Angela Quinton is a writer, designer and web developer from Canada. She's also a colossal werewolf nerd who wrote her first werewolf story on her mom's typewriter at age 11. When not writing code or geeking out over werewolf stuff, Angela runs trails, spots trains, and throws rocks at the Pacific Ocean. She lives near Vancouver, Canada, with their lovely and tolerant wife, three feline malcontents and an increasingly terrible dachshund.
This morning I received an email inviting me to be part of a beta for a new browser-based game – Universal Monsters Online.
Play as your favorite characters from the Universal Monsters films including Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man and a multitude of other classic Monsters. Be part of the fast paced action-strategy MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). UMO combines high-end 3D isometric graphics, cinematic audio and deep gameplay in a setting from the greatest monster films. Defeat your opponents – get the girl!
For an unorthodox definition of “get”, I would imagine! When I accepted, registered, and hit the big PLAY NOW button, I was greeted by a closed message, probably because of the influx of beta testers, but I’m looking forward to getting in there! The action seems geared towards, you know, being a monster and fucking people up, which is (as Finn would say) kind of my deal.
At the moment, it looks like you can play as the Wolf Man, Dracula, Gill Man, Frankenstein’s Monster, or Bride of Frankenstein. The characters page has this to say about The Wolf Man:
The Wolf Man is a force of cunning rage. A beast of nightmares realized, this monstrous terror used to be locked away inside a human host. It was released only by the light of a full moon…not any more. The Wolf Man has mastered the confines of his curse and now roams free and can appear at will. Fueled by bloodlust and the craft of the hunt, the world’s most feared werewolf is on the loose, stalking his next victim.
The game is in “closed beta”, but my wife registered and immediately got an invitation emailed to her, so if you want to try it out, I recommend signing up.
Let’s step away from indie games for a minute and take a look at two A-list titles that are publishing werewolf-related expansions.
First up is The Sims 3 Supernatural, a limited edition expansion for the The Sims 3. It’s available for preorder for $40, and ships September 4th. From the game’s web site:
Enter the mysterious town of Moonlight Falls where strange things happen by the light of the moon. Create supernatural beings from menacing werewolves and cackling witches, to mischievous fairies and more intriguing vampires. Then stalk the night, use your wand to cast spells, claw the furniture and more. You can mix dozens of elixirs that can turn Sims into zombies or transform them into gold. Share your enchanted brews with any friends who have The Sims 3! Spooky surprises are in store for you in the world of The Sims 3 Supernatural!
GameZone has a write-up that describes the specifics of the changes your werewolf Sim will go through, although the screenshot above shows the bulk of what you can expect: hairy shoulders, claws, a caveman face, and ripped pants that will terrify your effete friend and the maid, but which will impress the dickens out of ladies in very shiny pantyhose.
Not into The Sims? You can also get your werewolf DLC via a game that lists the ability to “take on a Mexican wrestling gang in a satellite-targeted airstrike” as a selling point: Saint’s Row: The Third. The Horror Pack is available today, and offers mix-and-match Werewolf, Zombie, Slasher and Horror Mask components. The game looks like a sugar-addled 13-year-old boy’s escapist fantasy, but I actually kind of like the werewolf suit design.
The Horror Pack is available as DLC on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and OnLive for less than the price of an expensive fancy coffee.
What other games out there would you like to see werewolf DLC for?
As previously mentioned on Werewolf News, Universal has decided to reboot/refresh/rehash the lycanthropic segment of their monster movie franchise with a brand new direct-to-disc werewolf movie.
Yesterday, Collider got first dibs on the PR package, which includes promotional stills, a trailer, Blu-ray features – and a release date. You’ll be able to buy Werewolf: The Beast Among Us on October 9th, 2012. Here’s the trailer and synopsis, to help with your purchase decision.
