Tag Archives: lycanthrope

Movie review – Wolf Manor (2023)

10 Friday Feb 2023

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There is enough talent in front of the screen in what is essentially a labour of love mixed with pangs of nostalgia over Britain’s celluloid history of lycanthrope horror. There is a healthy mix of nods to Hammer Films and the Gothic films produced under their banner and the Peter Cushing style veteran performing yet another battle against evil to satiate the hounds of the genre past. The most notable homage comes in arguably the greatest werewolf feature, An American Werewolf In London, with numerous quotes and references throughout the movie. 

Set in a quirky village town where a film crew has set up in an abandoned house to shoot a vampire flick, Wolf Manor takes a turn when they decide to hang back one more night to do some extensive reshoots. It just so happens that the night in question should fall on a full moon and with it the awakening of a lycanthrope appears to disembowel them one by one.

While the creative team of Director, Dominic Brunt, and writers Joel Ferrari and Pete Wild have a deep passion for the field in which they paint their narrative, it is evident that it lacks the killer punch that made these pioneer movies so great. There are moments where they try to ignite that instinctive attraction through the British wit upon which the nation has produced some comedy gold, but no matter how hard the talented James Fleet taps into that humour, it is often served cold and the tumbleweeds drift by with ease.

Despite the obvious tweaky script and gaps in depth of character, Wolf Manor does boast some nice special effects; a combination of prosthetics, make up and visual effects weaving together and grounding the supernatural elements. 

The Prognosis:

I had high hopes before watching this, such is my love of the doomed lusus naturae, but it falls foul of trying to live up to and replicating werewolf features of yester-year rather than creating an identity of its own. Sometimes, you have to break free of rigidity for creativity to be unleashed. Unfortunately it took its inspiration literally, staying on the road and keeping clear of the moors. Just imagine what could have happened if it dared to stray into the wilderness.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Cursed (2005)

18 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in retrospective, wes craven's the scream years

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Wes Craven: The Scream years part 5 – Cursed (2005)

What should have been a dream project for Wes Craven outside of his involvement in the Scream franchise, combining once again with his writing partner Kevin Williamson would end up being something of a nightmare by the time of its theatrical release.

Boosting its potential recipe for success was a high-hitting young talent to draw in the crowds, with Christina Ricci and Jesse Eisenberg playing the siblings and our lead protagonists, ably supported by Joshua Jackson and Judy Greer.

Chief among the downfall of this werewolf flick was a case of the producers muddying the waters of creativity by insisting on making numerous changes to the script and the production, including ditching creature feature effects by the hands of the late great Rick Baker, and implanting computer generated imagery into the fold. I might be biased in this category, as I’m a huge fan of make-up prosthetics and man-made creature effects, but the CGI here is incredibly dated and looks woefully bad looking back 17 years after it had initially hit screens.

The dialogue is incredibly clunky now and it’s evident upon viewing that a lot of changes have been made to the script as it jars in several places, throwing the viewer out of the picture.

There were reshoots upon reshoots upon reshoots, as the powerhouse company kept demanding changes, proving to be one colossal headache for Craven. Supposedly these original cut versions still exist but whether they will see the light of day or be subjected to the darkness remains to be seen.

For now the version we got sees siblings Ellie (Ricci) and Jimmy (Eisenberg) at odds with one another, their relationship stifled growing up together under the cloud of their parents death. Their bond becomes stronger though when they are involved in a car accident when they are attacked by a creature. The creature we learn later is a lycanthrope, and Ellie and Jimmy go about their separate ways to uncover the truth behind the attack with a whodunnit style approach to their amatuer sleuthing before we reach the reveal and the climax of the movie.

Cursed suffers under the weight of mis-managed production but there is still life in the movie, not to be completely dismissed or left for dead. The film contains flickers of a pulse (ironic as the American remake of Pulse was initially going to be a Craven project, before he was pulled into making this movie instead) and there are moments where the Williamson humour is allowed to surface. It would have been so cool to have seen Craven’s initial vision, but unfortunately it would suffer a similar fate to A Vampire in Brooklyn, where the trust in Craven is quashed. Maybe he should have steered clear of the Gothic-style inspirations and kept carving out his own macabre musings, but when the wind forces you in one direction, you have no choice but to bow. A great shame.

