‘When the full moon rises’

Wolfman is a 1979 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Worth Keeter (Rottweiler: The Dogs of Hell); Tales of the Third Dimension). Aka Wolfman – A Lycanthrope

Main cast: 

Earl Owensby, Kristina Reynolds, Sid Rancer, Ed Gracy, Richard Dedmon, Maggie Lauterer, Brownlee Davis.

Plot:

Georgia, 1910: Colin Glasgow (Earl Owensby) returns home after the murder of his uncle to find out that his uncle’s will has been altered and his family is under a werewolf curse. Twists and turns lead to Colin finding his old love Lynn and meeting a priest who is more than meets the eye.

In the end, Colin must find a way to end the curse that has haunted his family over the ages and will do so even if it costs him his life…

Buy with five other werewolf movies: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“When the werewolf action finally happens, it’s far too anti-climactic to be rewarding in any way. Stay away, far away, unless you are so morbidly curious that you can stand to spend hours lamenting the time you wasted.” Very Terrible Things

“In terms of story, it’s the same old generic werewolf movie we’ve all seen a dozen times; a family curse, sympathetic hero, fade in/out montages showing the transformation, etc. Director/writer Worth Keeter adds absolutely nothing to the formula (even the title is generic, they merely took out the space between Wolf and Man and dropped the The. Way to make your mark).” Horror Movie a Day

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Another big issue I had with this movie was the special effects (or lack there of). There were several poorly acted werewolf attacks but almost no blood. When there was blood, it was next to none.” Sinful Celluloid

“Tepid production, written-directed by Worth Keeter without style.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“This was a fairly ambitious undertaking, and Owensby managed to get most of the costumes and period locations correct (although modern power lines are still visible in some scenes). However, Owensby himself is hard to swallow as the curses hero (he’s much better as an ass-kicking action star)… ” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

” … a straightforward, efficiently directed werewolf tale, and although the special effects are not in The Howling (1981) league and Owensby is considerably more convincing as a werewolf than Colin, the film does make good use of its backwoods’ location.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Filming locations:

Earl Owensby’s movie studio, Shelby, North Carolina, USA. Read Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990 for a details of Owensby’s career and production facilities [link above].

Wikipedia | IMDb | | Image thanks: Critical Condition | Wrong Side of the Art!

Coming Soon: new and future releases

‘Where evil lurks…’

Night Shadow is a 1989 American werewolf horror film written and directed by Randolph Cohlan (his sole directorial credit). The creature was designed by Mark Crowe based on his story concept. The original title was Night Drop and it was filmed as Lycanthrope.

Main cast:

Brenda Vance, Rick Scott, Stuart Quan [as Dane Chan) (Big Trouble in Little China), Alta LaFlame, Tom Boylan, Mike Hamilton, Kato Kaelin (Revamped), Orien Richman (Witchcraft IV: The Virgin Heart), Jeannette Lewis (House on Haunted Hill), Sally Robinson, Laura Graham, Mike Dyer and veteran Aldo Ray (Psychic Killer; Haunts; Star Slammer).

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“The film doesn’t really stick by the usual werewolf mythology (there’s no transformation by full moon and no silver bullets) but it also doesn’t add anything new or interesting to the formula … Some air bladder effects were used for a brief (and incomplete) transformation scene.” The Bloody Pit of Horror

“When he’s not a werewolf, the killer likes to stare menacingly at people in public.

If he had any motives for anything he did, I would say he did this to poke fun at the inefficient police. The werewolf engages in a few kills off screen, and a few that are too dark to make out…” Bill Silvia, Man in Black Reviews

Aldo Ray with lobsters

“Night Shadow does feature gratuitous Aldo Ray (star power!) playing the traveling inventor father type from Gremlins, an almost okay werewolf suit, a martial arts enthusiast whose wardrobe consists of cut off take tops, a crucial werewolf diary, and Kato Kalien. While Night Shadow fails at being a semi competent werewolf horror movie, it’s mildly amusing…” Smellington, Letterboxd.com

Buy: Amazon.com

Filming locations:

Fresno and Hanford, California, USA

IMDb | werewolves on Horrorpedia.com | Image thanks: The Bloody Pit of Horror | VHS Collector

A Werewolf in the Amazon is a 2005 Brazilian supernatural horror film directed by Ivan Cardoso (The Seven Vampires; The Secret of the Mummy; Nosferato in Brazil) from a screenplay by Rubens Francisco Luchetti, Evandro Mesquita and Flávio de Souza. The film’s original title is Um Lobisomem na Amazônia.

Camp Motion Pictures are releasing the film in the US on digital streaming and DVD on October 4, 2016.

Main cast:

Paul Naschy, Danielle Winits, Evandro Mesquita, Karina Bacchi, Nuno Leal Maia, Joana Medeiros, Tony Tornado, Guará Rodrigues, Pedro Neschling, Bruno de Luca, Analu Silveira, Orlando Drummond, Sidney Magal.

