The Problem with Werewolves

[steelba]

I agree with Metapher completely, and I'd like to add some possible reasons why werewolf movies aren't cutting it these days. I second the idea that most are made for teens by the studios. The problem is that few, if any, studios will take a risk on real art as opposed to a film made solely and by design to "get them in the seats."

In execution? The fact is, CGI looks bad. Practical effects are more pleasing to the eye, assuming they are done well. CGI doesn’t look real, and it takes you out of the movie. Even at its best, you say “Huh. That looks pretty good for CGI.” You are still out of the pocket of the moment. This also speaks to the question of why there aren't too many genuinely scary werewolf (or horror in general) movies out there. A scary film is built by a good director building tension through mood. It is not easy to do, so many directors don’t try. If you are taken out of the moment because of poor effects, any tension is broken. If you are not rapt by what's on the screen, you are not going to generate the desired responses. That's why often these movies rely on shocks (the black cat jumping out of the cupboard with a loud howl), or gory effects. It is always easier to go for shock as opposed to build fear.

Story is a critical component of a film. No kidding, right? It is obvious, but look at how many films lack real story development. Too often werewolf movies will rely on trite devices that

Great post, well worth the read, and it really highlights everything that's absent from the genre today :nod:

[ammityville69]

wolfman looks pretty schweet

[Bedogsexor]

I think its the whole appeal, the genre has always been second fiddle to vampires, and it probably always will be.

I want to see a true werewolf movie, dark, edgy and has the main character seriously trying to cope as a werewolf. Hell, it could have minimal gore, but this will never happen....

[Titanosaurus]

The more gore the better, and vamps are bitchez. :starefreak:

[Godfatha]

The more gore the better, and vamps are bitchez. :starefreak:

Some of the best werewolf films have been quite effective without mountains of gore, unless you're taking into account standards of what 'gory' is over time.

So long as it has a lead/leads whose plight the audience can identify with, that really shouldn't matter. Now if you want something like Underworld, which is more an action film than horror, you're looking less for suspense and more for slo-mo gun play anyway.

And with werewolves, there isn't the same literary basis to fall back on as there is with, say, vampires. That always helps.

[TacK]

I thought the werewolves in Underworld was decent, haven't seen a whole lot of were movies so I don't have much of a opinion

[Radiikz]

The next type of werewolf were going to see in a movie is twlight new moon all though that's not going to be really horror still a werewolf...

I think Werewolf movies are hard to make *good one at least* you need meto change right and a good storyline and acting of course...

It's hard to get all 3 points needed in a movie espically if it's gonna be a werewolf movie

[Galerian]

I want to see a true werewolf movie, dark, edgy and has the main character seriously trying to cope as a werewolf. Hell, it could have minimal gore, but this will never happen....

Check Ginger Snaps.

[steelba]

Check Ginger Snaps.

movie was a joke, PMS werewolves that looked like Giant pieces of plastic

[BigFatOgre]

Ginger Snaps wasn't bad. At least it was more in tune to what people in this thread are asking for as far as storyline. Maybe the followups were bleh, but the 1st was pretty decent.

[Galerian]

movie was a joke, PMS werewolves that looked like Giant pieces of plastic

At least it has an interesting and original take on the genre that is really lacking obviously.

[BigFatOgre]

Whateevr... I liked it.
My favorite lately is dog soldiers and i can't wait for the sequel.

[steelba]

At least it has an interesting and original take on the genre that is really lacking obviously.

Bah if that's the new take then i'm done with Werewolf flix :thumbsdown:

[NIZ08]

Gotta agree with the Ginger Snaps werewolves. They aren't scary at all and just the look of them seems so out of place. Not a lot of scary werewolf movies (American Werewolf In London scared me when I was little, the American Werewolf In Paris was horrible to me). Heck, I even miss the times when just the transformation of someone turning into a werewolf was scary and even hard to watch because of the sounds (I still cringe when I watch The Howling and the transformation in American Werewolf In London).

[BigFatOgre]

Well, we could have more like The Curse. :shakehead

[steelba]

we should have less like PMS werewolves and more like Dog Soldiers :starefreak:

[BigFatOgre]

Dog Soldiers is truly badass.
I am now envisioning a derilict who is a werewolf dealing with his past after slaughtering his own family and now searchng for the werewolf that infected him deep in the city slums.

[steelba]

F that

Some fool looking for revenge on the one who afflicted him has been done to death.

[BigFatOgre]

Everything's been done to death. There's no originality, only rehashing of the same shit over and over, hoping someone does it better than the last guy.

[steelba]

Everything's been done to death. There's no originality, only rehashing of the same shit over and over, hoping someone does it better than the last guy.

Guess you haven't seen Martyrs