The Howling

The Howling is a 1981 horror film that takes a long, long time to work the werewolf into the story. Patrick Macnee plays the protagonist's therapist. John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Robert Picardo, Kenneth Tobey, and Kevin McCarthy have parts. There are cameos by Roger Corman and Forrest J. Ackerman. It's definitely worth seeing once.

trailer:

Moria says,

Without the jokes, The Howling would otherwise be a competent B film – but for one scene. It was a scene that made audiences at the time sit up and pay attention and turned The Howling into a cult film – this being the scene in the middle of the film where Robert Picardo transforms into a werewolf. It is a show-stopping set-piece that for once and all put the old Lon Chaney-type lap dissolves into their grave.

1000 Misspent Hours praises it saying, "...director Joe Dante was not content merely to make a conventional werewolf movie with state-of-the-art special effects, ... The Howling forges boldly on into unexplored territory." Slant Magazine gives it 4 out of 5 stars. Roger Ebert isn't a fan. There's a 66% critics rating at Rotten Tomatoes.