Film, Television & Music – Page 43

Full Moon Features: Welcome to the Summer of Syfy!

Summer won’t officially be here for another month, but the summer movie season has already been in full swing for the past few weeks. Alas, we won’t be seeing any werewolves at the multiplex this year, but Syfy has our back with Battledogs, which our esteemed webmaster was kind enough to bring to our attention. Sure, it actually premiered back in April, but Syfy is giving fans another chance to check it out on Saturday, June 29, at 3 p.m. In the meantime, I figured it would be worthwhile to run down some of the other werewolf films the channel has seen fit to grace us with over the past decade and change.

It may surprise some to know that back in the Dark Ages, Syfy was the Sci-Fi Channel, and it actually gave Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers its US premiere. For those who have been living under a rock for the past 11 years, the film is set in the Scottish highlands, where an Army patrol on a routine training mission finds themselves up against a pack of werewolves (who are, I’m happy to report, almost entirely men in werewolf suits — and pretty good-looking ones at that). Sean Pertwee stars as the squad’s sergeant, who gets eviscerated by one of the beasts early on, leaving private Kevin McKidd in charge. This leads to some conflict with the Special Ops officer they run into (Liam Cunningham), who has a history with McKidd and knows more than he’s letting on about their furry foes. And the same goes for zoologist Emma Cleasby, who picks the soldiers up in her Land Rover and takes them to a remote country house where they hold up for the night.

Marshall may have gone on to bigger (and occasionally better) things like The Descent and Doomsday, but this was his feature film debut and he pulled out all the stops for it. His characters are well-drawn, their dialogue is snappy, the action sequences are exciting (and edited in such a way that you can tell what’s going on), and the special effects are much better than you would probably expect from such a low-budget film. Even given Marshall’s predilection for blowing shit up (which he indulges on a few occasions), I’ll take this over the much more extravagant Underworld films any day. It’s just too bad the proposed sequel has had so much trouble getting off the ground, but I’ll happily lap it up should it ever see the light of day (or night).

Like Dog Soldiers, 2005’s The Beast of Bray Road wasn’t produced by the Sci-Fi Channel (as a matter of fact, The Asylum is the company that holds that dubious distinction), but that is where I got to see it. You know you’re in for something different when you’re watching a werewolf movie and the first words that pop up on the screen are “BASED ON A TRUE STORY.” Thanks to the Asylum connection, my expectations weren’t very high going into The Beast of Bray Road (which is apparently based on actual werewolf sightings that took place in rural Wisconsin), but at least it had the good sense not to take itself too seriously.

Written, directed and edited by Leigh Scott, the film has more than a few parallels with Jaws. For example, star Jeff Denton is the new deputy in town who moved there from the big city for the peace and quiet, with Thomas Downey in the Richard Dreyfuss role as a cryptozoologist working on his Ph.D. who is attracted by internet reports of an unidentified wild beast. (Downey was something of an MVP on the film since he also served as production designer and stunt performer and did the special effects.) There’s even a budget-conscious sheriff who’s more concerned about selling hunting licenses and the tourist trade than hunting down the creature.

Speaking of the beast, it would probably be more frightening if it didn’t look like a guy wearing a collection of throw rugs, which makes it doubly confusing why the director would show it so fully and so early in the film. He also gives the new deputy a seemingly pointless love interest in local roadhouse owner Sarah Lieving (who could probably use a bouncer like Patrick Swayze), which I suppose is meant to heighten the drama at the climax, but it ends up seeming as random as most every other element in the film. Still, if all you’re looking for is a cheesy werewolf movie, you could probably do a lot worse than this one — and cheesy is definitely the word for it. What else would you expect from a film that is “dedicated to the Great State of Wisconsin”?

Next Up: Syfy goes the hybrid route, and I don’t mean they bought a Prius…

Craig J. Clark May. 23rd 2013

Exclusive Q&A: explore lycanthropic justice with “WolfCop” writer & director Lowell Dean

WolfCop Writer & Director Lowell Dean

The CineCoup Film Accelerator competition is coming down to the wire, and while there are some real gems in the top 10, we all know which film has to win! WolfCop writer & director Lowell Dean very kindly made himself available for an email Q&A session this weekend. I think my “please move production to Vancouver and let me be an extra” begging was subtle, but I’ll let you decide – read on for 10 questions and answers with Lowell.

