Werewolf Films

Today's edition of Sounds of Cinema kicked off the month long Halloween theme with a look at werewolf movies. Here is a review of the films discussed on the show as well as some additional pictures.

The Wolf-Man (1941)
The Wolf-Man is part of the ensemble of classic Universal Monsters that includes Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy. This film came comparatively late in that cycle, premiering a decade after the release of Todd Browning’s Dracula and James Whale’s Frankenstein. As a result it has a more polished look than those films and it benefits from a familiar cast of other Universal horror actors including Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi. The title role of The Wolf-Man was played by Lon Chaney Jr., and the actor brought a lot of charm and sympathy to the role. Like many of the other Universal Monsters, Chaney’s Wolf-Man was a tragic figure and just as Bela Lugosi’s turn as Dracula and Boris Karloff’s iteration of Frankenstein’s Monster defined those characters for all time, so Lon Chaney Jr.’s performance as The Wolf-Man did much to define the lycanthropy genre.


The Wolfman (2010)
In 2010 a remake of the 1941’s The Wolf-Man was attempted by director Joe Johnston, with Benicio del Toro cast in the title role. Although it featured some impressive talents in front and behind the camera the finished film wasn’t very good. The production was chaotic with the project passing through multiple directors and Joe Johnston was assigned to the project just three weeks before principle photography. This finished film had less to do with the 1941 picture and much more in common with subsequent werewolf movies such as An American Werewolf in London and The Howling but even in comparison to those pictures, the remake of The Wolf-Man wasn’t very successful. It was originally intended as a gothic horror story but, perhaps in response to the torture films that were popular at that time, it also featured copious amounts of gore and put an emphasis on action instead of terror. However, the music score by Danny Elfman is quite fun.


The Howling (1981)
The Howling is a unique entry in the werewolf genre. Most of these films are about single individuals who are stricken with lycanthropy and the stories often take place in the woods or other isolated places. The Howling introduced werewolves to the city and imagined lycanthropes living together as a social group. The film was immensely influential in part because of its new approach to the werewolf story but also because of its makeup effects which were ground breaking at the time.


The Howling II (1985)
After the success of The Howling, a follow up was put into production and the result was one of the most bizarrely disastrous sequels ever made. The Howling II teams up the brother of the survivor of the first film with a werewolf hunter played by Christopher Lee. They journey to Eastern Europe and uncover a cult of werewolves led by a matriarch played by Sybil Danning. The movie is nearly incomprehensible with a convoluted plot, terrible special effects, and hammy performances. The movie is also frequently and unintentionally hilarious and because of that, Howling II is one of those rare features that is so bad that it is trashy fun.


An American Werewolf in London (1981)
An American Werewolf in London was directed by John Landis, who was generally known for comedies like Animal House and The Blues Brothers. It’s unsurprising then that An American Werewolf in London includes almost as much humor as horror. The film was especially notable for its special effects and renowned makeup artist Rick Baker won the Best Makeup Oscar for his work on this film. Interestingly, the transformation and werewolf makeup of An American Werewolf in London were very similar to that seen in The Howling, which was released the same year. Rick Baker had initially agreed to do The Howling but left that production to work on An American Werewolf in London, leaving his protégé Rob Bottin in charge of the effects for The Howling. A sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris, was released in 1997. The film wasn’t well received although it is notable as an early entry in the filmographies of Julie Delpy and Julie Bowen.


Teen Wolf (1985)
One of the many werewolf films to be released in the mid-1980s was Teen Wolf, a high school comedy starring Michael J. Fox. Teen Wolf is unique in that it played against the typical werewolf clichés. Instead of making Fox’s character a monstrous outcast, lycanthropy actually sends him to the top of the high school queue, especially after his werewolf powers make him the star of the basketball team. Teen Wolf is an absurd movie and a noticeably cheap production but it’s also very charming and has inspired a very dedicated cult audience. Despite being a movie that was anticipated to disappear after its theatrical run, Teen Wolf has thrived, subsequently inspiring a sequel, a Saturday morning cartoon, and it has recently been reimagined as a dramatic television series for MTV.


