The Wolf Man (and the Wolfman) are two great movies for a then and now viewing. Both have the same basic story line, but their differences are brilliant.
The original Wolf Man movie starred Lon Chaney Jr. back in 1941 in classic black and white, but that doesn’t stop it from being amazing. The effects were wonderful for that time period and you really feel for Chaney’s character Lawrence Talbot. The poor man just feels like he’s going crazy, though, who wouldn’t feel crazy when you know the creature you killed was a wolf that bit you, but the police and everyone else find a human body that you killed.
Benicio Del Toro is no Lon Chaney Jr., but he brings his own flair to the 2010 version of the film. Lawrence is home and bitten, and ends up fighting another werewolf!
I can’t say much more without giving away some of the best parts of these movies, but they are two that I had to share for this series of posts. The last thing I can say is from the first movie.
Even a man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfs bane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright
This gypsy rhyme is a classic and I’d heard at least part of it before I ever saw either movie. It’s memorable and such a big part of the werewolf films and literature that it’s hard to get away from it.
Heather: I keep a little book of quotes that strike a chord with me and I really need to make sure this is in there somewhere. I’m a huge fan of wolves and werewolves and I’m not afraid to talk wolves and werewolves. It drives me crazy when the werewolf design looks more like a Wookie than a canine-man hybrid.