Plot:

In search of a powerful hallucinogen, five friends embark on a dangerous journey deep into the Amazon. But a bad trip isn’t the only threat, as they discover when they stumble across the hidden camp of the crazed Dr. Moreau and his murderous animal-human hybrid creations…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“As expected from Ivan Cardoso, the style is intentionally trashy and much closer to comedy than horror. Most of the humour is provided by the banter between Nuno Leal Maia and Tony Tornado playing a doctor and a cop investigating the murders, but other strange plot turns are amusing too, such as the dramatic musical number literally bursting out of nowhere. There is also plenty of female nudity, of course…” Random Avenger, IMDb

” … most people are going to object to the humor because it’s simply not funny and it takes away from the horror elements but outside of this I think the film offers some cheap thrills. Naschy turns in a good performance in the role of Moreau and the director even allows him a few sex scenes. The supporting actors are actually better than you’d expect in a film like this. All of the actresses have very large breasts and often take their clothes off, which adds to the exploitation nature.” Michael Elliott, IMDb

“Naschy mostly gives speeches in his lab full of bubbling vials and when the material is as lowbrow as this you kinda feel a bit sorry for him. Still, Naschy is Naschy and since everything here is quite tongue in cheek you do respect him for being a professional about it. The rest of the movie is spent with boring elderly teens who do take their clothes off a lot and the bumbling incompetent people in charge of solving the mysterious murders in the jungle.” Joachim Andersson, Letterboxd.com

IMDb

‘Sequels are a disease. Meet the cure.’

Another WolfCop is a 2016 Canadian comedy horror film written and directed by Lowell Dean and a sequel to his WolfCop (2014). It was filmed as WolfCop II.

The film made its worldwide premiere at the 2016 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Main cast:

Leo Fafard (returning as Lou Garou from the first movie), Amy Matysio (Vampire Dog; The Risen), Jonathan Cherry (House of the Dead; Final Destination 2; They), Yannick Bisson (My Pet Monster), Devery Jacobs (The Dead Zone TV series), Laura Abramsen, Serena Miller, Michael Cleland, Jessica Hinkson, Joel Mamchur, Jennifer Thorp, Kevin Allardyce, Andrea Solski.

Plot:

Having saved Woodhaven from a gang of evil reptilian shapeshifters, alcoholic werewolf cop Lou Garou is finding it hard to keep a low profile. Instead, he roams the street at night, gleefully and violently disposing of criminals and stealing boxes of Liquor Donuts causing all sorts of problems for his former-partner-turned-Chief of Police Tina.

Things begin to look up for the loser residents of Woodhaven when a billionaire businessman announces he’s reopening the local brewery to produce Chicken Milk Stout, as well as gifting the town with its very own hockey team, the Darkstars.

However, the unexpected return of an old friend (who now sports a large foul-mouthed mustachioed phallus) and a strip joint bloodbath alert Garou to the rise of something evil to the town…

Reviews:

” … has a charm to each level of the film and Dean’s work is not a simple, mindless schlock fest. While the narrative is not the most complex piece of writing in the history of the cinema, it’s that elevated exploitation film approach that allows Dean as a filmmaker to change the levels of storytelling humor without having people feel like it’s ego over creative control and talent. This also goes hand in hand with the practical side of the film as we see the filmmaker raise the game on FX, prosthetics and makeup, this time giving a new twist that cultivates both gore AND gags.” Jay Kay, Icons of Fright

” … there’s an alien invasion, a massacre in a strip joint called Club Phuque, and a deadly hockey game. Not all the jokes land, but many, many do, and there’s something satisfying about the legitimate Canadian-ness of the whole thing, delivered as it is by actual Canadians…” Phil Nobile Jr., Birth. Movies. Death.

Production companies:

The Coup Company
Vortex Words Pictures

IMDb

‘From the light of the sun, to the darkness of your soul!’

Moon of the Wolf is a 1972 American made-for-television horror film directed by Daniel Petrie (A Howling in the Woods) from a screenplay by Alvin Sapinsley (The Hitchhiker TV series; Night Gallery), based on Leslie H. Whitten’s novel of the same name. It was produced by Everett Chambers and Peter Thomas.

The film was first broadcast on September 26, 1972, on ABC Movie of the Week. It is now considered to be in the public domain.

Main cast:

David Janssen (Francis in the Haunted House; Cult of the Cobra), Barbara Rush (The Eyes of Charles Sand; Night Gallery), Geoffrey Lewis (The Devil’s Rejects; Night of the Comet; Human Experiments), Bradford Dillman (Piranha; Bug; Chosen Survivors), John Beradino, Royal Dano (Ghoulies II; Messiah of Evil; The Dark Half), John Davis Chandler.

Buy with five other werewolf movies: Amazon.com

Plot:

In the Louisiana Bayou town of Marsh Island, two farmers discover the mauled, dead body of a local young woman. Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) is called. The victim’s temperamental brother Lawrence Burrifors (Geoffrey Lewis) arrives at the crime scene and jumps to the conclusion that the girl’s lover committed the murder, a man whose name her brother does not know.

The town’s Dr. Drutan (John Beradino) examines the body and pronounces the girl died of a blow to the head. The sheriff investigates the crime and local residents have a variety of theories, including the belief she was killed by wild dogs. A posse forms to track down the wild dogs with little success.

