After identifying all – or at least eight – of the ways a shape-shifting movie can go wrong, the least I can do is follow up with eight that actually get it right.
As previously noted, I’m a big werewolf fan from way back. When I was a kid I absolutely loved them. I think it was a combination of three factors. For starters, I was afraid of dogs. But more than that, I was enthralled by the notion that something could happen to you (i.e. getting bit by a werewolf) that would transform you into something extraordinary. And finally, I had a copy of Nancy Garden’s delightful, aimed-at-kids book Werewolves, which of course I read over and over again until it literally fell apart.
To this day, I love a good werewolf. Unlike vampires, they’re not obsessed with neurotic sexuality and they’re not confined by an elaborate code of “monster rules.” To be sure, they’re governed by a few basic guidelines (full moons, silver bullets and the like). But for the most part they’re our bestial inner selves breaking free to do what they want.
The following eight movies represent a range of different treatments of the subject with two things in common: they’re all about werewolves, and they’re all quite good. The set is also slightly unrepresentative of genre pictures in general because several of the entries feature strong female characters, something that isn’t present in all werewolf movies but is slightly more prevalent among shape-shifters than in most other types of horror movie.
The Wolf Man – Though not the first werewolf movie ever made (Werewolf of London predates it by six years), it’s the first one I ever saw and certainly a classic. Lon Chaney Jr. plays Lawrence Talbot, a goofy American visiting his family’s land in the old country when he gets bit and succumbs to the curse. The real star of the show, however, is Jack Pierce’s makeup, painstakingly applied hair by hair and then edited into a transformation sequence that’s impressive particularly by the standards of the time.
Cat People – As the title clearly indicates, technically this isn’t a werewolf movie. But it is about shape-shifting, and producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur make so many right decisions that this mid-budget masterpiece deserves all the attention it can get. For starters, they cast Simone Simon in the lead. Her eerie combination of cute little fluffy kitten and smokin’ hot Euro-actor is downright disturbing all by itself. But more than that, the picture relies on script, lighting and atmosphere to create some chilling chills. This is the kind of thing that can’t be bought with an unlimited effects budget (though of course four decades later Paul Schrader did a latex-intensive remake that oddly enough turned out to be worth watching despite being an entirely different kind of movie).
The Company of Wolves – Yeah, this one’s too arty by far. The plot meanders. The dialogue is stiff and strange. But under the art house conceits, this is a solid cinematic exploration of the werewolf myth. It takes an outsider, pro-woman, pro-wolf look at shape shifting, throwing in some good effects work along the way.
Wilderness – Of course if you didn’t care for the last entry, you’re really going to hate this one. Here the protagonist turns into an actual wolf, a natural animal rather than a rampaging movie monster. The result is a thoughtful exploration of the interrelationship between our civilized sides and our “state of nature” inclinations.
Ginger Snaps – The nail that the last three pictures on the list tap around gets hit squarely on the head here. Adolescent Ginger’s lycanthropy is tied to her awakening sexuality manifested by the onset of her monthly period. Though this might be too much of a teen-oriented horror picture for some audience members, if you can put up with the Afterschool-Special-gone-wrong aspects you’ll find a decent movie hidden inside.
Wolfen – This is another cheat, because – if it’s not too much of a spoiler – the monsters here are full-time beasts rather than shape-shifters. Still, the antagonists are at least wolf-like objects, and their pursuit of prey on the streets of New York supplies some genuinely scary moments. The supporting cast also includes a few familiar faces.
An American Werewolf in London – This is here at least in part because I know I’ll get email if I don’t include it. In general I don’t care for horror comedy, and this movie is a paragon of that particular combination. Every chilling scene or cool effects shot is swiftly undone by some kind of John Landis goofiness. It deserves a spot on this list for the excellent werewolf stuff, but you’ve gotta wade through a mess of sophomoric humor to get to the good parts.
The Howling – This is the werewolf movie that as a kid I imagined all werewolf movies should be like. Good script. Good direction. Good effects. The type of werewolf that I like best. The old myths and “golden age” Hollywood interpretations get just the modernization (at least for the early 80s) they so richly deserve. Though it spawned a slew of dreadful sequels, the first one’s still a must-view for anyone who loves werewolves.
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