I’ve had a lot of nice things to say about Michael Butts’s werewolf film “Hair of the Dog”. Now you can see for yourself why I think it’s the best werewolf short I’ve ever watched: Michael posted the whole thing to YouTube.
I think that for a werewolf film (or story or comic) to be truly excellent, it has to be able to stand on its own without the benefit of a werewolf fan’s inclination to like it “because werewolves”. “Hair of the Dog” accomplishes that with ease. From an email I sent to Michael in December, right after watching it via a super-secret Vimeo link he shared with me:
I came to this expecting “a better-than-average werewolf short” – the teasers you’ve shared set the bar quite high so I knew it was gonna be good no matter what – but what I got was something that affected me on a scope beyond “fan watching something I’m predisposed to like”. There’s lots there for any werewolf/horror fan to enjoy, but you handled the themes of addiction, self-loathing and duality in a way that would have an impact on anyone with a heart, soul and brain.
You are a master of “show, don’t tell”. Editing and pacing were perfect. No fat on this at all, just lean and mean, but soulful. And the sound design! From the birds at the start to the various disorientating filters and effects to snarl at the end, just exquisite.
Watch it below. Sorry that YouTube selected a particularly graphic thumbnail image.