Lawrence Burrifors continues to insist the killer to be his sister’s mysterious lover while the sheriff, in turn, is suspicious of him. The girl’s sick and dying father Hugh Burrifors (Paul R. DeVille), interviewed by the sheriff, warns him of the “rougarou”. The sheriff does not understand the French term…

Reviews:

“A fascinating modern day reworking of the werewolf myth which was filmed on location in primeval Louisiana swamps and is better written, better acted and more genuinely suspenseful than the rash of feature fright pieces which have long since replaced legitimate horror with grisly bloodletting.” The Hollywood Reporter

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“You’ve got your basic made for television werewolf movie from the 1972 here. You know what that entails. It goes on a bit long with the talking, and the scares are strictly of the Night Gallery variety. That said, it’s an effective film with some creepy undertones. If the mood strikes you, it’s an entertaining little movie.” Roman’s Movie Reviews and Musings

“Moon of the Wolf is a well shot, well acted film that seems to have been made on location in an actual swamp or wetlands. The storyline is logical and well-presented and an effort was made to employ real-life lycanthropy folklore (the loup-garou of France) rather than some contrived Hollywood creation. The makeup effects for the werewolf are not particularly high tech, but this should not be expected for a made-for-television film of this period.” JHC3, IMDb

Have you watched this film? Why not add your own comment below… 

Choice dialogue:

Dr. Drutan: “…it’s not considered good medical practice to perform autopsies in the middle of swamps surrounded by howling dogs and scratching rustics.”

Filming locations:

Burnside and Clinton, Louisiana

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: The Monster Shack

Space Goat Productions, in partnership with Studiocanal and Creative Licensing, has announced they will be producing a four-issue comic book miniseries and board game based on the 1981 Joe Dante classic horror film, The Howling.

The comic book series will be written by two-time New York Times best-selling author and former Blizzard Entertainment lead writer Micky Neilson. “I can’t even tell you how excited I am to write The Howling comic book! I saw the movie when I was seventeen. It opened an entirely new window into werewolf mythology and left a lifelong impression that influences me to this day,” said Micky Neilson. “If I could choose any license to work on, The Howling is right there at the top of the list. It still stands as my favorite all-time werewolf film. I’ve been obsessed with werewolves ever since the first time I saw it.”

“Micky’s enthusiasm is contagious,” said Space Goat’s Founder and President Shon Bury. “There is a complete dearth of quality werewolf stories on the market. Exploring the lore of The Howling with a writer of Micky’s caliber is going to be a joy ride. Werewolf fans are going to love it.”

Line art for the comic book series will be provided by industry veteran Jason Johnson, who has worked on fan-favorite books like Wetworks, Gen13, and Knight Rider. “I have always had a major fascination with werewolves!” said Johnson. “They were by far the most fearsome of monsters. I will bring this story to life like only a true werewolf connoisseur can. I am also pleased to work with the Shon and the amazing team at Space Goat. They are building something truly special.”

The four-issue comic book mini-series The Howling: Revenge of the Werewolf Queen is scheduled to be released in Summer 2017, and will take place directly after the events of the first film. The release date of the board game will be announced at a later date.

Related: Comics from Hell: The Horror Films That Spawned Comics – article by Daz Lawrence

Talbot County is a 2017 American horror film directed by Bev Land, making his feature debut, from a screenplay co-written with Michael Mordler.

Official synopsis:

When six college kids in a sleepy Southern town are assigned a group project to rediscover a moment in history, one of them sets in motion a horrific fate when he proposes they head into the Georgia backwoods to tackle the legend of Emily Burt, the Talbot County werewolf.

Talbot County is a Hitchcockian tale of horror set in 1986 that delves into a hundred year old fable where our students are met with very real consequences that go beyond any classroom lessons…

Main cast:

Vanessa Angel, Gail O’Grady, Dania Ramirez, Parker Croft, Rebekah Graf, Alina Puscau, Kalia Prescott, Jake Lockett, Craig Tate, Presley Melson.

Filming locations:

Columbus and Upatoi, Georgia, USA

IMDb

‘Stranded… but not alone.’

Bonehill Road is an upcoming 2017 American horror film written, edited and directed by Todd Sheets (House of Forbidden Secrets; Zombie Bloodbath and sequels; Bloodthirsty Cannibal Demons).

On the project’s Indiegogo page, Sheets enthuses:

“This is my dream project! My favorite movie monsters have always been werewolves!!! And I have been so disappointed that there seem to be no true, old school, American made werewolf movies coming out these days that capture the spirit of movies like The Howling, An American Werewolf in London or Dog Soldiers. I want to make fans of those movies proud!!! My goal is to make a classic monster movie for our time!!!”

‘Rest in… beast.’

Werewolf – aka Arizona Werewolf – is a 1995 [released January 1996] American supernatural horror film produced and directed by Iranian-born Tony Zarrindast (Red Room; Cat in the Cage) from a screenplay co-written with Brad Hornacher.

Archaeologists working in Arizona find a werewolf skeleton. The ill-tempered foreman, Yuri (played by Jorge Rivero) gets into a fight with his crew: Tommy, Joel, and Bill. In the course of the fight, Tommy is scratched by the werewolf skeleton. This greatly alarms his fellow diggers, especially Joel. The head archaeologist, Noel, details what he knows of werewolf behaviour, which he bases on American Indian mythology.

Tommy is taken to the hospital, where he begins showing signs of lycanthropy, and he eventually turns into a werewolf. Joel and Bill arm themselves with shotguns and silver bullets and succeed in killing their doomed former co-worker.

