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THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF
THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF-United Kingdom-1961
Clifford Evans as Don Alfredo Corledo
Oliver Reed as Leon Corledo
Yvonne Romain as Servant Girl (Jailer’s Daughter)
Catherine Feller as Cristina Fernando
Directed by Terence Fisher
Written by Anthony Hinds
Based on the novel “The Werewolf of Paris” by Guy Endore
Don’t you just love these old horror movies? No matter how cheesy they are you just can’t seem to get enough of them. I remember these films from my childhood and I recall fond memories of Saturday afternoons spent watching horror movies on the local channels. Films like “The Curse of the Werewolf” kept my fingers in a position just under my eyes so that I could cover them quickly when the werewolf reared his horrible head. 40 years later and I find myself writing about the same movie that scared me so much as a boy. Life is grand.
The Curse of the Werewolf is the tale of Leon. Born on Christmas day he is cursed to become a beast, a killer, a werewolf. Oliver Reed plays the role of Leon to perfection. Here is a man who makes the most out of overacting and it shows in every scene he appears in. In the final scenes Reed is so terrifyingly good as the werewolf I actually found myself hiding my eyes like that little ten year old boy all those years ago. Alright, alright, I can’t back that up. I didn’t hide my eyes.
I hid under the bed. My dog looked at me like I was crazy. I looked at her like ‘who was under here first, bitch?’
Seriously though, “The Curse of the Werewolf” was one of my favorite horror films growing up. Watching it again after all these years was such a thrill despite the fact that it’s an overacted mess. The werewolf makeup still stands as some of the best of all time and I’m talking just as good as “The Wolf Man” here. The only question I have concerning the film is why was the werewolf’s fur blonde when Oliver Reed’s hair was black? That, my friends, is a mystery for the ages. Ah-woooooo!!!
TRIVIA
The only werewolf movie made by Hammer Studios.
Makeup-artist Roy Ashton based his makeup for this film on Jack P. Pierce’s makeup forThe Wolf Man.
In an interview, Richard Wordsworth stated that in the original screenplay his beggar character was a werewolf. Hammer told him that the censor had problems with the notion of a werewolf/rapist, so out it went.
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I SAW A WEREWOLF TONIGHT
I SAW A WEREWOLF TONIGHT
by John Mountain
I saw a werewolf tonight.
I did not think they existed,
but I saw one.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
Its coat shone like silver
in the moonlight.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
It raised its snout, sniffing
the air for its prey.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
I heard the crash of its paws
on the forest floor.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
Its jaws open, saliva dripping
from its maw.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
Its eyes shining bright
like amber fire.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
She must be beautiful in
her human form.
I saw a werewolf tonight.
I shall not see one
again tomorrow.
Dedicated to the Wolfman, the Werewolf of London, Lon Chaney, Oliver Reed and Warren Zevon
The Brood
Written and Directed by David Cronenberg
Cast
Oliver Reed as Dr. Hal Raglan
Samantha Eggar as Nola Carveth
Art Hindle as Frank Carveth
Cindy Hinds as Candice Carveth
Also starring
Nuala Fitzgerald
Susan Hogan
The Brood is a film directed by David Cronenberg that once again exposes the monster within us and not the other way around. Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar) is the estranged wife of Frank Carveth (Art Hindle), and the mother of Candice Carveth (Cindy Hinds). She is a patient of the psychotherapist Dr. Hal Raglan (Oliver Reed) and is undergoing a new form of therapy called ‘psychoplasmics’. The therapy encourages patients to go all the way with their negative emotions and this in turn causes their bodies to react and change as well. One with abandonment issues develops welts all over his chest and back. Another develops a lymphatic cancer because of his own self loathing.
Nola, on the other hand, is Dr, Raglans’ star patient due to the fact that when she becomes angry either consciously or sub-consciously she gives birth (parthenogenetically) to strange mutated children (the titular Brood). These children are the manifestation of her anger and attack the people that her rage is directed towards. Frank notices bruises on Candice’ back and believes that Nola did this to her during a visitation. He tries to have her barred from seeing Candice and this leads to the Brood lashing out at Nola’s parents as well as a teacher at Candice’ school whom Frank befriends. The Brood kidnaps Candice and brings her back to the institute that Nola is housed in. Frank confronts Nola and must make the choice to stop her to keep the creatures from harming their daughter. The film is not too gory but there is one scene in particular that will probably turn a few stomachs.
I found Samantha Eggar to be a good choice for the part of Nola. She is a very beautiful woman and this beauty adds a new dimension to Nola’s angrier moments that I don’t feel would have been achieved otherwise. Oliver Reed has been accused of being a ‘scenery chewer’ but I felt that he was rather subdued here. I don’t know very much about Art Hindle but I feel that he was credible in the role of Frank Carveth. Cindy Hinds was good as Candice Carveth and did not annoy me the way a lot of child actors tend to do. All in all I enjoyed the film and understand that a remake is in the works for 2013.
David Cronenberg has said that he got the idea for the film while going through a rough custody battle and divorce with his wife Margaret Hindson. He said that Nola possesses some of the same characteristics of those of his ex-wife. The film is his third horror film after Shivers and Rabid.
TRIVIA
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