The Wolfman/Wolf Man (1941, 2010, and 2018)

[Roiffalo]

I was going to post in just the "What movies are you looking forward to?" topic, but I realized this is a good opportunity to make that Wolfman/Wolf Man topic that is long overdue. I just hope I'm posting this in the right section.


I recently discovered another rerelease of Lawrence Talbot's tragic story is coming to the (big?) screen.

http://werewolf-news.com/2015/12/uni...-the-wolf-man/

I'm still rotating wallpapers from 2010's Wolfman as well as the original 1941, so yes I'm a little excited for this one to come out too.

I am a little afraid however that they're beating a dead horse. As the article points concerns to overused stories, I'm also trying to keep my enthusiasm in check. If only the last reboot wasn't such a flop, they could continue from there. I honestly don't still see why they couldn't. they cliffhangered it perfectly for it with the cop getting bit.

And what was so bad about the reboot anyway? DelToro's Talbot was just as good if not BETTER than Lon's was. At least he didn't stupidly put himself in dangerous places during his time of the month (I mean Lon I love you but please, common sense saves lives).

I saw nothing wrong with Rick Baker's take on Jack Pierce's work, I thought it was a fine adaptation. If only they showed the same courtesy with the deer bait and dancing bear and brought on ACTUAL animals rather than CGI so bad I would think I'm watching a SciFi original movie.

I liked the story, it made sense to me, but I also love asylums so that being one of the biggest changes/additions made it just fine with me. I s'pose if I had to point out an obvious flaw with it it would have to be Larry's father being the big bad wolf. It wasn't an entirely bad plot twist (btw how awesome was getting Anthony Hopkins for Claude Rains' role?), but the outcome was a let down. The biggest being MOOOOORE bad CGI. And really, as much as I love Hopkins, no one was praying for "please let an overly hairy Anthony Hopkins rip off his shirt". That was dumb and accomplished nothing to the story other than making it look like papa werewolf thought HE was the sexier of the two.

Do these things really make it a bad movie though? I say 'no' but that's my opinion. As I've previously mentioned the original Wolf Man is not without its own flaws. Mostly Larry realizing what he had become and not being smart about it and throwing a rock at a cop to get himself locked up for the night.

And I've never understood why Larry's alter ego is more humanoid while Bela (the werewolf who first bites Larry) is full feral animal. And not even a wolf at that but Lon's dog but I digress, we're meant to think it's a wolf, okay it's a wolf. And why the hell does Bela stay dead but Larry seems to keep waking up whenever there's a sequel like the silver he's mutilated with is merely imitation?

If you can overlook those flaws and say that Universal's 1941 Wolf Man is a classic, then why not 2010's remake?


(There's probably more I wanted to say or should be said but I can't remember everything I want to put in a long post. It was recommended months ago that I make such a topic if anything to explain why I appreciate 2010's Wolfman. And not that anyone still cares but now you know. If you actually read all this. You should be rewarded.)

[Baron Von Marlon]

Don't remember seeing the original.
Did like the remake. Story was a bit on the meh side but I think it looked alright.
Favorite bit was Benicio Del Toro transforming in that medical facility.
And the movie's R-Rated. Don't think the new remake will be.

[Sculpt]

I liked the 2010"remake", but I didn't love it.

So, just being realistic... if you remake thee bonafide classic of The Wolf Man (the film that introduced America to the werewolf, and made it one of The Three Monsters)... you have to smash it to the Moon.

The Wolfman (2010) was decent to good. That's not even close to the Moon.


Now The Wolf Man (1941) had lots of poor parts. Like you mention, Bela being a smallish dog-wolf was always a head scratcher, but it never bothered me when I saw the film as a kid (also my first werewolf film).

What was much poorer about the film was Lon Chaney Jr's interactions WITH HIS FATHER, his own father! It was beyond forgettable... especially just after he was bit. His interactions with his father's household is just plain bizarre... it borders on incomprehensible, but much worse, it's inconsequential.

However, it did hit big in certain areas.

One is casting Chaney for this film -- he evokes sympathy like the deepest ocean. The film & Larry Talbot are as simple as a fable, and he's a god. He's simplistically accessible (like Arnold Scharzeneggar in Total Recall).

The Wolf Man (1941) is a simple dream -- and the cinematography is perfect for this dream. It's memorable because it hits the basic subconscious symbols like a dream.


In contrast, The Wolfman (2010) activates conscious thinking in the audience, but it doesn't deliver a feast for the guest.


Now there are so many great simple story directions a new werewolf film can go. It's truly hardly been tapped yet (unlike vampires). I'm excited to see some original stories told.