Meanwhile, a writer named Paul Niles (Federico Cavalli) arrives at a house in suburban Flagstaff that he has inherited. At a party, he is introduced to one of the archaeologists, Natalie Burke (Adrianna Miles) and takes a romantic interest in her. Yuri is jealous and behaves badly, which leads to his expulsion from the party by his boss Noel.

Yuri conspires to create a new werewolf; at the laboratory he drugs a security guard (played by director Tony Zarindast) and injects him with blood he earlier drew from the werewolf, Tommy. However, the creature makes the unfortunate choice of driving home, and having crashed into some oil drums, dies in the ensuing fire.

The following day, Paul visits the lab. He gets into a fight with Yuri, who attacks him with the werewolf skull. Paul is scratched by the skull, and starts showing symptoms of lycanthropy…

Reviews:

“The plot remains what I would call “serviceable” — in other words, it’s adequate if not particularly enchanting or thrilling. Kind of what you might expect a computer to spit out if you fed it the scripts of all the other werewolf movies plus a few X-Files plots and said, “Okay, shake and bake.” But the real problem here is the plethora of bizarre flaws.” Brandt Sponseller, Classic-Horror.com

“Wow, this is all kinds of bad. Slow moving broken up with some hilarious moments of ineptitude. Not to mention, the main stars after Lynch and Estevez all speak English as a second language, and sound stilted and unnatural when they deliver their lines, making for more unintentionally funny moments. What makes it a tough watch though is the long periods of inactivity.”  Matt Poirier, Direct to Video Connoisseur

” …don’t let the unusual sentences distract you from Yuri’s hair styles. His hair grows, shrinks, changes from black to brown to a reddish hue, and rises into a pompadour, and all within ten minutes. Now that’s exciting hair. If only the werewolves had been as interesting and frightening as that hair… Foster on Film

“Another astonishing fact is that there are no less than FOUR werewolves in this movie and none of them are any good.  Seriously, the make-up in this flick makes the werewolf from Teen Wolf Too look like An American Werewolf in London. Not only that, but the ending totally rips off of Wolf as well.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

Choice dialogue:

Sam the Keeper: “I just found out that Count Dracula was a faggot.”

Cast and characters:

• Jorge Rivero as Yuri + Conquest
• Richard Lynch as Noel + Dark Fields; Halloween; Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy; Good Against Evil
• Federico Cavalli as Paul Miles
• Adrianna Miles as Natalie Burke
• Joe Estevez as Joel
• R.C. Bates as Sam the Keeper
• Randall Oliver as Billy

Filming locations:

Bishop, La Brea Tar Pits and Susanville, California, USA
Glendale Community College in Glendale, California, USA

Trivia:

Werewolf was lampooned in a 1998 episode of movie-mocking television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000. It is noteworthy for having been mocked on MST3K only two years after its release.

Wikipedia | IMDb

When Animals Dream – originally titled: Når dyrene drømmer – is a 2014 Danish supernatural horror mystery and the feature film directorial debut of Jonas Alexander Arnby from a screenplay by Rasmus Birch.

Plot:

Marie (Sonia Suhl) is a shy sixteen-year-old growing up in a remote fishing village in Denmark where she lives with her father Thor (Lars Mikkelsen) and mother (Sonja Richter), who is catatonic and confined to a wheelchair. She’s bothered by a strange rash that develops on her chest, only to become more unnerved when she begins to sprout hair.

Meanwhile, Marie begins working at a fish processing plant where her coworkers bully her under the false premise that it is hazing and not intended to be malicious. As Marie’s body undergoes more changes, she begins to realise that her family has been hiding strange secrets and that her mother’s current condition may relate to what Marie is currently going through…

Reviews:

“Tonally, this is more in line with Let the Right One In while channeling elements of Ginger Snaps. But make no mistake, this isn’t as sensational or wild or funny as the latter comparison. It’s a movie that lurks quietly in the shadows, stalking you until its ready to pounce and show you what big, sharp teeth is has.” Ryan Turek, Shock Till You Drop

“Initially too slow to share its obvious secrets, When Animals Dream only clicks into full-blooded horror mode in its final act when hairy, scary Marie embarks on a Carrie-style rampage of revenge against the neighbors who previously made her life hell. Stylish but slight, Arnby’s debut feature ultimately sticks within werewolf movie conventions, adding little fresh to the form.” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter

“This is a tremendous feature debut, haunting and elegaic, while not shying away from violence and sex. There is certainly no subtlety to the film; but then again, werewolves aren’t meant to be subtle.” Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Twitch

“There’s absolutely noting wrong with When Animals Dream. It’s wonderfully acted, lustfully crafted, and sinister when necessary – it’s just not the enigmatic wonder some are claiming it to be. Credit Denmark with creating a unique take on a werewolf story most studios would turn into yet another genre splatterfest, but Jonas Alexander Arnby ensures Rasmus Birch’s story is built with the right mindset.” Matt Donato, We Got This Covered

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Sonia Suhl as Marie
• Lars Mikkelsen as Thor
• Jakob Oftebro as Daniel
• Sonja Richter as Mother
• Mads Riisom as Felix
• Benjamin Boe Rasmussen as Ib
• Esben Dalgaard as Bjarne

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Fang is a 2018 American werewolf horror film written and directed by Adam R. Steigert (A Grim Becoming; Ombis: Alien Invasion; Gore). It stars Melantha Blackthorne, Gregory Blair and Darren Barcomb.

