Comments | animalogic: Wolf Man release date postponed

animalogic

Wolf Man release date postponed

Jul 28, 2009 19:25

www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php

I normally don't give a damn about remakes, see almost none, and am disappointed when I do. But in my estimation The Wolf Man is the weakest of the original Universal horrors, and thus the best candidate for a remake. I would still rather see a fresh werewolf story, either original or adapted from a novel, ( Read more... )

Comments 8

dfordoom July 29 2009, 02:58:41 UTC

But in my estimation The Wolf Man is the weakest of the original Universal horrors

I sort of agree, although I actually think the original Dracula is the weakest. Has there ever really been a truly great werewolf movie? The early 60s Hammer Curse of the Werewolf was pretty good. I mean, Oliver Reed as a werewolf - what's not to love? I think the best werewolf movie by far was The Company of Wolves.

But werewolf movies are so hard to do. It's so difficult not to make them look silly. Even with brilliant make-up, or fancy CGI, it's still so easy to end up with something that looks faintly ridiculous.

missautopsy July 29 2009, 05:15:40 UTC

Althouh much more modern, I have to say An American Werewolf in London is a classic and amazing werewolf movie. I dread the remake of this one though.

animalogic July 29 2009, 07:28:43 UTC

Has there ever really been a truly great werewolf movie?

That's the problem - there really hasn't been one. The mythology is fascinating and there has been some fine fiction about the werewolf. But it has not lent itself well to film in part for the reasons you mention and also because the theme of atavism is so much less sexy than vampirism, for example. The vampiric übermensch is erotic and film is an erotic medium. The werewolf shifts shapes due to an intense psychology - notoriously hard to film. And the result is hairy, matted, and filthy.

I'd probably vote Curse of the Werewolf as the best thus far, partly because as you say Oliver Reed. The man always seemed like he was about to transform anyway! I'll have to see The Company of Wolves again since I don't think I gave it a fair shake the first time around.

dfordoom July 29 2009, 07:50:28 UTC

I agree there's been some great werewolf fiction. I'm especially fond of Tanith Lee's Heart-Beast.

I think you're right about werewolves not being sexy enough to work in the film medium.

Thread 6

dfordoom July 29 2009, 03:16:42 UTC

in my estimation The Wolf Man is the weakest of the original Universal horrors

My favourites were Dracula's Daughter, Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Black Cat. With an honorable mention to the 1935 The Raven, with Lugosi and Karloff together again.

panmodal July 29 2009, 12:59:29 UTC

[I]n my estimation The Wolf Man is the weakest of the original Universal horrors

I was going to say, "Really??!, but on reflection you're probably right. It is the one I find myself going back to the most, though, maybe tied with the first half (i.e. the Larry Talbot bits) of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. I think I just like Larry.