MovieChat Forums > Scream of the Wolf (1974) Discussion > Anyone Read the Short Story?

Anyone Read the Short Story?

posted 15 years ago by seemore-3
4 replies | jump to latest

Just wondering if anyone has read the short story "The Hunter" by David Case on which this movie was based.

I read it years ago and absolutely loved it. It was rich with atmosphere of the damp, foggy English moors and really caught the oppression of a small village under the threat of an unknown killer. As a result I was totally depressed by the movie as it missed the atmosphere of the original story by miles.

People should also check out the fantastic short stories, "The Dead End" and "The Cell" by David Case also. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has enjoyed the story version of The Hunter, etc.

[–] darren_b-1 14 years ago

I'll put David Case on my book list and try to read that. This movie was pretty good, for what it is. Great performance from the bad guy and some atmospheric foggy night shots. Interesting themes as well.

[–] CooperCamden 12 years ago

I did read "The Hunter" quite recently, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Obviously a derivative of "The Most Dangerous Game".

As we both know, it wasn't a wolf. That's all I'll say.

[–] ianvanarkadie 12 years ago

More years ago than I care to remember I was tasked with clearing out an old school library. The school had closed down and the site had been taken over by the local technical college. The library stock was atrocious, but one morning I came across a battered paperback horror anthology (it was either part of Pan or the Fontana series that were popular in Britain the late 60s and early 70s - though it was the late '80s that I found it). "The Hunter" was included and took up most of the volume so it's almost a novella rather than a short story. I thought it was brilliant. As I recall it's set on Dartmoor and focuses on a series of highly grusome murders which the Police fail to solve and which cause widespread unease with rumours of supernatural forces at work. The film does follow the general storyline of the book and the ending is very effective, if a little unbelievable. I'm not sure if the actual animal Case used - which I won't name - has the characteristics in real life that he attributes to it. A few years ago I got talking to a Norwegian mountain guide who was a retired army major. He said that this particular animal is actually somewhat shy and retiring. Never mind, hopefully I'll never encounter one so I want have to put it to the test. A cracking good yarn!

[–] pcurrey69 10 years ago

Guessing the book HAD to be a lot better than the movie. I found the movie horrible and based on lies, misleading setups, an expert that can't read the most basic of tracks. Some items just irritated me like hunting for "it" and when hear something, put gun in wrong hand to get flashlight (seriously wth?! what sane person would ever do this on the entire planet in all of history) then run so blindly you smack into a car.
Tried to teach a friend, who was rather preppy, to hunt and it was a nightmare.. but, he still didn't try to hunt with gun in wrong hand or run into a car!!!!

/I read 'Jurassic Park' and thought it was excellent. Thought the movie was mediocre at best.