After participating in a robbery turned murder, Chloe (Melodie Roehrig) and Joe (Theo Maefs) decided to hide out at a distant relative’s house only to find themselves stalked and hunted by creatures and forces unknown…

Main cast:

Melantha Blackthorne (Dracula’s War; Krampus: The Devil Returns; Bloody Slumber Party; et al), Gregory Blair (Death House; Garden Party Massacre; Ooga Booga), Darren Barcomb (Crepitus; Krampus: The Devil Returns; Camp Killer) Jason John Beebe, Jennie Russo, Johnny Stevenson, Melodie Roehrig, Michael Zsiros, Patrick Mallette, Scott Emerling, Christopher Burns Jr., Theo Maefs, Norman Queeno, Michael O’Hear, Kristin Spencer.

IMDb | Facebook

Valley of Shadows is a 2017 Norwegian fantasy horror film directed by Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen from a screenplay co-written with Clement Tuffreau. It stars Adam Ekeli and Kathrine Fagerland.

A young boy, Aslak (Adam Ekeli), struggling to connect with his mother (Kathrine Fagerland), with no father or siblings around lacks the ability to deal with what’s going on.

With the local livestock being slaughtered, and a lack of clear evidence as to the cause, the children are convinced there’s something supernatural, possibly a werewolf…

IMDb | Source: Screen Anarchy

Lore is a 2017 American horror anthology online and television series developed by Lore podcast creator Aaron Mahnke with Valhalla Entertainment and Propagate Content.

Based on the popular podcast of the same name, which has an average of five million monthly listens, the anthology series presents the frightening and often disturbing tales based on real people and events that have led to our modern-day myths and legends.

Lore combines documentary footage, narration, historical mixed media and cinematic scenes to bring to life terrifying, but true stories. Celebrating the origins of the horror genre, Lore explores the real-life tales behind pop culture’s most legendary horror myths, such as vampires, changelings, werewolves, séances and possessed dolls.

The series will premiere on October 13, 2017.

Cast and characters:

• Robert Patrick
• Holland Roden as Bridget Cleary
• Colm Feore
• Kristin Bauer van Straten
• Cathal Pendred as Michael Cleary
• Campbell Scott
• John Byner as Patrick Boland
• Sandra Ellis Lafferty as Aunt Bridget
• Nadine Lewington as Johanna Kennedy Burke

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Unleash the beast’

Blood Redd is a 2015 supernatural horror written and directed by Brad Palmer [as Bradley A. Palmer] (short: Sawbones; writer of Gehenna: Where Death Lives). It stars Stephanie Hullar, Torey Widener and Julie Marie Hassett.

Mortimer Clark, a forensic pathologist finds himself autopsying yet another teenage girl’s body ravaged and torn by a large canine. The girls all have been slain on the full moon. A werewolf though? That’s ridiculous.

But the next full moon is drawing near and another body is expected. On the day of the full moon, Lauren Redd, a sixteen year-old young woman is being forced to spend the weekend with her grandmother. Here she steps into an elaborate trap laid out by a manipulative killer. But when Lauren’s finally cornered, the tables turn and the prey becomes the predator.

Now the Redd family will go to any length to protect their daughter and hide their family secret but Mortimer is quickly following the trail that leads to the horrific truth: Werewolves do exist, and they have an appetite that must be satisfied…

Buy Tom Cat DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Wafts of Ginger Snaps are prevalent throughout, but this still is a pretty different take on the subject of the tapping into one’s more bestial side. Heavy in character, yet light in convincing effects, Blood Redd isn’t your typical werewolf tale and in a subgenre that really doesn’t have a lot or originality, that’s impressive in itself.” Ambush Bug, Ain’t It Cool News

“The movie, despite its many glaring flaws, if you can get by them, has a lot of good ideas and really has a well thought out story. It’s a unique and interesting take on werewolves that I really haven’t seen before. And I honestly think that if someone were to look at this movie and borrow some ideas from it, the end product could be great.” Patrick Sullivan

“I really did like the plot idea […] However, the low budget aspect killed the film. The sound wasn’t good. The special effects, which we see at the end, were abysmally bad. The soundtrack which started out fine during the opening credits feels like a tired piano. The acting was below “B” film standard with the dialogue not helping. The Movie Guy

Main cast:

• Stephanie Hullar – Amhurst
• Torey Widener – short: Signed, Souled, and Delivered
•  Julie Marie Hassett – short: Zombie Paradise
• Christopher Fraenza
• Peggy Ivene
• Hayley O’Connor
• Sean Pritchett
• Michael Teh
• Viktoria Holodryha
• Chanel Downey
• Samantha Hendy
• Jodi Skeris
• Rhoda Pell
• Renata Gheller
• Sayda Alvarez

IMDb

Slice is a 2017 comedy horror film directed by Austin Vesely. It stars Chance the Rapper [Chancelor Bennett], Joe Keery and Zazie Beetz.