Skinwalkers (2006)
As has happened with vampires, many of the more recent werewolf movies have added some gradation to these creatures, making them more than violent monsters, and put an emphasis on social relationships. Skinwalkers tells the story of a teenage boy who discovers that his family are beneficent werewolves who have protected him from a warring clan of violent wolf-men.


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
The third Harry Potter film is one of the better entries in the series, partly due to inspired direction by filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón but also due to better source material. The Prisoner of Azkaban introduced a complexity in the story and characters that would come to distinguish the Harry Potter films. This entry introduced a new character, Professor Lupin, played by David Thewlis, and as his last name suggests he is a werewolf. Series creator J.K. Rowling has commented that Lupin’s lycanthropy was a metaphor for mental illness.


I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
This drive-in feature was one of American International Pictures's most successful productions and it led to a series of I Was a Teenage . . . spin offs. The film is also notable as the feature debut of Michael Landon in the title role.


Ginger Snaps (2000)
This werewolf picture focuses on a pair of death obsessed teenagers who are struck with lycanthropy. The film has inspired an entire series of films and is well regarded for its intelligence and black humor.


The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
The Hammer film studio put out a tremendous number of horror films in the 1960s and 70s and the studio is best known for its Dracula pictures starring Christopher Lee. But Hammer only put out a single werewolf picture: The Curse of the Werewolf, starring Oliver Reed in his first lead role. The Curse of the Werewolf is unique in its genre. The film is set in 18th century Spain and Oliver Reed’s character is not bitten by a wolf. Rather, his lycanthropy is a product of his conception. As dramatized in the opening of the film, his character was the outcome of a sexual assault and as a result the lycanthropy metaphor of this film takes on a decisively different and more disturbing tone than other werewolf pictures. Originally released in 1961, The Curse of the Werewolf had a lot of trouble with British and American censors and only recently has the original cut of the film been restored.


Wolf (1994)
Wolf stars Jack Nicholson as a senior book editor who is bitten by a wolf and gradually becomes more aggressive, adopting canine traits and eventually transforming into a wolf-like creature. The filmmakers and makeup artists made interesting choices for the transformation. Instead of going for full makeup when Nicholson’s character is overcome by the beast he instead sprouts fangs and grows sideburns. The minimalist makeup approach is unique but it also frequently looks silly, more so than full monster makeup. Wolf was directed by Mike Nichols, who was a proven director, having helmed Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Carnal Knowledge, and Postcards from the Edge, but his repertoire hadn’t included horror or action pictures and it shows in this film. The non-horror parts of the movie play very well and Wolf has some great comic moments but the frights and the thrills aren’t so well done. The movie references some of the signature visuals of 1941’s The Wolf-Man but ironically Wolf is most similar in style and tone to 1982’s Cat People.


The Company of Wolves (1984)
An early feature from director Neil Jordon, The Company of Wolves is more of a fantasy film than a horror picture and it will probably appeal to cult audiences but the film is an intelligent take on fairytales.


Dog Soldiers (2002)
In this Predator-like story, a group of British soldiers on a routine training mission find themselves under siege by a group of werewolves. The film is one of the better combinations of action and horror and a notable early directorial effort by filmmaker Neil Marshall who went on to make The Descent and Centurion.


Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
The third and best film in the Underworld series is a prequel that explains the origin the vampire-werewolf feud. Actors Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen elevate the B-movie material with earnest performances.


The Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)
While not strictly a werewolf film, it merits mention. Taking place in 18th century France, a wolf-like creature haunts the countryside and a broad group of characters attempt to stop it, gradually uncovering a bigger mystery in the process. Even though the plot is at times confusing The Brotherhood of the Wolf is a tremendous spectacle with some fascinating imagery.