THE HOWLING

THE HOWLING, 1980 directed by Joe Dante is the story of TV newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace) who after almost being killed by a serial killer that she had been tracking for a new story takes them very much needed time off at a secluded country retreat called "the Colony" beery deep in the redwood forests of California. She is played by weird nightmares and strange shrieks, rise and howling at coming from a nighttime for us outside her cabin. Her husband think she's just losing her mind and needs to relax but slowly she begins to discover things about the colony that are related to the serial killer that it almost taken her life at the beginning of the film. Her reporter's instincts to get to the bottom of the story prove to be much like the curiosity that killed the cat. She digs to deep and uncovers a dark nightmarish world or she must fight just to survive the lycanthrope's that hunt night.

This movie is at times a little can't be an odd but that's part of what makes a cult classic. The sex is a little overdone as is the case with most 1980s Hollywood horror films. The special effects are top-notch especially for the day and overall one of the best werewolf movies ever made.

The Last Samurai

The Last Samurai is the story of Civil War hero Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) who is hired by the Japanese government to train its new modern army and in order to defeat the samurai who have ruled that land for hundreds of years. Leading the samurai resistance is a kind, cultured, educated samurai by the name Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). Captain Algren becomes Katsumoto's captive after their first encounter in battle. Captain Algren is forced to spend the winter at the samurai camp where he is treated less like an enemy and more like a curiosity. He finds that the people in the village where he is kept our kind and generous beyond anything that people would see today. They possess a self-discipline unmatched in the world and they apply it to everything that they do. Eventually, he becomes friends with Katsumoto and learns what it is to be a samurai. After the winter is passed he is taken back to Tokyo and released unharmed from this point forward he dedicates his life to the way of the samurai even when it forces him to go into battle on the side of the samurai against the very men he had been training. For all those who have dreamt of the old days of honor and chivalry wishing they could have been alive when those things meant something and wondered what happened to it all this movie will be like a window back through time to the moment when the last flickering flames of honor and chivalry in the world were stomped out into darkness. Director Edward Zwick has captured in this film what it was to be a samurai and what it must have been like to be the last samurai. This film is truly poetic from its narration to its cinematography in the way that it captures a time in world long forgotten and lost.

Rear window

Rear window

Rear window by Alfred Hitchcock definitely falls into the category of oldie but goodie. LB Jeffries played by (Jimmy Stewart) is a photographer with a broken leg and stuck in a wheelchair. Out of the boardroom of being stuck in his apartment for weeks on end waiting for his leg to heal he has taken up the hobby of watching his neighbors through the rear window of his apartment. The frequent visitors to Mr. Jeffries apartment include Lisa Fremont Tom Jeffries fiancé played by (Grace Kelly), his nurse Stella, and his detective friend Thomas Doyle. His most notable neighbor is Mr. Thorwald played by (Raymond Burr) who's nagging invalid wife is a constant source of stress and irritation. Mr. Jeffries having seen the Thorwald's fighting suddenly notices one day that Mrs. Thorwald gone and that Mr. Thorwald has been making many late-night trips out in the rain carrying out a heavy suitcase and coming back with a suitcase that is light an empty. After telling his fiancé and his nurse they all become convinced that Mr. Thorwald has done something terrible and gruesome to his wife. And even after contacting the next to useless authorities it winds up coming down to the three of them to get to the bottom of the mystery without becoming victims themselves or time runs out and the killer gets away with a crime.

Underworld rise of the Lycans

Cast

Lucian - Michael Sheen

Viktor - Bill Nighy

Sonja - Rhona Mitra

Tannis - Steven Mackintosh

Raze - Kevin Grevioux

Coloman - David Aston

Orsova - Elizabeth Hawthorne

Costa - Larry Rew

Selene - Kate Beckinsale

Underworld rise of the Lycans is the third installment in the underworld series. This prequel takes us back over a thousand years to the beginning before the war between the vampires in the lycans (werewolves). It is centered around the tragic love story between Lucian played by (Michael Sheen) and Sonja played by (Rhona Mitra) the daughter of vampire Elder Viktor played by (Bill Nighy) that was briefly alluded to in the first movie. Lucian is the central character in this story and the performance by Michael Sheen is moving and emotional. The performance of Bill Nighy as Vicktor flawless as usual and reminiscent of the diabolical Dr. Pretorius played by Ernest Thesiger in the original Bride of Frankenstein.

There is no shortage of quality special FX in this film and as far as werewolves go this is one of the top 3 if not the best werewolf movie ever made! The old werewolves that prowl the lands and never take human form again are exactly what a werewolf is supposed to look like. I hope that future filmmakers pay attention to this when designing their werewolves.

Blog 2

The Bride of Frankenstein is the continuing story of a tragically misunderstood creature (played by Boris Karloff). We find out at the beginning of this film that he narrowly escaped the burning windmill in the previous film. Now he is running for his life again from a world that does not understand him and is hell bent on his destruction, all the while seeking some crumb of kindness and acceptance from the people around him. Finally after many failed attempts and a trail of body’s which seemed less like the acts of a brutal killer and more like the acts of a child who is the unfortunate offspring of an irresponsible parent. He finds a lonely blind man whom being unable to see that that he a monster befriends him, an example of the old saying (you can’t judge a book by its cover). Meanwhile, the sinister Dr. Pretorius (played by Ernest Thesiger) a professor of Dr. Frankenstein’s from the past has convinced Dr. Frankenstein to make his original creation a mate. But the female monster greets her male counterpart with the same horrified reaction he gets from every one ells. All being said this should have been the description of what could have been a great story but it is plagued with things such as flouting maids in the opening scene, and serious situations that get painted in a comic light. The acting leaves much to be desired with the exception of Boris Karloff who’s portrayal of the pitiful creatures plight is truly touching, and Ernest Thesiger’s performance of the diabolical Dr. Pretorius makes one wonder if he is not the real Dr. Frankenstein.

The Bride of Frankenstein is the continuing story of a tragically misunderstood creature (played by Boris Karloff) made out of the remains of other dead men. After having life thrust upon him in the first film by his creator Dr. Viktor Frankenstein we find out at the beginning of this film that he narrowly escapes certain destruction by the cruel and un accepting world of man by falling in to a well underneath the burning windmill. Now he is running for his life again all the while seeking some crumb of kindness and acceptance from the people around him. Finally after many failed attempts he finds a lonely blind man who cannot tell that he is a monster and befriends him. Meanwhile the sinister Dr. Pretorius (played by Ernest Thesiger) a professor of Dr. Frankenstein’s from the past has convinced Dr. Frankenstein to make his original creation a mate. But the female monster greets her male counterpart with the same reaction he gets from every one ells. All being said this should have been the description of what could have been a great story but it is plagued with things such as flouting maids in the opening scene, and situations that should have been serious get painted in a comic light. The acting leaves much to be desired with the exception of Boris Karloff who’s portrayal of the pitiful creature plight is truly touching, and Ernest Thesiger’s performance of the diabolical Dr. Pretorius makes one wonder if he is not the real Dr. Frankenstein.