Film, Television & Music – Page 41

“Ginger Snaps” and “Dog Soldiers” to get the Scream Factory treatment

Someone at Scream Factory really likes werewolf movies! This past Saturday, the horror imprint of Shout! Factory (which I like to think of as the Criterion of horror) announced on Facebook that they’ve signed a deal which will see them release collector’s editions of two top-shelf werewolf films from the early 2000’s: Ginger Snaps and Dog Soldiers. Here’s hoping these releases aren’t hampered by bureaucratic snags like the music industry bullshit that wrecked Scream Factory’s oft-lamented Werewolf TV series release (yes, I’m still bitter about that). There are no more details beyond the existence of the deal and a “summer 2014” release date, but that’s still more than enough reason to execute a small dance, high-five a stranger or perform the happiness-gesture of your choice. Follow Scream Factory on Twitter for more info, or read about it on this very site as it becomes available. Thanks to Werewolf News reader Sam for the heads-up!

Angela Quinton Nov. 19th 2013

Watch short film “Bad Moon Rising”, or “why you don’t keep werewolves in captivity”

2012 short film Bad Moon Rising combines practical effects and smart directing in a manner calculated to stimulate the part of the brain labelled “werewolves killing motherfuckers”. Enjoy all seven minutes of it here.

Director Scott Hamilton and crew put it together as a promo for a feature length film about a bank full of hostages that turn out to be werewolves. Its showcase is a lengthy werewolf transformation that’s achieved solely through traditional effects, and which I thought was very well-executed. BMR is a “modified version of the feature film’s opening sequence [that] was shot in order to act as a guide to the overall feel of the film”. All right, Hamilton, my appetite has been sufficiently whetted – please tell me where I can see (or help fund) the feature!

For more information, including an extensive gallery of mid-transformation photos like those below, visit BMR‘s web site.

Angela Quinton Nov. 18th 2013

Full Moon Features: The Werewolf of Woodstock rocks out

Six years before she was viciously mauled to death by lycanthropic serial killer Eddie Quist in The Howling, Belinda Balaski nearly met a similar fate at the paws of The Werewolf of Woodstock. (more…)

Craig J. Clark Nov. 16th 2013

Animated short “CARN” shows savagery’s bloody consequences

This prize-winning animated short film by Jeff Le Bars – submitted as his final project at Ecole d’art Emile Cohl – is a perfectly-executed morality tale, gorgeous to look at and exquisite in its brutality. I can’t really discuss it without spoiling the story, so please watch it and then let’s talk about it in the comments. Suffice it to say every frame is beautifully designed, the sound and music (by Sylvain Livenais) are perfect, and there are two smash cuts in it that are so fucking harrowing I’ve watched it a half-dozen times and still get goosebumps.

You can see more of Le Bars’ work on his web site. I’m cold, so cold.

Angela Quinton Nov. 15th 2013

Bigfoot Vs. Werewolves comic “Savage” coming to theatres

Did you know that in 2009, Shadowline / Image Comics published a comic miniseries that pitted against each other a pack of werewolves, Bigfoot, a psychotic monster hunter and a shoe salesman? I sure didn’t, which just goes to show how much potentially excellent werewolf content is out there, waiting to be discovered by people with short attention spans (that’s me, I’m talking about me). Savage was written by Jeff Frank & Steve Niles and drawn by Mike Mayhew. It ran for four issues in 2009, and it was good enough that even two years after it came out, folks were speculating that it would make a great film.

Now it seems that those folks are probably going to get their wish. As originally reported by TheWrap, the film rights to Savage have been acquired (excited face!) by the guys responsible for Agent Cody Banks and the Twilight films (concerned face).

Pathbender’s E. Thompson (“Hansel and Gretel Get Baked”) and John Adams will produce the movie, while Outlier’s Mark Morgan (“The Twilight Saga”) will executive produce.

I want to say something snarky about the involvement of these guys, but I was recently a total asshole about something that’s not even out, and I don’t have it in me to take digs at two guys who actually seem super good at their jobs (making movies that make a lot of money). The fact is, there might be another werewolf movie, and even if it’s about werewolves who shed their human skin and hassle cows, that’s a good thing.

For more info on Savage, I recommend reading these two great pieces on Comic Book Resources:

Angela Quinton Nov. 12th 2013

“Bitten” looks like it sucks worse than a bad joke about vampires

I tried reading Bitten back when there were rumours that it was going to be adapted into a feature film starring Angelina Jolie. I stopped after the first dozen pages or so. I don’t remember why, although I think I remember being irritated by something happening in an orchard or forest. My point is, I don’t know enough about Kelley Armstrong‘s writing to have a defensible opinion about Bitten the book, or the other 12 books in the series. My point is that Syfy’s upcoming TV series based on Bitten looks bad.

It looks really, really bad. Execrable.

