The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

A number of brutal, werewolf-like slayings begin occurring in a small California town after the arrival of an unfamiliar motorcyclist.Australian producer and writer Clive Turner must have been a real pleasure to work with considering his history of butting heads with directors for control of these films. Reportedly Roger Nall was the original director of this film, but, Turner wrestled control of it away from him and made it his own film, even going as far as to uncredit Nell from the entire project. Apparently he had always dreamed of making his own Howling film were he was in complete control and with "Howling 7" he finally got his vanity project. This thing had to be shot sometime in 1993-94, it even had an article in a summer 1994 Fangoria issue, but, finally got a DTV video release in October 1995 by freaking New Line Home Video YES Warner Bros. released this. The film tries to connect parts 4, 5, & 6 into a sensible story, but, as usual fails miserable. The original idea by Turner was to make the film entirely out of footage from Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988), Howling V: The Rebirth (1989), and Howling VI: The Freaks (1991), Characters who died in those films return with no explanation, and to make matters even worse Turner decided not to hire actual actors, but, just use the normal townspeople were filming was taking place. As a result the film was met with completely hostile reviews and Turner pretty much disappeared following its release for good. Today it remains the only film in the series to not have a DVD release in the US. Its truly a so bad its good viewing experience.

After reading the description of this film I thought it was similar to Howling VI: The Freaks since it's about a hitch hiker rolling into town but sadly it didn't quite have charm of Howling VI: The Freaks.The main problem like many people have said it lacks the Werewolf and I guess that's true. I didn't mind watching it, perhaps because I enjoy watching some movies that are so bad there funny. Clive Turner wrote, produced and directed this film and starred in it. His performance is good like in Howling V.Another interesting thing about this movie is that it tries to have a connection with Howling IV and Howling V with certain characters retuning or names being mentioned.Howling VII: Mystery Woman could of been greater if they had a higher budget that could of gave a greater Werewolf effect. Not a bad film though. 5/10

Truly awful :) So much so it's good - so maybe it should get a 5? Being a bit of a werewolf movie fan I did the Pokemon thing with The Howling and got the lot - all seven. Not only is this one definitely the worst of the bunch (forget all those Howling II comments!), it's the very worst werewolf movie ever - for SO many reasons! I love it! First off, the opening shots over the credits, the director can't direct, the cameraman can't frame the shots, the cutting room have no idea how to cut - it really does set the tone of the whole movie. The dialogue needs to be heard to be believed, especially the conversation in the bar about various ailments - seriously, you need to stick with this film. NOBODY can act, the script is awful, the characters are either characterLESS, wooden, or if you're feeling generous, quirky to a man / woman - check out the old bar owners. It gets better...the whole thing is set to a surreal Country and Western soundtrack, with plenty of line-dancing, yes, line dancing. The pace is pedestrian throughout, there's no tension, the plot simply isn't a plot. They use this 'wolf's eye filter thing' for kill shots (not that there's many of them) and the transformation scene is amazing! Take a photo of a person and another of some monkey creature that looks as much like a werewolf as the creature from the black lagoon, then get the cheapest freeware morph package you can find on 'Google' and you'll get the idea. I swear the background morphs into bits of the werewolf too. I warn you, watching this is an endurance exercise - a test of YOUR character - can you sit through it all WITHOUT fast-forwarding any of it (I couldn't... but then I'm no fan of Country Music). If you love werewolf movies, you MUST watch this - it sets the baseline against which to measure everything else. If you like vampire movies too and have seen Ankle Biters, Howling VII is a similar experience. Oh and did I mention the weird preacher that looks like Abe Lincolyn without his top hat and the sheriff in the white suit and that they flash back to chunks of the Howling IV and V and that the main guy is an Australian with a ponytail (Clive Turner), who is involved in one way or another in, yes you've guessed it, Howling IV and V? Now you'd have thought being an Ozzie he'd have been in in Howling III. Oh yes, this movie is special, sure nuff. Enjoy ;-)

Howling: New Moon Rising starts out in the open Californian desert as a police Inspector (John Ramsden) is faced with the skeletal remains of a man near the isolated locale of Pioneertown. Not only does he have to deal with skeletal remains he has to listen to Father John (Jack Huff) who works for the Church investigating supernatural & occult goings-on, Father John claims the man was victim to a Werewolf & that very Werewolf is about to mature into adulthood at which point it will be able to change other's into Werewolves & thus spreading it's race throughout the country. Meanwhile in Pioneertown a stranger named Ted Smith (Clive Turner, I will come back to this guy later...) has arrived, Ted finds the locals very hospitable as the owner of 'Happy Harriet's' gives him a job as a barman & they also let him have a room in their motel. However it quickly transpires that Ted may not be what he at first seems as some of the locals begin to become suspicious of him, for instance who was that drunk (Brett Owens) who seemed to know Ted & threatened to 'expose' him for what he really is? What do the locals of Pioneertown really know about Ted & can they trust him...This English production (at this point I'm embarrassed to be British) was edited, written, produced, directed & starred Clive Turner who really should never be let anywhere near a film camera again, ever. Howling: New Moon Rising was the seventh, & to date last, film in the Howling series that began with The Howling back in 1981. The best parts of Howling: New Moon Rising are the bits edited into it from two previous entries, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) & Howling V: The Rebirth (1989) which probably amount to a good 10 or so minutes. The script also tries to tie these films together & even mentions the events from the previous instalment Howling VI: The Freaks (1991). Now, as a horror film fan you have to be able to take a chance on a film that you have never heard of but will probably turn out to be complete & utter crap, it goes with the territory. Sometimes you will come across an absolute gem, while other times you find a film that will pass the time reasonably enough & then there's films like Howling: New Moon Rising which are the cinematic equivalent of having your trousers pulled down & having a large vegetable inserted into your rectum. Now I've had my fair share of cinematic vegetable insertions but every once in a while a film comes along so utterly awful that I wonder why I bother, Howling: New Moon Rising is such a film. It is devoid of any entertainment value whatsoever, just take my word for it this deserves it's pathetically low score on the IMDb.Director Turner makes one of the most awful films ever. There is no excitement, tension, atmosphere, blood or gore except in the scenes stolen from the other Howling films & the Werewolf in this one is on screen for all of 30 seconds & I kid you not. Add that to the fact that it's one of the most pathetic looking creations I've seen in a horror film for sometime & this really isn't much of a Werewolf film at all. Then there's the country & western music & the cringe inducing line dancing scenes, don't get me wrong I have nothing against either of these forms of recreational entertainment but here they are just plain embarrassing as every so often the film goes into a line dancing or musical number. The cowboy type clothing, hats, boots & general talk is, quite simply, embarrassing & frankly hideous. There are also elements of comedy like penis size & fart jokes, well I'd didn't find much to laugh at.Going straight-to-video technically Howling: New Moon Rising is rubbish, from the lame story, the unfunny comedy, the naff cowboy character's, the terrible special effects, the lack of any blood or gore & to cap it all off the acting is awful including editor, writer, producer & director Turner who has shoulder blade length hair & silly facial hair.This film is really bad & I've seen some absolute stinkers in my time, it even ends on a nice 'happily ever after' country & western singalong as the credits rolls. There is not one single aspect by which I could recommend Holwing: New Moon Rising to anyone, avoid at all costs & you have been warned!