The Company of Wolves (1984)

A teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

Angela Carter (screenplay), Neil Jordan (screenplay)

Stars:

Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, David Warner

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 10 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angela Lansbury	...	Granny
David Warner	...	Father
Graham Crowden	...	Old Priest
Brian Glover	...	Amorous Boy's Father
Kathryn Pogson	...	Young Bride
Stephen Rea	...	Young Groom
Tusse Silberg	...	Mother
Micha Bergese	...	Huntsman
Sarah Patterson	...	Rosaleen
Georgia Slowe	...	Alice
Susan Porrett	...	Amorous Boy's Mother
Shane Johnstone	...	Amorous Boy
Dawn Archibald	...	Witch Woman
Richard Morant	...	Wealthy Groom
Danielle Dax	...	Wolfgirl

Storyline

Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) is a teenager, living in a country house in England with her family in the present days, and having a nightmare with wolves and werewolves in the Middle Ages. In her dream, her boring sister is dead, she lives with her father and her mother, but she spends lots of time with her lovely grandmother. Granny (Dame Angela Lansbury) tells her many stories of werewolf and gives her the following advice: "- Never stray from the path in the woods, never eat a windfall apple, and never trust a man whose eyebrows meet." One day, Rosaleen, while going to visit her grandmother, meets a handsome man and bets who would arrive first at her granny's house. Soon she finds who he is.

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Plot Keywords:

grandmother | werewolf | girl | dream | cult film | 

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Taglines:

The film event of the year

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to budgetary constraints and fears about safety, most of the "wolves" in this movie are actually Belgian Shepherd Dogs whose fur has been dyed. For some of the close-up shots of Rosaleen interacting with the wolf towards the end of this movie, a real wolf was used. During the entirety of the production, only two real wolves were used.

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Goofs

When the priest prunes the tree in the garden, he climbs up a ladder. When he talks to the lady, first both of his hands are on the pruning sheers, then all of a sudden one hand is holding on to a branch. In the next shot, both his hands are on the pruning sheers again.

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Quotes

Granny: Your only sister, all alone in the wood, and nobody there to save her. Poor little lamb.
Rosaleen: Why couldn't she save herself?
Granny: You don't know anything, you're only a child.

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Alternate Versions

The original version was censored by 2 minutes by the Central Board of Film Certification of India to achieve an 'A' (adults only - A-621-MUM) certificate.

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Connections

Version of La caperucita roja (1960)

User Reviews

I love this little film

The company of Wolves. why is it so underrated? A simple low budget sweet tale that everybody knows cleverly put together into this horror masterpiece with a few more short stories added. Special Effects are great. I love the first story the most where they cut the Werewolves head off and it turns back human. I'm probably going to upset a few people now when I rate the special effects more than In An American Werewolf In London. But the best bit if all is all the god damn German Shepherds jumping through the window at the end. Believable as Wolves Not - but still such a delicious, entertaining, humorous and gory. The Company Of Wolves is OK in my book.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Company of Wolves

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,234,776, 21 April 1985

Gross USA:

$4,389,334

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,389,334

Company Credits

Production Co:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC), Palace Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1