A monstrous creature terrorizes a 19th Century European village by moonlight and a young man struggles to protect his loved ones from an unspeakable scourge in Werewolf: The Beast Among Us, Universal Studios’ all-new addition to its time-honored legacy of classic monsters. During his studies with the local doctor (Stephen Rea), Daniel (Guy Wilson) witnesses the horrific consequences of werewolf attacks. Watching as the beast’s fearsome reputation draws bounty hunters, thrill seekers and charlatans to the tiny town, Daniel dreams of destroying the ruthless predator. So when a mysterious stranger (Ed Quinn) and his team of skilled werewolf hunters (Stephen Bauer, Adam Croasdell) arrive to pursue the monster, he offers to join them, despite his mother’s (Nia Peeples) protests. But it soon becomes clear that this creature is stronger, smarter and more dangerous than anything they have faced before. As casualties mount and villagers see their neighbors transformed into ravening monsters, the townsfolk take up arms against each other to find the true identity of the werewolf. Amid the hysteria, Daniel begins to suspect he’s closer to his target than he ever dreamed.
I’m trying to picture myself enjoying this, and in order to make it happen I have to set the film up as an exquisitely self-aware and dark, dark comedy. This doesn’t sound much like the film I was imaging when I was daydreaming about what Universal could do with a direct-to-home feature:
Universal can make this Wolfman re-imagining as dark, gory, twisted and otherwise stylistically radical as the material warrants without having to worry about what mainstream reviewers, audiences or Cate Blanchett think.
I will reserve judgement until I’ve seen it, though – I’ve put my foot in my mouth too many times to go off on a tear based on some marketdroid’s “fit the whole cast in” synopsis.
“Transformation: Man To Beast” – Revealing behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director Louis Morneau, producer Mike Elliott, production designer David Hirschfield and makeup SFX designer Paul Hyatt show viewers how the monster in Werewolf: The Beast Among Us was brought to life using a mix of computer-generated graphics and practical makeup.
Here’s hoping they used more practical makeup than CG! For a full listing of disc features and extras, and to see a selection of werewolfless promotional stills, visit the Collider article. And keep your fingers crossed for something dark, gory and twisted.
Anthony Brownrigg’s Freeborn project has moved into phase 3 of its fundraising effort, and this round is supported by a short film that looks pretty slick. Tasha’s Decision provides 20 minutes of backstory for an antagonist Brownrigg describes as “quite the witch with a B.”
I liked Tasha’s Decision the movie, but I detested Tasha’s actual decision, and I found her throughly unlikeable besides. I guess that was the point, though! Check it out yourself, and if you’d like a chance to hate Tasha for 120 minutes instead of just 20, consider contributing to the Indiegogo campaign.
If you have a hole in your life that’s shaped like a snarling werewolf figure (I know I do), artist Kyoht and “vote for it and we’ll probably create it” collectible site Patch Together are here to help.
Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves is a hybrid action / strategy / tower defence game being developed by Quebec-based Artifice Studio. It’s slated for a Windows release sometime this summer. From the press release:
Artifice Studio Inc. is pleased to announce their upcoming PC game Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves. Sang-Froid is set in a legendary 19th century Canada, and offers innovative gameplay mechanics mixed with a captivating narrative co-written with acclaimed author Bryan Perro.
Created in the spirit of the Indie Game movement, Sang-Froid combines elements from both action and strategy games in other to create a unique experience inspired by genres such as tower defence, 3rd person action games and RPGs. The player will control one of the two O’Carroll brothers in the forest of Wolvesvale. Night after night, they must defend their cabin from the hordes of werewolves, will o’ the wisps, and other creatures, all derived from Canadian and Amerindian legends. In order to survive, the player must outwit his enemies by strategically placing traps in the forest and lure them to their doom with the help of some bait and the wind. The player can also count on a large variety of muskets and axes to heroically fight back the creatures.
I’m ethically opposed to games where the point is to kill werewolves instead of killing as a werewolf, but the “werewolves circling the campfire” scene in this gameplay trailer won me over. I love games that combine resource management with the construction of lethal Rube Goldberg-style defences (shout-out to my Warcraft 3 pals). If Artifice releases an OS X or Xbox Marketplace version, I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of Sang-Froid. I have to admit, though – most of my setups will probably involve the O’Carroll brothers getting fucked over when they least expect it.
