Behold:

This is Adventures in Film Theory. Enter, if you dare. Or turn tail and run. In either case, the stink of these adventures is already on you.

The Ascent of the Werewolf Movie

I have been on alert for good werewolf movies for my entire life. They’re in pretty short supply. But there’s an upside to that. It won’t take you long to run through them all.

And maybe, just maybe, one day YOU will make the ultimate werewolf movie.

That will be a great day.

Even the best werewolf movies seem like shaggy dogs. Do people not dig werewolves? That bums me out, if true. Or are werewolves just super difficult to render realistically on film?

Dog Soldiers. Probably in the top three best werewolf movies ever made. A Scottish special forces unit goes toe-to-toe with the ultimate clan of beasts. This one deserves a remake with a higher budget!

Silver Bullet. I always dig me some Silver Bullet! Corey Haim, Gary Busey, and Everett McGill (the poor man’s Crispin Glover). How could it not be awesome? This one probably needs a remake too.

The Howling. A couple goes to a wilderness retreat to help the woman recover from a rape. Unfortunately, there be werewolves!

Ginger Snaps and Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed. Werewolfmanship as metaphor for female puberty. And hip dialogue. Dig in for the feast!

Underworld. Not the perfect execution, but not a bad idea! And pretty entertaining, in a “want to lounge around watching movies when I’m hungover” type of way.

The Wolfman (1941). The classic original. Still not bad!

The Wolfman (2010). A remake. Not as bad as people said it was!

Teen Wolf. I can’t remember this one too well, but there was a teenager who became a werewolf and then a basketball star. I don’t know what lessons were ultimately learned.

Howl:.kinda interesting! ‘Nuff said!

Wolf. You know, not half bad! Jack Nicholson as a werewolf? A metaphor for Wall Street greed? Do tell!

Wolf Cop. Pretty silly stuff!

FOR COMPLETISTS ONLY:

An American Werewolf in Paris.

Ginger Snaps Back: the Beginning.

The Howling sequels.

Teen Wolf Too.

The Underworld Sequels.

And by the way, check out how bad the CGI was when An American Werewolf in Paris came out. It’s a serious howler! Definitely worth the price of admission!

Crank 2: Best Movie Ever

Is Killing a Kid Okay in Movies?