People are like sponges. We walk through life absorbing all sorts of things -- sights, sounds, ideas, etc. And, at times, we regurgitate those things, typically in conversations, or, if you are in school, on a test or in a paper. Creative people are even more highly tuned to absorbing things from their environment, as anything has the potential for being an idea. And, for most in the arts, when it comes time to create something, the result is a combination of many influences from their lives. The challenge is knowing how to filter these ideas and past experiences so that they simply aren't a jumble of environmental factors. If care isn't given with this, the result could be something like The Howling Reborn.

High school senior Will Kidman (Landon Liboiron) had felt like an outsider most of his life. Will's mother (Ivana Milicevic) died in childbirth and he lives with his father (Frank Schorpion), and their relationship is good. At school, Will spends most of his time longing for Eliana Winter (Lindsey Shaw), but she's out of his league and she has a boyfriend, Roland (Niels Schneider). Will's best friend, Sachin (Jesse Rath), tells Will to forget about her and to be careful, as Roland has noticed Will's looks at Eliana. But then, things begin to change. Will is invited to an exclusive party in the school's basement where he dances with Eliana, but the fun comes to an end when Will becomes convinced that he's being chased by some sort of creature. Then, Will starts to experience some physical changes, and begins to wonder if he could be a werewolf. It then becomes obvious that there is a pack of werewolves at the school, and, for some reason, they're after Will. As the night of the blue moon approaches, Will must find a way to save himself.

The title The Howling Reborn implies that this may be the rebirth of the werewolf movie that many have been waiting for. Well, as with Wes Craven's Cursed, the result doesn't live up to any promises. However, if you can look past the way that the movie flaunts its "inspirations" and plot-holes like the fate of Will's mother, you will find a werewolf movie which has just enough mystery and action to make it worth renting at least.

The Howling Reborn is yet another movie where the kids go to a high school which is nicer than most colleges on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 20 Mbps. The image is fairly sharp and clear, showing only a hint of grain at times and no defects from the source materials. The colors look good, but the image is slightly dark at times. The transfer looks good, but it is a bit flat, not showing the sort of crispness and depth which we've come to know from Blu-ray Disc (this may be a reflection of the film's low-budget nature). The Disc carries a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 4.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. This is a solid track, as it takes advantage of the audio opportunities in the film. The growls of the werewolves offer some subwoofer action, and the scene in which Will is pursued provides notable surround and stereo effects.

The Howling Reborn Blu-ray Disc contains only a few extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Writer/Director Joe Mimziki and Lindsey Shaw. "The Making of The Howling Reborn" (30 minutes) contains a wealth of cast and filmmaker interviews, along with on-set footage. The piece examines the story, the casting, the effects, and the look of the werewolves. We get to see some audition footage, as well the choosing of the locations. The only other extra is a "Storyboard Gallery".