AQ: The script, effects & costumes and the production design for the film seems pretty evolved, based on what we can see in the trailer and the scene for the “Speechless” mission. What sort of pre-production tasks are you holding off on until WolfCop is inevitably selected as the winner in June?

LD: I love your confidence. I have yet to do any storyboarding for WolfCop. For 13 Eerie (my first feature) we storyboarded every single action sequence or moment of action. We did it with drawing, acting and action figures, which was a fun way to storyboard! I plan to board at least every beat of action, and ideally I’d love to storyboard most of the movie if our schedule permits it.

Despite its “small town America” setting, how much of the film’s aesthetic is rooted in Saskatchewan? Assuming WolfCop wins, will you keep the production there, or are there reasons you might choose (or be compelled by CineCoup’s “Accelerated Production” process) to move everything to a different province?

The aesthetic is inspired by the look and feel of small town Saskatchewan – a quaint community on the edge of a dense, mysterious forest. I think of it as Saskatchewan mixed with a bit of Twin Peaks. While I would love to film here, Saskatchewan currently has no competitive film tax credit. So there is a possibility we will have to shoot WolfCop somewhere else. It is a truly Saskatchewan story, and my dream is to shoot it here. I’m just not sure how realistic that is right now.

CineCoup seems like it’s been hands-off in terms of restricting the content and themes of the participating films. Is WolfCop likely to be rated PG-13 or R? What sort of audience will the completed film be geared for?

I want it to be a true blue horror film. An R rating. Like the films that inspire it (An American Werewolf in London, Scream). A lot of it can be mysterious and implied – which will help with our lower budget. You don’t need to have incessant violence or gore, but when you’ve got a werewolf running around you need those chaotic visceral moments of violence to really drive home the power and danger of the character. I see (late) teen boys loving this movie. They may be the key demographic. But I’m in my 30s and I really want to see it too!

How much of Werewolf Lou’s design came from Emersen Ziffle’s vision, versus input from Bernie, Lowell and Hugh? Are there any enhancements to the werewolf makeup effects that an expanded budget might permit? (not that any are needed!)

The best part about Emersen and I being good friends is we hang out often, and have talked WolfCop for a year now over coffee and makeup tests, honing the look. That has been a big advantage of shooting a teaser trailer and then having our actor Leo Fafard do a couple personal appearances as WolfCop (at our CineCoup Top 40 Party in Regina and then at the Calgary Expo for Top 15). We’ve been tweaking the whole time. I can tell Emersen a few key details about the character, and he’s read the script and he can then go and create his magic. He knows what he is doing. Emersen suggested a muscle suit, which has worked wonders for the character’s physique and overall physicality as WolfCop. I don’t think a big budget will really change how the character looks, it might just afford us the time and tests to perfect the look of him. He’s very close now to his look for the final film.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of having the same actor (Leo Fafard) play Lou in both human and werewolf roles?

To me the advantages are he is more in tune with the character. Human or werewolf, they are the same guy. The actor needs to know the beats, and how the monster scenes tie in to the human ones – which is often quite key. WolfCop isn’t just showing up randomly fighting crime, he’s picking up the “night shift” from where human cop Lou Garou’s “day shift”. They are like an odd partnership, Lou doesn’t have the guts or maybe the ability to do his job right, but when WolfCop comes out to play, he’s finishing what Lou starts…with a vengeance.

The disadvantage of the same actor is just scheduling and logistics. It takes a few hours to become WolfCop, so you know if he’s in werewolf mode you can’t schedule any scenes with the human actor that day. I already know that will make our shooting schedule interesting!

Given the impact of social media-driven fan activity on WolfCop’s rise to CineCoup success, is there a place for fan input/interaction in the creation of the finished film?

