A werewolf is also known as a lycanthrope or in Greek λυκάνθρωπος, tales of werewolves are found in most cultures and it's natural that they found their way into films. Lon Chaney Jnr was the star of the 1941 film The Wolf Man which has fantastic atmosphere, there were of course movies before that but it's one that i fondly remember.
In Greek mythology, Lycaon was transformed into a wolf as a result of eating human flesh, this brings up an interesting theory that tales of werewolves were used to explain serial killers because it was thought inhuman that one person could kill so many or commit such atrocious acts, just like a werewolf, a serial killer commits acts of mutiliation and cannibalism and usually does it in cycles, thus medieval tales of werewolves were nothing more than serial killers.
Those suffering from conditions such as Epilepsy or Porphyria ( hair grows all over your face and sometimes your body ) would sometimes be persecuted and called werewolves.
Wolves were hunted mercilessly throughout Europe and have a bad reputation but they do not willingly attack humans unless their young are in immediate danger, the mythology of the werewolf is interesting but the most logical conclusion to be drawn from all the various tales is that in cases where mass killings have occurred it is very likely a serial killer that was responsible. This of course brings up the fact that serial killers are not a product of today but have existed for thousands of years and are likely born with the desire to kill. ( controversial view )
My top five favourite werewolf movies are listed below.
5) The Company Of Wolves
Directed by Neil Jordan who would later have a stab at vampires with Interview With The Vampire, the early part of the film feels to me to have been inspired by the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, the film has wonderful atmosphere and is creative film making.
The film has a dreamlike quality to it and is not your typical werewolf film, its beautifully filmed and the music score is enchanting, i would not call this a horror film, it's more fantasy than horror, lots of symbolism in this film and it's a wonderfully overlooked classic.
4) Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers is a low budget film directed by Neil Marshall. ( The Descent ) The tagline for the movie is six soldiers, full moon, no chance.
They could not afford to do werewolf transformations but you do get to see the werewolves which look to me to be based off the werewolf designs from The Howling. Lots of tension in this movie.
Good moody atmosphere and you feel a sense of danger lurking somewhere in the woods, the characters are likeable, one of the very best werewolf movies and a rewarding movie experience.
3) Bad Moon
The werewolf transformation scene in Bad Moon was effective and the film has good atmosphere which is essential for this type of movie, Michael Pare is the werewolf who is trying desperately to control his affliction every full moon. He hopes living with his sister and her son will cure him.
The film itself is short at only 80 minutes and it was filmed in scope format 2.35:1, this film impressed me a lot, the dog probably steals the show from all the human actors, films like this need good atmosphere, an effective music score and good direction and camerawork and this has all of those qualities.
Eric Red who wrote The Hitcher directed this movie.
2) An American Werewolf In London
Rick Baker won an Oscar for his fabulous werewolf transformations in this movie, the effects sequences are very effective and the movie has a wonderful music score featuring classic songs.
Jenny Agutter was great as the nurse who falls in love with an American tourist who ia attacked on the moors and bitten by a werewolf, his friend was killed in the same attack and shows up throughout the movie offering useless advice and looking more rotten and ragged everytime he appears.
John Landis directed this movie and i think it's the best work he has done.
1) The Howling
Director Joe Dante went on to do films such as Gremlins and Innerspace but i think this low budget werewolf film is his best movie.
A news reporter ( Dee Wallace ) is attacked while covering a story, along with her husband she visits an isolated colony to get away from the horror she experienced, little does she realise what the colony really is.
The Howling has atmosphere and fabulous werewolf transformation effects and brilliant dark humour. The Howling is the best werewolf movie ever made, forget the very poor sequels and watch this one instead.
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Big fan of both An American Werewolf In London and The Company Of Wolves, but was never that keen on The Howling, although perhaps I need to see it again.
Haven't seen the others, but they are now on my 'must see' list.
Great post!
I thought about films like Underworld but i am not much of a fan of CGI werewolf effects, i think at times it’s just too seamless and less effective for me. The same goes for the American Werewolf sequel An American Werewolf In Paris, i didn’t really like the CGI in that movie and the humour wasn’t on the same level as the original.
I haven’t yet seen the recent remake of The Wolfman.
There is an eighties movie called Wolfen, it’s not a werewolf movie but it has bags of atmosphere and a great music score, i’d recommend that film to anyone, maybe it’ll get a blu ray release soon.