have the freshness of its breakout progenitor, it’s an undeniably entertaining B-movie tailor-made for viewing while knocking back a six-pack with friends on a Friday night. ANOTHER WOLFCOP is available on Blu-ray and digital platforms now!
