OT: The Wolfman

[PennyDreadful]

Anybody catch the new Wolfman yet?  A lot of the DS werewolf folklore comes directly from Curt Siodmak's classic 'Wolf Man' screenplay.

I have to say, overall, I liked the new movie.   It featured great gothic atmosphere - fog-shrouded moors, creepy derelict mansions, full moons, silver bullets and a great, classic-looking werewolf makeup by Rick Baker.  

 My main gripes were:

 Del Toro wasn't sympathetic enough.  I didn't get misty-eyed like I do when watching the classic Chaney Jr. original.  Chaney conveyed great pathos in the role.  Lon's Larry Talbot was a nice guy who was doomed to suffer a terrible fate.  Del Toro's Talbot was more of a brooding type, and just wasn't as likable as Chaney or even Chris Jennings for that matter.  Still, it was a valid interpretation given the character's backstory.

 I was a little disappointed that they eliminated the pentagram folklore.  There's a certain mystical element the "mark of the pentagram" brings to the werewolf legend and I missed that aspect.

 There's also a fight scene I wasn't too keen on but I won't say more about that.

 Despite these criticisms, I thought the film was good and quite enjoyable.  Its heart was in the right place and it was nice to see a gothic horror-styled film in theaters (which is pretty rare these days).  

 ~Penny~  

[Mark Rainey]

Glad to hear you enjoy it. I expect to see it this weekend; looking forward to it. The original is one of my favorite old classics.

[The Doctor and K9]

Forget what the critics said.  They have probably never seen the original.  I enjoyed the moive very much. I was impressed with the way they fleshed out the original story with some interesting new materail. I think the critics were exepcting an Underworld wannabe

[Mary]

I loved the new Wolfman!  I noted several DS references, along with references to other werewolf movies (such as The Wolf Man, An American Werwolf in London, and Curse of the Werewolf).  I wish I could find some site or somewhere that listed all of the intended references so I could find out if I missed any, or if any of the ones I noticed were just coincidence.  PennyDreadful, the fight scene you weren't too keen on to me was hilariously cheesy and I think referenced a couple of Paul Naschy Waldemar-the-werewolf movies (LOL!).  

[PennyDreadful]

Hey Mary,  I caught references to 'Werewolf of London,' 'Curse of the Werewolf,' and 'American Werewolf in London' and I agree there were definitely some Paul Naschy nods in there!   I also couldn't help but be reminded of Alex Stevens' wild-eyed, snarling DS werewolf at certain points in the film.

The pentagram DOES appear in Del Toro's palm during his first transformation.  I saw the movie again and it's definitely there, if only for 3 seconds or so. 

I wish Del Toro had been a bit more sympathetic as Talbot.  He was fine, but was a bit glum from the get-go.  Given his back-story this makes sense I suppose, but the script (and director) doesn't allow the actor enough range in his performance.  I really felt for Lon Chaney Jr. in the classic film.  I think we needed a bit more from the protagonist in this version.  Despite some of my gripes, I did enjoy the film.

~Penny~

[Zahir]

Here is my review:  http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/2010/02/wolfman-review.html

An excerpt...

...I will admit the flick has a lot of red herrings, of which the biggest is the presence of Gypsies. In the original, they were the source of the first werewolf to appear. Not so, this time. The medallion of the mysterious Saint remains a secret (although methinks maybe Laurence's brother might have begun to suspect the truth). Hugo Weaving's character, a Scotland Yard Inspector partially suggested by Frederick Abberline (of Jack the Ripper fame), seems a tad under-used. Frankly some of the criticisms of his part I've read make no sense. He does not, in fact, believe in werewolves until he sees one transform in front of his own eyes. Up until that moment he clearly assumed the killer to be a madman...

[Mary]

Hi Penny!  Glad to know I'm not the only one familiar with Paul Naschy -- LOL!

Oh my gosh, I saw the movie twice also and I totally missed the pentagram appearing in Del Toro's palm the first time he transforms -- ack!  I'll have to check it out when I buy the DVD like the first minute it comes out -- LOL!

I agree with you about Del Toro.  He was good but I wish he would have shown a little more personality or something.

Hey Zahir -- I loved your conclusion at the end of your review about your wishes for the sequel -- LOL!

[Philippe Cordier]

I bought the DVD of the original movie recently and am hoping to view it soon. I've only seen it once before, only a few years ago, and have fond memories of it. I hope the original movie lives up to my feelings of anticipation!

Zahir, your review of the new "Wolf Man" was interesting to read. I was also intrigued by your writeup about a Polish TV version of "Carmilla." A faithful adaptation of LeFanu's novella ... it sounds too good to be true; but then it is, since it's unavailable to U.S. audiences. I studied this work with a fine-tooth comb two or three years ago ... I was so intrigued with the timeline and figuring out precisely the year - or decade - when the novel was set, using the prologues of all of the stories of "In a Glass Darkly" in my attempt. There was also something with the ancestry that intrigued me and I remember drawing up some charts - no idea where my handwritten notes are now.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It's looking like bad reviews and stiff competition are taking their toll on this movie. Of the three movies that opened in major release along with it, it's the least successful. And even though Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Valentine's Day might appeal to a wider demographic, what's really against The Wolfman is that it cost $150 million, yet it's so far only made back $57 million of that and isn't likely to make back its money from domestic boxoffice alone. It probably does't have a chance to break even, much less make a profit, until foreign boxoffice and DVD rentals/sales are factored in...

I guess it just goes to show that vampires are more popular than werewolves.  And I guess we should be glad that the Depp/DS movie is focusing on Barnabas and not Quentin and/or Chris.  

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Excerpts from Box Office Mojo - End-of-Run Report

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Princess and the Frog and The Wolfman and other high profile pictures officially ended their box office runs on Thursday, April 1. In other words, their distributors decided to stop tracking them, even though they may still be playing at a handful of theaters. For instance, New Moon, which has been out on video since Mar. 20, continued to show on at least five theaters, while Wolfman still haunted over 100 sites.

...

"April 1 also saw the end of another werewolf-themed picture, albeit a far less popular one. The Wolfman took a silver bullet after just 49 days of release, ending up with $62 million. It was actually more front-loaded than New Moon, nabbing $31.5 million its first weekend or 51 percent of its total. As disappointing as its returns may seem, Wolfman still had an above average performance for a werewolf movie, a sub-genre that typically sees little theatrical interest and that mainly rises only when vampires are involved, such as in the Twilight and Underworld franchises."