I already have the script written and I’m quite happy with the story and it’s evolution, but I would never rule out some sort of fan interaction for the film – Iike killing someone off or a cameo, or something like that. I am making this movie for people who want to WolfCop, so if there is a rabid fanbase (pun intended) that really vocally wants something – a moment, a certain iconic shot – I want to make sure they are happy too, as long as it works within the story.

I am really impressed by the response we’ve gotten online. The WolfCop trailer has shown up on sites and blogs all around the world, and for the most part it’s all great comments. People are embracing it, and that makes me really want to do this movie and do it right and keep growing our community online. Bernie, myself and David (our social media guy) love the online aspect. We are engaging people all day long. We really are a #WOLFCOP Pack, it’s not just hollow marketing!

If WolfCop wins the competition, the film will be screened in Cineplex theatres across Canada in January 2014. What plans are there for getting the finished film in front of American and European audiences?

That will be more in the hands of the producers but if the film is successful I see no reason why it wouldn’t get to expand beyond our country, even if it’s in some sort of limited edition screening capacity or festivals. I’ve said it from the start, WolfCop is a theatre experience. That is one of our biggest strengths in this competition. This is a popcorn, late night, screams and laughter kind of movie. It should be watched with an audience.

Has WolfCop’s success in the competition and the corresponding media exposure resulted in alternate avenues for financing? If by some calamity the CineCoup prize goes to one of the other contenders, will we still have a chance to see a feature-length film starring Lou?

I’m not at liberty to discuss the financing of the movie. Prior to CineCoup (and during) we had talked to a couple producers about the project, but nothing too seriously. I am really driven by the opportunity to put this movie in theatres. I wanted to give CineCoup an honest shot first and foremost as it’s an exciting model, and I think it has strong potential for success. I will say that if we don’t win, and if CineCoup chooses not to produce WolfCop, we will keep the dream alive and explore other options for sure. I am pretty confident this movie will happen somehow. It needs to!

Last week’s CineCoup Mission (Spin Off) shows some of the ways WolfCop could exist in mediums other than film. Would those spin-offs (particularly the comic) require the film to exist first, as something to orbit around? Or could WolfCop be re-imagined as a graphic novel?

Ideally, I would prefer the feature to exist before the spin-offs, but I would entertain the idea of a graphic novel beforehand. I think that a print prequel could be fun. I already have an outline for WolfCop 2 so maybe a graphic novel to bridge those two stories as well. Or some kind of ongoing saga. Who would want a WolfCop toy before the movie even exists? Is there any market for it? That is the question I guess.

WolfCop is in the Top 10 (congratulations!). The final vote in which fans can participate is the Top 5 Vote, which runs from May 30 through June 2. After the winners are announced on June 3, is there anything more that fans can do to help WolfCop’s chances when the winner is selected by the CineCoup Jury on June 10.

Thank you! I think after fans cast all their MANY votes for the Top 5 (May 30 to June 2) then can still support the cause by having a presence online. Tweeting about us. Tweeting TO CineCoup about us. Being active on our facebook page. Posting positive comments on our CineCoup page. I think all those things come into play, and I think CineCoup will take those factors into account. Like I said, if there is clearly a large, passionate fanbase throwing their vocal support behind a project, I think it can and will make a world of difference.

As fans of werewolves and justice, we can help WolfCop make it to the top 5 by participating in the final fan vote, which runs from May 30 through June 2 – go rack up your voting points by completing fan missions now, and spread the word with the Obama-tastic “VOTE WOLFCOP” avatar and Facebook background graphics below. Many thanks to Lowell for taking the time to answer these questions!

VOTE WOLFCOP Avatar

(Click for full image)

Angela Quinton May. 21st 2013

Syfy’s “Battledogs”: when CG werewolves battle helicopters, who wins?

Fresh from horror/sci-fi film cheese factory The Asylum comes the latest made-for-Syfy TV movie to star some recognizable faces and CG werewolves: Battledogs. I have not seen it yet, but the “New York suffers a lycanthropy pandemic and the President is concerned” synopsis makes me wonder why The Asylum is ripping off an awesome book instead of a blockbuster movie. Here’s the trailer, which isn’t shy about showing off the werewolf action (and Bill Duke looking pensive in the back of a car).