Dax Lycander (Chance the Rapper), an ex-Chinese food delivery driver, also happens to be a werewolf. When a pizza delivery boy is murdered, the city suspects Lycander of the crime because of his hairy past…

A24 is releasing Slice in 2018, date to be confirmed…

Main cast:

• Chance the Rapper [Chancelor Bennett]
• Joe Keery
• Zazie Beetz
• Paul Scheer
• Katherine Cunningham
• Will Brill
• Rebecca Spence
• Rae Gray
• Lakin Valdez

Filming locations:

Joliet, Illinois, USA

IMDb | Thanks to Arrow in the Head

‘Unleash the beast’

Wolves is a 2014 Canadian horror film written and directed by David Hayter (writer of X-Men; X-Men 2; Watchmen). Steven Hoban (Haunter; Splice; Ginger Snaps franchise) produced. It stars Jason Momoa, Lucas Till and Merritt Patterson.

The coming-of-age story of Cayden Richards: Forced to hit the road after the murder of his parents, Cayden wanders, lost, without purpose…

Until Cayden meets a certifiable lunatic named Wild Joe, who sets him on a path to the ominous town of Lupine Ridge, to hunt down the truths of his history. But in the end, who’s really hunting whom?

Reviews:

“This is one silly movie. I mean, it’s hairy balls-to-the-wall, smoking’-on-a-skull-pipe silly. Maybe even a little “SyFy original series” silly, but with higher production value and impressive makeup FX. What it’s not is full-on bonkers.” Ryan Turek, ComingSoon.net

“Wolves is ambitious but never completely in Hayter’s control, striving to build a mythology that could be covered in numerous sequels without ever establishing a reason to care about the first installment. It’s loud and violent, but the feature drags more than it should, struggling with iffy performances and lousy visual effects to raise a properly furry screen commotion.” Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

“Hayter is a good writer, so much so he managed to forge an impressive script from the greatest comic book ever written, Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Here, he’s created a very watchable feature that’s breezy, fun, and has Stephen McHattie in it too! If there’s one gripe, it’s that you can’t help but wish he’d loosened those shackles a little further and delivered something R-rated…” Dave Wain, The Schlock Pit

“Silly beyond words, Wolves is indifferently acted and unconvincingly realized. Battle scenes fall flat when only a handful of extras merit full makeup (suggesting a less than elastic budget), while the rest are left to slobber and crouch unenhanced.” Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times

Main cast and characters: 

• Lucas Till as Cayden Richards – – Dance of the Dead; The Curse of Downers Grove
• Jason Momoa as Connor Slaughter
• Merritt Patterson as Angelina “Angel” Timmins
• John Pyper-Ferguson as Wild Joe – Grimm
• Stephen McHattie as John Tollerman – Haunter; Hellmouth; The Dark Stranger
• Kaitlyn Leeb as Lisa Stewart – Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings; Grave Halloween; Bitten
• Jennifer Hale as Janice Richards – What’s New, Scooby-Doo?, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
• Adam Butcher as Deke
• Miriam McDonald as Haley
• Melanie Scrofano as Gail Timmins
• Adam MacDonald as Marty
• Alain Moussi as Dobie
• Thomas J. Strada as Robbie

Production and release:

The film had a reported budget of $18 million but only took $12.1 million at the box office.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Good Manners – original title: As Boas Maneiras – is a 2017 Brazilian supernatural horror feature film written and directed by Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas.

The movie stars Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Miguel Lobo, Cida Moreira, Andréa Marquee and Felipe Kenji.

Clara, a lonely nurse from the outskirts of São Paulo, is hired by mysterious and wealthy Ana as the nanny for her  unborn child. The two women develop a strong bond, but a fateful night changes their plans…

Reviews:

“Rui Pocas’ cinematography is rich with particularly lush use of matte paintings for the cityscapes and the contrast between Ana’s antiseptic wealth and the colourful jumble of Clara’s home is effectively marked. In the latter stages of the film, the increasing burden placed on special effects and some sub-par CGI strains credulity […] However, these are perhaps minor qualms for a film so bold and enjoyable.” John Bleasdale, Cinevue

“As the film transitions into more standard genre film territory, the trappings of this solidly crafted, arthouse love story begin to fade, and the narrative begins to falter a bit. Rough CGI blemishes an otherwise gorgeous-looking film […] Still, Good Manners is an expertly directed film that, while inconsistent, exhibits a uniquely relevant narrative that’s definitely worth…” Adam Patterson, Film Pulse

The filmmakers expertly blend jagged humour with wrenching horror, keeping the audience laughing and gasping from start to finish […]This is a story about rising to the challenge of whatever life throws at us, being true to ourselves and, even more importantly, to those we love. It may be utterly bonkers, but it’s also the kind of movie that leaves us exhilarated.” Rich Cline, Gay Essential

” …though Dutra and Rojas continue to gleefully subvert convention, the story takes on an inevitability that is fitting of the fairy tale genre. The fact that a character arc mirrors that embrace of tradition feels entirely coincidental. There is always imperfection in good experimentation, and ultimately Good Manners showcases exuberant filmmaking from thoughtful people.” Emmet Duff, Goomba Stomp

