|
The Wolf ManRating:
Release Date: 28 August, 2001 Retail Price: $24.98 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (11 total) |
The Wolf Man Reviews
The Definitive Werewolf Classic!
I can't praise this movie highly enough, it is not only the best of the universal monsters series and one of the greatest werewolf films ever made certainly the definitive treatment, but also one of my all time favourite movies. Lon Chaney turns in an outstanding credible performance worthy of his father the legendary man of a thousand faces, actually the entire cast is outstanding, Claude Rains, Maria Ouspenskaya and Bela Lugosi.
The script by Curt Siodmak is marvellous, borrowing from genuine werewolf folklore and adding its own. The plot device of having the werewolf see the pentagram on the palm of it's next victim is truly ingenious and I don't know why it was never utilised in any of the sequels or any other werewolf films for that matter.
The score by Frank Skinner and Han J Salter is so haunting, and has a nice rich romantic sound to it, especially the cues used in the gypsy camp, if only The Wolf Man weren't a b movie it probably would have won an Oscar.
Lastly it must be said that Jack Pierce's make up and John P Faulton's werewolf transformations really go along way in making this film, who could ever forget the image of the wolf man walking through the fog shrouded forest in search of fresh victims.
The Mother of All Werewolf Movies!
Okay, so Universal Studios' 1941 classic, "The Wolf Man," wasn't the first werewolf film ever made. It is still, by far, the most widely known and loved. I mean, what werewolf is more iconic than the one Lon Chaney Jr. made famous?
The story begins with a look at an encyclopedia definition of "Lycanthropy" (werewolfism), making reference to the English village and Talbot Castle that are the settings of the film. We then meet young Larry Talbot, played by Lon Chaney Jr., being driven by a chauffer to his family home, Talbot Castle. Larry has returned, after living in America for many years, to take over the family estate after his older brother was killed in a hunting accident. We learn all this when Larry arrives and is greeted by his father, Sir John Talbot, played by the wonderful Claude Rains. Sir John is an amiable fellow, but still a bit stiff and stuck on propriety. Larry is a laid-back, American-style, "average Joe" type. It's clear that he left Talbot Castle due to the friction caused by being the younger son, second in-line for everything, but he is happy to be back and among family and friends.
Father and son happily agree to put the past behind them and settle Larry into his birthright together, and we soon find Larry and John in the observatory, where Larry works to install a new piece onto Sir John's telescope. Impressed by Larry's skill with his hands, Sir John leaves him alone to finish up. Big mistake! You can't leave Larry alone with a telescope! Larry is the Wolf-Man, after all! Ha, seriously. First thing Larry does is "accidentally" aim it at a bedroom in the nearby village, one just above Charles Conliffe's antique shop. Through the window, he discovers Conliffe's daughter, Gwen, played by the lovely Evelyn Ankers, putting on earrings as she finishes dressing. Naturally, being the wolf that he is, Larry hotfoots it over to the antique shop, and who could blame him? Gwen IS a hottie. If you think the waifish actresses we have nowadays are hot, get a load of 1940s dames! Anyway, Larry arrives and commences to put the moves on Gwen. He decides he is in the market for an antique walking stick. Gwen pokes fun at Larry, saying the dog-handled cane would suit him best, but he settles on a can with a silver, wolf's head handle instead. The handle also features a wolf inside a pentagram, which sparks Larry's curiosity. Gwen proceeds to give Larry a quick lesson on werewolves, as he has no idea what they are. She informs him that the pentagram is the mark of the werewolf, and that he sees it in the palm of his next victim's hand. At the heart of her brief tutorial is the first recitation of the film's legendary poem, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." Larry gets a kick out of the cane's side-story and decides to purchase it. He also makes a date to take Gwen out later that evening at eight, though she insists she cannot go out with him. As Larry exits and Gwen follows, the two see a gypsy cart traveling down the street. Larry suggests that they make their date a visit to the gypsy camp for a fortune reading, though Gwen continues to insist that she will not be coming along. Later on, Larry relays the day's events to his father, Sir John, who is happy to hear that his son is taking an interest in the townsfolk, and who also seems to know the little poem about werewolves that Gwen recited earlier. Werewolves are very popular around Talbot Castle!
8 o'clock comes around, as it always does, and Larry shows up outside the antique shop for his would-be date. Gwen is there too, waiting for him, though she still insists that she can't go. Sure, that's why she brought a chaperone along. Oh, yes, she brought a friend to make sure there was no funny business. You know how hot girls usually have unattractive best-friends around to ruin everything? Well, Gwen Conliffe has Jenny Williams. The three set off together, laughing about the situation as if they were off to see the wizard. As they walk through the eerie woods, Jenny brings up the old werewolf poem again. Clearly, the girls in this village have a werewolf fetish...hmm... When they find the old gypsy cart, Jenny asks to be the first, and Larry and Gwen are only too happy to allow it. Inside, the mysterious and off-putting Bela (the legendary Bela Lugosi) begins to read Jenny's fortune, but clearly he is having health problems. Jenny is disturbed when she notices the pentagram shaped scar on Bela's forehead. Meanwhile, outside and already a distance away, Gwen enlightens Larry as to why she has been so resistant to him. It seems that she is already engaged to the Talbot Estate's gamekeeper, Frank Andrews. Well, this doesn't stop the two from giving each other goo-goo eyes, but they are interrupted when a panicked Jenny sends out a scream in the night as she is attacked by a wolf while fleeing Bela's gypsy cart. Larry rushes to Jenny's aid but is too late to save her. He does, however, manage to kill the wolf that attacked her by beating it to death with the silver handle of his cane. Unfortunately, not before being bitten by the beast himself!
And that's just the half of it! "Whoever is bitten by a werewolf and lives, becomes a werewolf himself!"
A masterpiece and one of the classic "big three" of Universal horror, "The Wolf Man" is a must see film! Half hero, half villain, Lon Chaney Jr. turns in a performance to make his poppa proud! The makeup effects and attention to detail are phenomenal too. The Wolf Man even walks with his heels off the ground! Sure, he's fully dressed (minus shoes and socks), but he still strikes a more imposing figure than you might think! That face is totally wild! There's great chemistry between Lon and the lovely Evelyn Ankers, and the writing throughout the film is pure poetry. Claude Rains and Maria Ouspenskaya are unforgettable in their supporting roles too! A triumph in mood and style, an achievement of paranoia and fear, a study on dual identity and primitive instincts, a film that has inspired countless werewolf films since and several sequels of its own, "The Wolf Man" is still one of the best werewolf films ever made, and it's 65 years old! Props to Universal Studios and director George Waggner for that enormous achievement! Available on DVD in various forms and on VHS, I recommend the "Wolf Man Legacy Collection" 2-disc DVD set to the real werewolf fanatics out there. It also includes the sequel, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man," along with "Werewolf of London," "She-Wolf of London," and a handful of fun bonus features. However, if you just want to see the original Universal Studios/Lon Chaney, Jr. classic, look no further! Pick this edition up today! You'll be glad you did! It's great for repeat midnight viewings!
More Customer Reviews (19 total)
You like The Wolf Man?
|
© 2004, 2005, 2006 DVD Booty | Don't Plunder Our Cache of Booty, Matey!
Hosting made possible by donations from payday, Debt Relief Clearing House, and Christian debt management programs