Battledogs stars Craig Sheffer (who I actually though was a more rugged David Borenaz) Ariana Richards (Lex “This is Unix” Murphy from Jurassic Park), Wes Studi (Sphinx from Mystery Men), and Bill Duke, who antagonized Arnie in Running Man, dry-shaved in Predator and apparently never ages.

Judging solely from what’s visible in the trailer, I like the werewolf design, but the CG looks appropriately made-for-TV.

Did you see Battledogs? What did you think? Better or worse than Syfy’s other werewolf offering, Red: Werewolf Hunter?

Angela Quinton May. 16th 2013

Edgar Wright’s on-stage love-letter to “An American Werewolf in London”

Earlier this month, talented & voluminously-haired film director Edgar Wright was asked to introduce a screening of An American Werewolf in London, which was his pick for BFI’s Screen Epiphanies series of film screenings.

In the 12-minute intro, he talks about the film’s effect on him as a child, its influence on he and Simon Pegg while shooting Shaun of the Dead, and how it’s still a formative example of cross-genere filmmaking. Wright is joined by actor Michael Carter, the late-night Tottenham Court Road station victim, who shares some amusing stories about his scenes and how AWIL director John Landis pranked him during his first meeting with the werewolf. Also on stage is actor David Schofield, the angry darts-player from The Slaughtered Lamb, who talks about some of Landis’s more antisocial tendencies and getting fan-boy’d by Tom Cruise.

Wright’s enthusiasm for AWIL is abundant, and it was a real pleasure to see him discuss the venerable film. I think I know what I’m watching tonight!

Angela Quinton Apr. 30th 2013

Another wonderful “Underworld” Lycan restoration by Tom Spina Designs

Once again, the folks at Tom Spina Designs have come into possession of a discarded husk from a moulting werewolf (or possibly a suit from Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), and through an alchemical process called “having great skills”, TSD artist Patrick Louie has reconstituted the disembodied head and ragged torso into a wicked full-body display. Here’s a video of the process, which included the creation of new hands, lower legs and feet to match the rest of the suit, as well as a themed display base.

And here, in greater detail, are some of the photos from that video, cribbed from the Tom Spina Designs Facebook page (which I’m sure you’re already following, because what are you, nuts?). Click for larger versions.

Damn, the detail on those hands and feet! Wonderful work, Pat! To see the finished result, visit the Custom Mannequins – Themed Movie Costume Displays section of the TSD site – as of this post, it’s the first entry.

Angela Quinton Apr. 25th 2013

Full Moon Features: Orgy of the Dead

Do not be alarmed by the title of this month’s Full Moon Feature: Orgy of the Dead was made in 1965, so it’s nowhere near as risque at it sounds. It was also written by Edward D. Wood, Jr., based on his own novel, so there’s little chance of anyone finding it at all erotic in spite of the bevy of nearly naked women that are made to dance for the pleasure of Criswell, the Emperor of the Night (and allegedly the audience).

It all starts out innocently enough with a young couple (William Bates and Pat Barrington) driving out to a cemetery because, he being a horror writer, he’s looking for inspiration for one of his extremely popular monster stories. She’s not so keen on the idea, but she does exchange a chaste kiss with him, prompting him to remark, “Your puritan upbringing holds you back from my monsters, but it certainly doesn’t hurt your art of kissing.” Soon after, he loses control and crashes the car, which they are thrown clear of. That’s the cue for Criswell to beckon forth the “princes of darkness” — or maybe he says “princess.” It’s really hard to tell. I’m leaning toward the latter because only one darkness-dweller comes forth, the Black Ghoul (Fawn Silver), who gets things started by summoning a Native American girl who died in flame to… dance topless near a flame. This she does for a long time, setting the precedent for all of the acts to follow.