“Dutra and Rojas draw extensively and sensitively from previous werewolf capers of both literary and cinematic origin. They incorporate nods to classics such as John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London in a manner that will delight horror geeks […] More troublingly, it seems a little odd that such respectful students of this perennially economical subgenre should have allowed their running time to sprawl so far beyond the two-hour mark.” Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“This is definitely socially conscious, character-driven art-house horror, but it never looks down on the genre. In fact, it deliberately riffs on the archetypal climax of nearly every classic Universal monster movie. The upshot is this take on werewolves is smart, subversive, and entertaining. Highly recommended…” Joe Bendel, J.B. Spins

“the second half of this film just cannot support what went before. It feels like the directors Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra smooshed two films together instead of creating one cohesive story. There’s some good stuff here – especially the performances by Estiano and Zuaa – but it’s brought down by the glacial pace of the second half.” Adelaide Blair, The MacGuffin

Ambitiously allegorical, Good Manners dramatizes class and racial tensions in contemporary Brazil by creating contrasting worlds: rich and poor, black and white, high-rise chic and shantytown. Suffused with harp music and gorgeously lighted […] the film blends raw horror, deftly composed songs, beautifully drawn storyboards and strong lead performances into a single, elegant package.” Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times

“Class, desire, motherhood, responsibility to society — all these themes are worked in, to varying degrees. Yet balancing the film’s two halves is less successful, and certain shifts between humor and dead-seriousness don’t quite work. Good Manners is an ambitious work not only in scope but design, influenced by Jacques Tourneur’s psychological horror noirs.” Jay Weissberg, Variety

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‘A new shape of an old tail’

Betsy is a 2017 werewolf-themed supernatural horror film written and directed by Shawn Burkett (Don’t F*ck in the Woods and sequel; Watch This; Theatre of the Deranged II segment ‘Panty Raid’). It stars Marylee Osborne, Kelci C. Magel, Erin R. Ryan and Josh Miller.

After surviving a vicious assault in the city, Betsy moves to the country to stay with her friend Kayte in hopes of starting over. She meets and falls for Sam (Josh Miller) the local game warden. Everything seems to be going smoothly, however something begins clawing its way into the moonlight…

Reviews:

“The film features a wonderful cast including Kelci C. Magel and Josh Miller, whose characters of Betsy and Sam ground the film with their love story and give it emotional weight, making you care about what happens. The final act felt a bit rushed but overall Betsy is a formidable beast that I would wholeheartedly recommend.” Pop Horror

“The final effect reminded me of an old grindhouse favorite Werewolf Woman, and yes, that is a good thing. However it is disappointing when characters talk about how torn apart a victim was and then we see a corpse with not so much damage. There are a couple of good gore scenes, but the disconnect between the descriptions and what we see hurts overall.” Jim Morazzini, Beneath the Underground

“The transformation of Betsy offers us a new age werewolf tale with more of a humanoid look that is plenty brutal without sacrificing the development of a great character. The movie has a great, professional look as well.” Possessed Radio

Main cast:

• Erin R. Ryan … Betsy – The Girl in the Crawlspace; Haunting Inside; Devil’s Trail; Babysitter Massacre; Alone in the Ghost House; Scarewaves; et al
• Marylee Osborne … Kayte – Devil’s Trail; Primordial; Haunted House on Sorority Row; Babysitter Massacre
• Kelci C. Magel … Betsy – The Sunday Night Slaughter; I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu; Halloween Night; Midsummer Nightmares and sequel
• Josh Miller … Sam – CarousHELL; Amityville: No Escape
• Joe Kidd … Colin
• Justin Beahm … Dusty
• Cheyenne Gordon … Wolf
• Ryan Stacy … James
• Mike Pleska … Kevin
• Jack Norman … Bartender – director of Halloween: The Babysitter Murders; Friday the 13th: The Curse of Jason
• Payton Krebs … Jill
• Sam Rose … Hunter

Filming locations:

Brookville, Ohio, USA

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‘Working late is a killer!’

Overtime is a 2016 Australian comedy horror short film directed by Craig D. Foster from a screenplay co-written with Emma McKenna. The Metro Screen production stars Aaron Glenane, Ainslie Clouston, Arka Das and Adam Dunn.

Office worker Ralph (Aaron Glenane) is trying to avoid working late as the impending full moon will cause him to transform into a werewolf…

After many successful festival screenings, Overtime is now available to view online via Vimeo.

Cast and characters:

• Aaron Glenane … Ralph
• Ainslie Clouston … Megan
• Arka Das … Sean
• Adam Dunn … Simon

More werewolves

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‘Man? or Monster? or Both?’

The Return of the Vampire is a 1943 supernatural horror feature film directed by Lew Landers (Terrified; The Boogie Man Will Get You; The Raven) from a screenplay by Griffin Jay (Cry of the Werewolf; The Mummy’s Hand; et al), based on an idea by Kurt Neumann (The Fly). The Sam White produced movie stars Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch and Miles Mander.

Although not a sequel to Lugosi’s 1931 Dracula, this film has been interpreted by some critics and some scholars as an unofficial follow-up with Lugosi’s character renamed because the production was made at Columbia Pictures rather than Universal.

The Return of the Vampire is being released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on February 19, 2019. Extra features are in progress and will be announced nearer the date.