This is terrible on two levels. First, as a fan of werewolves and horror, I don’t care about the following werewolf tropes, which are present in abundance:

Werewolves that are just big wolves
People transforming for the first time in a cage while an aloof mastermind watches and narrates
Quick close-ups of CG wolves cut to pitch-dropped audio of a lion snarling
Supernatural predjuice against humans manifesting as catty scorn
Low phlegmy breathing presented as animalistic and primal
Wolf pack dynamics forced onto a group of humans who are clearly all selfish assholes (bonus garbage-points for making “Pack” a proper noun)
Male werewolves in human form asserting their alpha dominance

Secondly, as an alive person who watches TV, I absolutely don’t give a shit about:

Plots wherein two secret underground societies wage a secret war against each other while keeping their secrets safe from the world at large, a world that could never understand their secrets
Plots wherein the second act ends with someone saying the words “we need to strike back”
Dramatic exposition dumps between two stone-faced characters wearing coats while standing in a cemetery or park
Sex scenes on a rug in front of a fire
Female actors making sexy-sex faces (but not TOO sexy) for the sake of audience titillation
Male actors removing their too-tight shirts for the sake of audience titillation
Paper-thin portrayals of female empowerment
Any show where the line “someone is turning psychotic murders into werewolves” is delivered with all the seriousness of a guest star detective on an episode of Law & Order: SVU

I try to stay positive on Werewolf News, but this trailer (and its poster, below) have made it clear that Bitten is going to be a terrible show on all levels, and everyone involved with it should feel ashamed of what they’ve done. It’s possible to make a fun, scary, loveably cheeseball TV series about supernatural topics – Syfy’s even done it – but I have no expectations that Bitten will be any of those things. It has all the markings of a bad TV series that celebrates boring werewolf mythos, and I don’t know which offence bums me out more.

The show airs on Syfy and Space sometime next year. If you still want to watch it after reading this, go ahead and Google for more details, because I can’t help you.

Angela Quinton Nov. 8th 2013

“WolfCop” star Leo Fafard discusses his transformation into Lou Garou

The Moose Jaw Times Herald has a nice little chat with Leo Fafard, the Saskatchewan actor playing the eponymous werewolf lawman in WolfCop. Most of the press about the film so far has been about its victory in the CineCoup competition, but now that filming’s actually underway, we get to hear about the rigours of shooting (zero sleep and sub-zero temperatures) and Fafard’s approach to playing Lou Garou.

He said Lou Garou and the post-transformation WolfCop are completely separate from each other, even though they inhabit the same body.

“One’s way more animalistic, not only in his movements but in his attitude,” Fafard said. “The other one’s, I mean, he’s got complexities of his own. He’s a drunk but he’s a cop … he’s a bit of a lost soul.”

Read the rest of the interview here, or for more updates on WolfCop’s progress, check out @WOLFCOPTheMovie on Twitter or the production blog on Tumblr. Stay warm, WolfCop crew!

Angela Quinton Nov. 7th 2013

Four werewolf projects fight for your crowdsourced dollars

I was away, and now that I’m back I’m finding all these Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects in my inbox, some of which were sent to me weeks ago! In the interest of getting these in front of you as soon as possible, I’m going to forego the in-depth analysis and gang them up here. I think all four of these are great, and they deserve your consideration! Click on a project’s title to visit its page.

End Of The Road

“The 28 Days Later of werewolf movies”. I like where these guys are coming from, and I certainly agree with their premise: werewolf movies traditionally suck. If this pitch video doesn’t win you over, the credits at the end will.

Fright Fight: Online Multiplayer Fighting for Mobile

“…a ‘Smash Bros’ style online multiplayer brawler featuring horror, steampunk, RPG elements… and zombies!” Play as one of four brawlin’ monsters, including a werewolf. I’m not normally down with the iPad controls, but I’d play the heck out of this.

Freeborn: Guts full of awesomeness

“Having a pilot is great, but we want to sell this to cable as a true series. To do that, we need flash in our sales package. Having the makeup and effects in a werewolf show is essential, but it also costs. A lot!” Help them cover their costs and get exclusive access to footage of a full-on werewolf transformation. These folks have been working on Freeborn for a long time and every time I check in, it looks better than ever.

Little Red

“…a comic book series about a werewolf fighting other legendary phenomenon monsters…” I like a mean Red Riding Hood, especially when she’s an unstoppable killing machine.

Best of luck to everyone involved!

Angela Quinton Nov. 5th 2013

Music Video: “Hide On The Moon” by For Those Who Still Exist

Music and video by Kevin Kopacka. The music and lyrics are dreamy/heartbreaking, and I like how well Kevin’s original footage cuts together with clips from other werewolf films to create something that’s simultaneously nostalgic and menacing. Bonus points for nail polish.

Angela Quinton Nov. 5th 2013

Full Moon Features: The Werewolf of Washington Wants You!

Over the past few weeks, as partisan politics has resulted in a partial government shutdown and petty bickering over the budget and raising the debt limit, it has pleased me to consider what it would be like if there were a hairy beast prowling the dark alleys of the nation’s capital, culling some of our more contentious congressmen. (more…)

Craig J. Clark Oct. 17th 2013