Inspired by The Farewell director Lulu Wang's call to action at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards, we celebrate women filmmakers working in their field.
A practical man returns to his homeland, is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.
Director:
George Waggner
Stars:
Claude Rains,
Warren William,
Lon Chaney Jr.
On a quiet night, a young couple find themselves caught up in a nightmarish ordeal after they witness a murderer disposing of a body in this claustrophobic thriller staring Emily Blunt and Tom Riley.
The notorious monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for some sinister purpose.
Director:
Stephen Sommers
Stars:
Hugh Jackman,
Kate Beckinsale,
Richard Roxburgh
When a nice new neighbor moves in next door, Charley discovers that he is an ancient vampire who preys on the community. Can he save his neighborhood from the creature with the help of the famous "vampire killer", Peter Vincent?
Director:
Craig Gillespie
Stars:
Anton Yelchin,
Colin Farrell,
David Tennant
The centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.
Living in exile, Dr. Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target for revenge from a powerful victim.
Director:
Ridley Scott
Stars:
Anthony Hopkins,
Julianne Moore,
Gary Oldman
Two college students share a ride home for the holidays, but when they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they are preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there.
The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel, who is terrorizing Denmark, and later, Grendel's Mother, who begins killing out of revenge.
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Stars:
Ray Winstone,
Crispin Glover,
Angelina Jolie
Lawrence Talbot's (Benicio Del Toro's) childhood ended the night his mother died. His father sent him from the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor to an insane asylum, then he goes to America. When his brother Ben's (Simon Merrells') fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns to his father's estate to learn that his brother's mauled body has been found. Reunited with his estranged father Sir John Talbot (Sir Anthony Hopkins), Lawrence sets out to find his brother's killer, and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Someone or something with brute strength and insatiable blood lust has been killing the villagers, and a suspicious Scotland Yard Inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) comes to investigate.
Anthony Hopkins has been in both a vampire and a werewolf movie. Ironically he was a vampire hunter Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), and in this he's a werewolf. See more »
Goofs
When Talbot enters Gwen Conliffe's shop, we see that the door has a flower design inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh after 1896. See more »
Quotes
[Aberline sits down at a table in the pub and opens a newspaper. Mrs. Kirk walks up to him]
Det. Aberline:
A pint of bitter, please.
[She only stares at him. He looks up from his paper, stares back, and tips his hat towards her]
Det. Aberline:
Mrs. Kirk.
Mrs. Kirk:
Why aren't you out with MacQueen, trying to catch that thing what killed my husband?
Det. Aberline:
As I don't know where the lunatic will strike, it seems the practical thing to do is to stay as near as possible to the potential victims.
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
The Universal logo at the start is the one from the 1940s, as a homage to the time when the original Wolfman was made. See more »
Alternate Versions
The Unrated Director's Cut includes additional scenes not seen in the theatrical release:
The Universal logo at the beginning of the film is the 1940's logo used in the original "The Wolfman"
Ben Talbot's death is slightly longer.
An entirely new sequence showing Lawrence Talbot performing in a London play. Gwen Conliffe visits him in his dressing room post-show and interrupts a party to inform him that his brother Ben has gone missing. Lawrence dismisses her by saying that he cannot help as he is contracted to do 30 performances and is leaving for the States in the morning. This sequence creates an anachronism/goof later in the film as instead of mentioning her visiting him in London, Lawrence continuously references a letter that Gwen sent him which brings him to Blackmoor (as seen in the theatrical version).
As Lawrence travels by train to Blackmoor, there is a scene with an uncredited Max Von Sydow as an old man who gives Lawrence his silver wolf-head cane as protection (the cane that Sir John Talbot wields at the end of the film).
The tavern scene is slightly longer. After MacQueen's "melted down me mum's silverware" story, the villagers scoff at the notion of the killer being a werewolf, and blame the Talbots' misfortune on their dealings with the gypsies. One of the villagers calls Lawrence's late mother a "crazy gypsy whore", and Lawrence angrily confronts him and throws a drink in his face. After Lawrence is kicked out of the tavern, the villagers realize his identity.