I’ve been delighted by everywerewolf-relatedendeavourPenny Arcadehasundertaken. This image is no different, despite the fact that it’s making me feel skittish and antsy in ways I can’t quite define. No word on a release date yet.
Werewolf News reader Tah the Trickster wrote in to tell me about some werewolf-related music that will nicely counter-balance the last music post I did. I’m just going to quote Tah’s email, since it says 95% of what you need to know.
There is a small Californian metal band by the name of GrimWolf that I really think you’d be interested in. Their tagline is “Pure American Werewolf Metal” so their subject material is obviously relevant to your interests.
GrimWolf currently has only two releases – their debut EP “Pure American Werewolf Metal,” which is available for free download on signing up for their newsletter, and their debut full-length album “Lycanthrope.” I realize it might not be your preferred genre of music – it’s very loud and very heavy, which I understand not everyone likes – but I think it’s definitely worth it to check them out and give these guys a mention.
Hey, now. Just because I listen to Fiona Apple and drink tea doesn’t mean I need my music served lukewarm in a porcelain bowl! Last year I blew a $200 pair of Sennheisers listening to Pelican too loud. But I digress.
I don’t know much about metal, but I know what I like, and after listening to two songs, I can confirm that I like GrimWolf. Tasty riffs, just the right amount of face-shredding abrasiveness, and pretty much the only “guttural growl” vocals I’ve been able to get into. Plus, all of their songs really do seem to be about werewolves, just like it says on the tin. Below is the video for “Moonshine”, the first single from Lycanthrope. For more on the band, including upcoming gigs, check out their site GrimWolf.net.
Bob Burns – friend of Rick Baker, monster collector extraordinaire and keeper of the aforementioned AWIL “Werewolf David” costume – provided Tom & co. with their latest restoration project: the original “emaciated porno theatre puppet” version of AWIL’s Jack Goodman. When Jack arrived at Tom’s workshop, his decomposition had progressed far beyond his ghoulish state during his final appeal to David’s better nature. From the TSD site:
Working at the project over a period of weeks, the TSD crew would work together to bring a bit of life back to this incredible piece of film history. Patrick Louie performed most of the cleaning, Mike Thomas did much of the conservation and patching and Tom Spina handled rebuilding the larger missing areas and all paint work.
Below are a few of the photos Tom sent me. You can see more photos – and read about Rick Baker’s reaction to the restoration – on the TSD project page. Fantastic work as always, and thanks for sharing, Tom!
Despite the great stuff people have been sending me lately, posts on Werewolf News have been a little less frequent than I’d like. This is due in part to the scarcity of hours outside my “day job”, and also as a result of the number of side projects I’ve taken on. I’ve learned from painful, shameful experience that it’s unwise to talk about such side projects until each one has already been quietly launched and live for a week or more, so I won’t get into specifics, but I will say that there are three of them, they’re web sites, and each is a collaboration with some extremely talented people that I’m lucky to work with. You’ll see two of them next month sometime, and the third in time for Halloween.
I am a big believer in the Merlin Mann style of Getting Things Done. Mann & Dan Benjamin’s Back To Work podcast literally changed my life. Part of that discipline establishes the impossibility of having more than one priority – a “priority” being something you focus on to the exclusion of everything else. As much as I would love to make Werewolf News my sole priority outside of my relationship and my “day job”, I have these three projects that have been at various stages of completion for months or years. I’m coming to realize that if I don’t focus on each one, make it a priority and get it done, I’m just going to keep toting around the stress and anxiety that comes with unfinished work, and that shit will just distract me from doing anything about anything.
Werewolf News is going through a slow period right now, but it’s still very much alive. Expect things to pick up as Summer peaks, and in the meantime, you might like to follow me on Twitter, and please accept my thanks for being a reader and / or contributor.
The Wolf Man is a force of cunning rage. A beast of nightmares realized, this monstrous terror used to be locked away inside a human host. It was released only by the light of a full moon…not any more. The Wolf Man has mastered the confines of his curse and now roams free and can appear at will. Fueled by bloodlust and the craft of the hunt, the world’s most feared werewolf is on the loose, stalking his next victim.
