The Wolf Man Reviews

tHE wOLF MAN

I still think the old horror movies are the best.

I think that they were made as entertainment , as well as to scare you, whereas the modern horror movies are meant to scare you first and then possibly to entertain, Some of the more recent horror movies are just too disgusting to be called entertainment. (which is the whloe reason for watching movies) That's only my opinion

And i thought i needed a shave

Im afraid i have been spoilt by the Invisible Man and the Frankenstein films. This ones not as much fun as them but is worth renting as its still a classic.

Tragic Horror Classic

This movie must have been frightening back in the 1940s. It was an excellent storyline, and very sad, especially the ending. I certainly recommend this for those intelligent enough to appreciate horror history, but this is not for those looking for a cheap thrill. I recommend Saw for that.

Werewolf time

Made in 1941, several years after the original 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', this allows Lon Chaney Jr to add another monster to Universal's highly profitable gallery. The extras include an interview with the writer, Curt Siodmak, whose storyline owes a lot to both 'Dracula' and 'Jekyll & Hyde'. The main roles are taken by Chaney and Evelyn Ankers as the damsel in danger, but that distinguished Shavian, Claude Rains, plays Chaney's (rather unlikely) father, and the supporting cast incudes Warren William, Ralph Bellamy and Patric Knowles, who are not given much to do, and have had better roles elsewhere. Bela (Dracula) Lugosi has all of five minutes as a gipsy fortune teller and only Maria Ouspenskaya as his mother makes much of an impression.

Nicely atmospheric, though, and enjoyable codswallop!

[Highly rated reviewer]

The Wolf Man (1941)

Entertaining Classic Universal horror, that retains a lot of charm thanks to its, almost embarrassing, simplicity. It's a straightforward, efficiently told story, with very basic studio sets, very basic acting and basic make-up / special effects. But that is what creates the magic of many 40s films - the sets are shrouded in smoke just to hide the lack of budget but this in turn creates an otherwordly atmosphere. Stiff acting and unnecessary romance plot to showcase Universals starlet of the moment? Of course!! Should you wish to find more subtexts, screenwriter Siodmak apparently had Nazism in mind as a metaphor of the lycanthropic change...