When the posse fires into the hole after MacQueen's arm is ripped off, a rifle slug nails MacQueen in the chest, killing him. Additionally, there are a number of deleted and extended scenes:
After his attack, Lawrence has a short conversation with Gwen where she blames herself for the tragedy that has befallen the Talbots. Lawrence looks out the window and sees the posse that has come to round him up and tells Gwen to get his father while he goes outside to talk to them (the "you bear the mark of the beast" scene)
Lawrence's conversation with Singh is slightly longer. After Lawrence asks him why he never left Blackmoor, Singh explains that Sir John saved his life many years ago and that as a result he vowed to stay by his side.
The mausoleum transformation scene is slightly longer.
The London chase scene is longer. The Wolfman walks into a costume party / opera performance and is mistaken for a costumed patron. He attacks one of the patrons but is chased off by Aberline and his men.
Additionally, the Wolfman crashes a puppet theater performance in a park and kills the puppeteer. Aberline chases him out of the park and into the path of a steam engine (as seen in the theatrical version).
The final fight is slightly longer and sequenced differently than the theatrical version.
Dark misty moors, tall trees, and a full moon are the recipe to a werewolf movie such as this film, "American Werewolf In London", and of course, the original Lon Chaney film. Benicio Del Toro (always enigmatic) assumes the role of Lawrence Talbot, a British-born, but American raised actor who returns to his rundown English home after the brutal death of his brother, Ben. Lawrence is reunited with his estranged and eccentric father, John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), and introduced to Ben's beautiful fiancé, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), in order to solve the mystery of Ben's death. While on the trail of searching for the killer, Lawrence is attacked by a werewolf and the curse is passed on to him causing him to be the prime suspect of Detective Frances Aberline aka the Hunter of Jack the Ripper (Hugo Weaving) leading the official investigation. The good news: excellent special effects and make up of the werewolf attacks. Some really good jolt scenes and some good performances. Del Toro is always versatile and it shows in all of his performances including this one which has to rely on special effects and make up. Personally, I loved the scenes he shared with the luminous Emily Blunt, who portrays the character of Gwen Conliffe with sympathy and vulnerability without turning her into a simpering damsel in distress. Blunt and Del Toro to my surprise had wonderful chemistry. The bad news: the direction of the film was choppy and rushed. Anthony Hopkins is still playing the mad old kook who has played before and the story is predictable. To summarize, I was entertained at times, but I was left short of the mystery that the film was suppose to have. However I do have more good news: I would prefer this film over "New Moon" anytime, but I have no intention of spending another 8 bucks on "The Wolfman." I would recommend this film when it is aired on HBO.
8 of 15 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
Dark misty moors, tall trees, and a full moon are the recipe to a werewolf movie such as this film, "American Werewolf In London", and of course, the original Lon Chaney film. Benicio Del Toro (always enigmatic) assumes the role of Lawrence Talbot, a British-born, but American raised actor who returns to his rundown English home after the brutal death of his brother, Ben. Lawrence is reunited with his estranged and eccentric father, John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), and introduced to Ben's beautiful fiancé, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), in order to solve the mystery of Ben's death. While on the trail of searching for the killer, Lawrence is attacked by a werewolf and the curse is passed on to him causing him to be the prime suspect of Detective Frances Aberline aka the Hunter of Jack the Ripper (Hugo Weaving) leading the official investigation. The good news: excellent special effects and make up of the werewolf attacks. Some really good jolt scenes and some good performances. Del Toro is always versatile and it shows in all of his performances including this one which has to rely on special effects and make up. Personally, I loved the scenes he shared with the luminous Emily Blunt, who portrays the character of Gwen Conliffe with sympathy and vulnerability without turning her into a simpering damsel in distress. Blunt and Del Toro to my surprise had wonderful chemistry. The bad news: the direction of the film was choppy and rushed. Anthony Hopkins is still playing the mad old kook who has played before and the story is predictable. To summarize, I was entertained at times, but I was left short of the mystery that the film was suppose to have. However I do have more good news: I would prefer this film over "New Moon" anytime, but I have no intention of spending another 8 bucks on "The Wolfman." I would recommend this film when it is aired on HBO.