A writer from Southern California, Romy Windsor, travels to the desert town of Drago seeking recovery following a breakdown; however, finding peace proves difficult when she becomes entangled in a puzzling situation involving demons and werewolves. Michael T. Weiss portrays her husband, while Antony Hamilton takes on the role of her attractive friend from Los Angeles. Susanne Severeid appears as an author enthusiast who evolves into Windsor’s assistant investigator, and Lamya Derval embodies a shopkeeper with feline-like eyes. "Howling IV” (1988), which carries the subtitle "The Original Nightmare," adheres more closely to Gary Brandner's initial novel than the 1981 film did; this doesn’t necessarily make it superior, though. Remarkably, the production received nearly double the budget of previous installments, but the filmmaking team was taken by surprise when they discovered filming would occur in South Africa rather than a neighboring country. The British producer disappeared, and promises made were not fulfilled. Matters weren't helped by disagreements between director John Hough and scriptwriter Clive Turner; Turner had initially been slated to direct until financial backers withdrew and veteran Hough stepped in at the last minute. Following Hough’s completed work, Turner shot additional scenes and edited the film according to his preferences, frequently clashing with Hough during filming. The final product is a reasonably enjoyable sequel that functions as a remake, concluding with an ending suggestive of eternal damnation. It does surpass "Howling II" and "Howling III," though, by discarding Phillippe Mora's quirky humor and general oddities. I appreciate the cast and the slowly unfolding mystery, complete with its full moon atmosphere, which evoke memories of the first film. Windsor and Severeid form a compelling female duo. Furthermore, Weiss is among the few performers who could convincingly wear a mullet. While most of the movie was filmed in rural South Africa—and it shows—it’s not an entirely inadequate substitute for the Southern California desert landscape. In fact, it provides an interesting change of pace for this loosely connected series of standalone werewolf movies. I also find it rewarding to compare its elements with those of the original film. For example, Lamya Derval as Eleanor mirrors Elisabeth Brooks' Marsha Quist in a similar role. Again, it’s essentially the same story, but alterations in cast, setting, and plot details prevent it from feeling repetitive. The first time I saw this movie, I didn't even realize it was connected to the earlier one. It should be noted that Clive Turner continued his involvement with the franchise on 1989’s "Howling V: The Rebirth" and 1995’s "Howling: New Moon Rising." The film has a running time of approximately 1 hour, 33 minutes. Exterior shots of Los Angeles are included, with the opening hotel scene filmed in Fresno. GRADE: B-

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