While this is going on, director Stephen C. Apostolof (credited as A.C. Stephen) cuts away to Bates and Barrington as they come to and decide to investigate the music coming from the cemetery. They miss most of the next act, a streetwalker, but they watch in an unconvincing approximation of horror from the treeline as a girl who worshiped gold in life (also Barrington) is put through her paces. Her routine ends with Criswell imploring her two hunky helpers to “Throw gold on her” and “More gold” and “More gold” and “More gold!” It’s only after she gets deposited in a boiling cauldron of gold and emerges looking like she ran afoul of Auric Goldfinger that the two interlopers are caught by a Werewolf (John Andrews) and Mummy (Louis Ojena) and tied up so they can have a better view of the proceedings. Incidentally, when the Mummy speaks his voice is dubbed in such a way that’s oddly muffled, which makes it really strange when he banters with the Werewolf, who only howls and growls. They also stand off to the side for the rest of the picture and seem to get a lot more into it than the other four spectators, who can’t work up the energy to look even slightly enthused to be there.

And it’s hard to blame them, really, since the balance of the picture is taken up by half a dozen mostly interchangeable dance numbers punctuated by the occasional Wood-ism. (My favorite: “A pussycat is born to be whipped.”) Apart from the cat woman, who wears a full-body costume and is whipped throughout her number (a reference to the Ann-Margret vehicle Kitten With a Whip, maybe?), the others can only be distinguished by their outfits (which always disappear during a cutaway — it’s like the filmmakers were specifically prohibited from showing any actual stripping) and maybe a thematic prop or two. (For example, the bride who strangled her husband on their wedding night gets to keep her veil on the whole time.) Finally, the whole shebang comes to an end with the sunrise, which causes the creatures of the night to turn into skeletons (yes, the Werewolf, too), but as Criswell warns, they’ll return with the next full moon. Personally, I think one visit with them is more than enough.

Craig J. Clark Apr. 24th 2013

The “Werewolf in a taxi” Cab Ride Prank might be fake, but I don’t care

One of the many things we talked about on last week’s Howl Out Cast podcast was the Cab Ride Prank video, a 3-minute hidden camera prank clip by BlackBoxTV. The setup is simple: a taxi driver who looks a little bit like Steve Brule has a “werewolf incident” while transporting two unsuspecting ladies. The ladies, who look like they just want to go to The Keg, are not well-pleased. Here, for your consideration and amusement, is that video.

Some of the Youtube commenters are complaining that the video is “fake” in the sense that the ladies in the back seat are actors, and that the whole thing is too orchestrated to be a legit prank. My response to that is: you’re probably right, but who cares, ya dingus? It’s three minutes of goofy, scary fun! Thanks to Werewolf News reader Karsten for sending me the link.

Angela Quinton Apr. 23rd 2013

Teeth and eyeballs hit the ground in “Hemlock Grove” werewolf transformation video

This weekend at WonderCon, Netflix teased werewolf fans with a scene from their upcoming 13-episode series Hemlock Grove. For those of us who couldn’t be in Anaheim, IGN has posted the 127-second transformation scene on YouTube. Let’s watch it together, shall we? I hope you haven’t eaten recently – dinner will be served at the end.

Cue the whining from werewolf aficionados who, like myself, have not actually finished reading the book. I know, I know, all that hurly-burly just to arrive at “a regular wolf” is kind of an anticlimax, right? Well, calm yourself: this scene takes place in the first 60 pages of the book (and probably at the end of the second episode), and some people who know my sensibilities and who actually make the time to read for pleasure have told me that things “get better”. I’ll find out for myself, soon – I’m travelling for work this week, so I’ll have some time to finish reading the book before the series premieres on the 19th.

I can’t get behind the “wolf under the skin” style of transformation for reasons too pedantic to discuss here, but as a re-creation of the scene as written, both technically and stylistically, I think this video was excellent. Some of the more gory shots, like the emergence of the muzzle, made me a bit squeamish… but what else was I expecting from the guy who wrote and directed Hostel?

Angela Quinton Mar. 31st 2013

Full Moon Features: The Wolf Man’s copycats

In the wake of Universal’s success with The Wolf Man in 1941, two other studios rushed their own werewolf films into production, but only one of them had significant resources to throw behind it. The one that didn’t was Poverty Row studio Producers Releasing Corporation, which turned out The Mad Monster in record time, releasing it just five months after Larry Talbot first sprouted fur and ravaged the countryside.