  • Saul Muerte

Related Links:

Movie Review: Scream (2022)

10 Scream inspired movies

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Retrospective: Scream (1996)

Retrospective: Scream 2 (1997)

Retrospective: Scream 3 (2000)

Retrospective: Wolfen (1981)

24 Saturday Jul 2021

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1981 proved to be big hitters for wolf kind with three notable films leaning into the subject in their own unique way.
While most people will have heard of John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London for its broad strokes of horror blended with comedy and creature fx, or Joe Dante’s The Howling for its pulpy investigative tale of lycanthropy, but the third feature among the group, Wolfen starring Albert Finney may not readily spring to mind.

Possibly this is because the nature of the film doesn’t play with the true mythology surrounding werewolves, but rather that of an American Indian legend based on wolf spirits.

The film also plays with the ‘whodunnit’ detective story, following Finney’s Detective Dewey Wilson, who is called back into the police force when a high profile murder warrants a guru to put a final stop to the murders that have been taking place throughout New York. The victims who have the common traits of supposed animal attacks at its core. 

Wilson is teamed up with criminal psychologist, Detective Rebecca Neff (Diane Venora) in a partnership that has all the hallmarks of an early Mulder and Scully vibe. Neff’s insights into the science and animalistic behaviour evidenced at the muder scene, helps to solidify their enquiry.

Early on in the piece, the pair are attacked by an unseen creature, barely surviving their ordeal at an abandoned church, which forms a tighter bond and highlights that their investigations have something more paranormal in origin.

The remainder of the film plays with the spiritual side of nature, suggesting that despite the hallmarks of a potential terrorist activity behind the murders, that there is a pack of God-like beings with wolf traits known as spirits or shapeshifters are the true cause. It is this angle that definitely sets it apart from AAWIL and The Howling, and possibly why it didn’t manage to make its mark in comparison. It’s a shame because the psychological component that is played with as a humanity versus nature, and our base animalistic behaviour that is drawn upon for survival is one that is deeply compelling and told in an engaging way, supported by the strong performances on show by Finney. Detective Dewey is a great character and one that Dustin Hoffman had his eyes on at one stage, which says a lot to his appeal and strength. As is the other cast members, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines, Tom Noonan, all of whom provide compelling characters to support the narrative.

It also boasted at the time a refreshing approach to the killer’s perspective using a thermography technique, now closely associated with films like Predator. 

Sure it doesn’t have the same fanfare as the other werewolf flicks that year, but it had a strong, mature approach to its storytelling that shouldn’t be neglected.

  • Saul Muerte

Podcast: Full Moon Sessions – Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Full Moon Sessions, The Howling franchise, Uncategorized

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Crazed lycanthropes. Check.

A Wiccan cult lead by a vivacious vamp. Check.

A random dwarf. Err…Check.

And Christopher Lee donning some awesome shades whilst blending into a night club scene. Hell yes.

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French born, Australian film director, Philippe Mora takes the original movie, based on the Gary Brandner novels, takes it by the scruff of the mane and literally shakes the living shit out of it, so that it’s hardly recognisable anymore.

There is a notion that sequels are made to improve upon or enhance a franchise, but here, Mora takes the essence of the original and adds his unique flavour to the mix.

With Sybil Danning serving as his muse by playing the enchantress, Stirba, Howling 2 is a feast on the eyes and plays with your senses.

It’s an acquired taste that has gained a cult following as a result.

And would mark a strange and interesting direction that would prove to not be the last of the franchise, nor the last time that Mora would return to the director’s chair, as he would steer the follow up, Howling III: The Marsupials.

Check out more in the Full Moon Sessions podcast below to get the point of view from The Surgeons.

  • “Howling Mad Moon” MacGuire