The Old 'Switcher-oo'

[Patti Feinberg]

On the 4-pack movie I recently bought, there is "The Return of the Vampire", starring Bela.

It primarily takes places in WWII time London.

Bela's help-mate is a 'change-able' werewolf.

I thought EVERYTHING we know is that werewolves & vamps do NOT like each other.

Also, when I say 'change-able', the werewolf can change at will, and back again, easy-peasy.

(I think werewolf/vamp might exist in the "Twilight" series, I never watched them.)

Is there any lore where they can stand each other?

Also, I'll bring it up again....

Who's in 'the camp' in which VAMPIRES can deal with SILVER?

Who's in 'the camp' in which WEREWOLVES can deal with silver?

Even though the film is primarily during WWII, I don't think Bela deals with it.

Have there been other 'spooky' films taking place during wars (of which we were involved)?

It's never mentioned how the werewolf can literally switch back and forth from man to 'monster'.

[Gothick]

THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE is one of my favorite films.  Glad you got to enjoy it!

I think the idea of a feud or innate acrimony between vampires and werewolves was made up by the author of the Twilight books.  It might have been something that came up in modern pulp vampire and werewolf fiction such as the seemingly interminable books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and others.  I haven't read any of that, so I don't know.

The pre-Victorian lore about vampires, werewolves, Witches etc. was to say the least rather different from modern media images.  You can read books by S. Baring-Gould, the "Reverend" Montague Summers (who was quite a character in his own right), Claude Lecouteux (an excellent modern researcher of old lore) and others, if curious.

Best,  G.

[Gothick]

An interesting switch on anything else I've ever seen is offered in RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE in that the werewolf only shifts shape when he's under the vampire's control.  It was a psycho-physiological result of the young man, Andreas, being "infected" by the vampire's evil.  I thought that was an interesting take on lycanthropy.  It would be interesting to know just who came up with that idea.  I don't recall it occurring in any other film or TV show.

G.

[Patti Feinberg]

I thought on DS, the werewolf 'cowers' to the vamp (this may just be because of Barn's silver headed cane).

But, I'm reasonably sure I've seen other movies where they do not get along; primarily the werewolf is scared of the vampire (cuz a werewolf 'couldn't kill a vamp').

 

Patti