Directed by Sam Newfield, a preternaturally prolific filmmaker who cranked ’em out at the rate of a dozen or more a year at his peak (and whose vast filmography includes such anti-classics as The Terror of Tiny Town, The Monster Maker and I Accuse My Parents), The Mad Monster stars George Zucco as a mad scientist whose theories on blood transfusions between species (which he believes will produce feral, unstoppable soldiers) got him laughed out of academia, forcing him to retreat to the swamp to conduct his unethical experiments in secret. There he injects the blood of a wolf into his slow-witted handyman Petro (Glenn Strange), who becomes a wolf man in a series of lap dissolves, and sets the savage beast on his critics. Well, that’s what Zucco says he’s going to do. Mostly he just lets Strange wander around the foggy swamp aimlessly — all the better to pad out the running time. There’s also a budding romance of sorts between cub reporter Johnny Downs and Zucco’s daughter (Anne Nagel), who believes he’s a great scientist without having any idea what he’s working on. Naturally she has to find out in the most dramatic way possible.

As it’s in the public domain, The Mad Monster has been packaged and repackaged several times over, and can be come by quite cheaply. Budget label Alpha Video has it by itself, but it can also be found in Mill Creek Entertainment’s “Horror Classics” 50-movie pack alongside a number of Newfield’s other PRC cheapies. The best way to see it, though, is with Joel and the Bots from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (it’s in Volume XIV from Shout! Factory). Even if they did tackle it in the show’s first season, when the writers were still working the kinks out, they gave it no quarter.

In comparison, 1942’s The Undying Monster has been treated much more respectfully on home video, but that’s what comes of having a major studio behind you. Produced by Twentieth Century-Fox on a substantially larger budget, the film was given a professional sheen by director John Brahm (who also did the 1944 version of The Lodger and 1945’s Hangover Square, released alongside The Undying Monster in the first “Fox Horror Classics” set) and cinematographer Lucien Ballard, who withhold for as long as possible the revelation that there’s something supernatural afoot at Hammond House.

Set at the turn of the century, The Undying Monster is in fact the dreaded Hammond Monster, which visits its curse upon siblings Heather Angel and John Howard, although they’re a bit blasé about it until it strikes them directly. That’s when Scotland Yard forensics specialist James Ellison and his eccentric assistant Heather Thatcher are brought in. The curious thing is they’re introduced in such a way that it seems like this is but one entry in a series of films featuring the duo, but that is not the case. The other major character is doctor Bramwell Fletcher, who clearly knows what’s going on from the start but is tight-lipped about it until the last minute. For a film that barely tops an hour, that doesn’t leave much time for the monster to do its thing.

Craig J. Clark Mar. 26th 2013

Retro platformer “Blood of the Werewolf” will make you crush your controller with your bare claws

Nathaniel McClure of Scientifically Proven Entertainment discusses his company’s new “white knuckle” platformer Blood of the Werewolf with Nintendo Life. In this game you take control of Selena, one of the few remaining survivors of the werewolf genocide in Europe, and you’re on a quest to avenge the murder of your husband and rescue your son (both werewolves) over the course of a single full moon night. Standing against you are the Frankenstein, Jekyll, and Dracula houses, the three of which control the city you’re battling across. They’re probably all total assholes, too, especially the Draculas.

In the Nintendo Life interview, McClure talks about Scientifically Proven’s origins, and describes Blood of the Werewolf as the kind of game designed to make me pile-drive my controller through a glass coffee table:

This game is not a casual platformer. Blood of the Werewolf is a brutal white knuckle experience that will test you and push your platforming skill. We are currently working on a few unique Wii U GamePad features that highlight that classic swear-inducing experience, including leaderboard and friend tracking elements, level maps, and “secret area” indicators.

The game has “already been confirmed for PC, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade”, and on the Wii U eShop in June. It’s also on Steam Greenlight, too, which makes it seem like its PC release is dependant on voter interest – so if you’re interested, go vote!

Angela Quinton Mar. 21st 2013