Alpha Wolf (2018)

_**Cabin-in-the-woods werewolf flick in rural SoCal with Casper Van Dien**_ A man & wife (Van Dien & Jennifer Wenger) retreat to a vacation house in the arid backwoods outside L.A., but run afoul of a werewolf-like creature. Once someone is bit all hell breaks loose on the full moon. Patrick Muldoon and the hulking Robert Allen Mukes are also on hand. “Alpha Wolf” (2018) is surprisingly good for what it is, a TV-budget werewolf flick, which pretty much meshes “Dire Wolf,” aka “Dinowolf” (2009), and “Wolves” (2014). If you appreciate those ones, you’ll like this too. Like “Dire Wolf” it’s mostly serious but with a fitting wink of amusement. The alpha male angle is intriguing and the script even throws in something original for a werewolf movie in regards to the curious naked dude (Tyler Gallant). One eye-rolling sequence involves the couple’s first assault by a hairy man-like creature. They brush it off as if a normal animal radically attacked them when it’s glaring that it’s ANYTHING BUT. If you can roll with this flaw (and the CGI gore), this is a worthwhile werewolf flick that should be enjoyed by anyone who values Grade B horror, especially the cabin-in-the-woods variety, whether the antagonist is a werewolf, sasquatch, slasher, bear or otherwise. While petite Jennifer Wenger is perfectly agreeable as the female protagonist, Raquel Woodruff stands out in the beauty department; too bad her part wasn’t bigger. Regardless, it’s nice to have a director (Kevin VanHook) who knows how to photograph women for a change (and I’m not tawkin’ bout nudity, although Raquel has a top nude scene for those who care). Casper & Jennifer were married five months before the movie’s release. Meanwhile Van Dien and Muldoon appeared together in the cult flick “Starship Troopers” (1997). The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in Southern Cal at Topanga Canyon, Acton and Ramona (Exteriors & Woods). GRADE: B