Plot:

A voiceover (Miles Mander) announces that ‘the following events are taken from the notes of Professor Walter Saunders of King’s College, Oxford…’

A mist-shrouded cemetery at night: A werewolf (Matt Willis) enters a tomb and tells his vampire ‘Master’ that it is time for him to awake. A hand reaches out of the coffin and lifts the lid. A shadow appears on the wall, and the unmistakable voice of Bela Lugosi asks what happened while he was asleep. The werewolf replies that his latest victim has been taken to Dr. Ainsley’s clinic.

Baffled by her patient’s anaemic condition, Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) has called in Professor Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery). While they are discussing the patient, two children enter. They are Lady Jane’s son, John, and Professor Saunders’ granddaughter, Nikki. Lady Jane and the professor send the children to bed and return to their patient.

The vampire, finding that his victim is not alone, attacks Nikki instead. After the patient dies, Professor Saunders sits up the rest of the night, reading a book on vampires written two hundred years ago by Armand Tesla…

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“The film is efficiently directed by Lew Landers, complete with the dreamlike rovings of a mobile camera and moody, mist-shrouded set pieces that are second to none. It also benefits greatly from the unwonted topicality of its setting.” Jonathan Rigby, American Gothic

“The best thing about it, apart from the outstanding performances by Inescourt (as a distaff Van Helsing) and Foch (making her debut as the vampire’s chief victim), is the ending in which the werewolf, tired of being in thrall to the vampire, drags him into the sun as he sleeps. The last shot of Lugosi’s face melting (actually a wax mould over a skeleton) was cut by the censor in Britain.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Bela Lugosi’s Armand Tesla is a far cry from the smooth and well-mannered Count Dracula, who smarmed his way into society. In his final serious outing as a vampire, Lugosi gives us a grouchy and bad-tempered bloodsucker, exhibiting little of the charisma traditionally associated with the role.” And You Call Yourself a Scientist!

” …contains everything that makes classic horror films so special. It’s brimming with atmosphere in the form of foggy graveyards and decaying crypts, with Lugosi’s vampiric presence being the highlight of the show. As the speech-gifted werewolf, Matt Willis (who in human form resembles a bloated Buster Crabbe) is fun to watch and is given much screen time…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“It almost ODs on atmosphere (that low-lying ground fog is everywhere, including indoors at times) and the surprises are few, but there is plenty of energy and fun in the proceedings, with even the comic relief being sharper than usual. Though I wouldn’t call it a great movie, it is a lot of fun…” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“As a film, it certainly coasts a bit on the novelty of seeing Lugosi back in the cape, but, in hindsight, it sort of sadly encapsulates how stagnated his career had become. Once a huge star, here he is clutching to past glories in a film content to do faintly echo the better films that preceded it. The Return of the Vampire is certainly not a bad film, merely one that feels a bit perfunctory in many ways.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Lady Jane Ainsley is an atypically strong female character for horror movies of the time, which makes this more interesting than it might be otherwise, and Inescort does a fine job with the role, offering it both strength and charisma. She’s basically the lead protagonist in the picture…” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“Lugosi proved he still had it when portraying this kind of Eastern European supernatural threat, and if he wasn’t onscreen quite as much as you might have liked, he did get star billing and made his scenes, er, count. With creeping fog and graveyards featuring prominently, it was cliché all the way as far as the visuals went, but had a nice line in high-falutin’ dialogue well delivered by a solid cast.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Inescort’s got good scenes with both Gilbert Emery and Miles Mander and Nina Foch seems like she’s a better actor than her part. The direction’s actually half good, usually going bad after a really good shot, but it’s probably better direction than most of the Universal monster movies of the era.” The Stop Button

…crude but fun – if you can accept cornball premises and a corny fog swirling around the vampire as he attacks his victims.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“The revenge orientated plot is too humdrum to give anyone a chance, apart from the conceit of a werewolf servant for Lugosi.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

Cast and characters:

• Bela Lugosi … Armand Tesla / Dr. Hugo Bruckner
• Frieda Inescort … Lady Jane Ainsley – The Alligator People
• Nina Foch … Nicki Saunders – Jennifer; Cry of the Werewolf
• Roland Varno … John Ainsley
• Miles Mander … Sir Frederick Fleet
• Matt Willis … Andreas Obry
• Ottola Nesmith … Elsa Walter – Governess
• Gilbert Emery … Dr. Walter Saunders
• Leslie Denison … Detective Lynch
• William Austin … Detective Gannett
• Jeanne Bates … Miss Norcutt (uncredited)
• Billy Bevan … Horace – Civil Defence Worker (uncredited)
• Sydney Chatton … Peters – Desk Clerk (uncredited)
• Sherlee Collier … Nicki as a child (uncredited)
• Frank Dawson … Old Man (uncredited)
• Harold De Becker … Horace’s Friend – Civil Defence worker #2 (uncredited)
• Donald Dewar … John as a Child (uncredited)
• Jean Fenwick … Girl on Street (uncredited)
• Olaf Hytten … Ben – Lady Jane’s Butler (uncredited)
• Nelson Leigh … Sir Frederick’s Office Assistant (uncredited)
• Stanley Logan … Col. Mosley (uncredited)
• Audrey Manners … Nurse (uncredited)
• George McKay … Cemetery Caretaker (uncredited)
• Marianne Mosner … Nurse (uncredited)
• Clara Reid … Old Woman (uncredited)

Budget:

$75,000

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