Wolfen
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Movie Reviews of Wolfen
Movie Review: What the hell is this movie about?
Summary: 2 Stars
So ummm...is this about werewolves? Native American shape shifters? Or a pack of ordinary wolves on the loose in NYC?
Damned if I know and damned if the director, screenwriter, cast and crew know either. Wolfen is one of them there horror movies where the true face of terror are Things That Aren't Really Explained Or Make Much Sense.
This can be an effective device in movies, go watch any David Lynch movie to immerse yourself in a sense of mystery and enigma. In Wolfen however, the effect is mostly that of people wandering around doing stuff and saying things and then there is some action at the end and then the movie is over. Maybe they were going for some kind of Kaffkaesque feeling of dread, but this came out a year after Chaddyshack, so frankly I doubt it.
Albert Finney joins the distinguished ranks of obviously foreign actors playing a big city American cop-he does Ah-nuld proud! Gregory Hines plays a guy who jokes a lot, I'm not sure but he might have been a cop too. Edward James Olmos plays a Native American construction worker who smiles a lot and knows more than he is saying, He would play a better version of this character a year later, in Blade Runner.
I'm sure there are some people reading this who are enraged and consider me obtuse and unsophisticated for not picking up on the nuances of the directon and the script. At least, I certainly hope such people exist because maybe one or more of them could track me down and explain to me what the crap is going on here.
I eagerly await your responses!
PS- In case you are wondering, no I haven't read the novel the movie is based on. I suppose I could but Whitley Strieber has said in inerviews that his horror novels are metaphors for his alien abduction experiences, so I most likely won't get help there...
Movie Review: Why Hollywood?
Summary: 2 Stars
Why are so many movies falling under the category of "it had potential"? If you figure it out, drop me a line.
Anyway, let's begin this review by examining the title. Wolfen is a combination of the noun "wolf" + the suffix "-en." The "-en" part means "to increase the quality of." So, what we have here is an "increase" of a "wolf" or to put it another way, more wolf than a regular wolf. This comparison will become obvious to you when you see the second half of the film.
The next thing I want to discuss is Albert Finney. What was the casting director thinking? Finney has a repertoire of two facial expressions when it comes to conveying emotions in this movie. And that hair! It looked like he had the latest in weaving for that time. Ah . . . what's the use.
There is an upside to this film, however. After seeing this movie again, I'm truly convinced that the director for the Predator, John McTiernan, must've been influenced by the wolf effects in this movie. I say this because whenever the camera switches from "human view" to the "wolf view," the heat detecting sound and color scheme looks almost the same as the one used by the Predator itself. It could be a coincidence but . . .
In the end, it had potential. The premise is original though and that's the only reason it got two stars from me. And, if you're looking for a scary werewolf creature, you're going to be sadly disappointed. But on a more positive note, the movie has a strong message concerning man and his environment which I completely agree with. So people, you've been warned.
Movie Review: Read The Book Instead
Summary: 2 Stars
As much as I would like to say this was a great horror movie, it, unfortunately, falls far short of the potential of the genuine feeling of fear created by the book it was based on. I have no objection to the actors, they all did a good job with the script they were given, and the adaption was even acceptable. My major problem with this movie wasin the use of GERMAN SHEPARDS, for god's sake, to represent the canine equivalent of man on the evolutionary scale. The whole point of the story was that a branch of canines had evolved as far as man had evolved from apes, and had kept themselves hidden from mankind for all these years, feeding on the weak and the sick among us, never allowing themselves to be discovered except in the legends of werewolves and devils of the night. Tn the book, it was presented as though it were both possible and likely. In the moviy, the wolfen were no more frightning than a pack of feral dogs hanging around a city dump.Movie Review: Deleted Scene - ** Stars
Summary: 2 Stars
Wolfen is a rare werewolf movie that isn't all Hollywood hokum. This absorbing and suspenseful movie makes a strong social commentary about how much we know and asks the question which race is truly superior.If you're looking for the traditional werewolf movie, Wolfen is not it. If you're looking for a well made suspense drama with great special effects, Wolfen is a 4 Star movie to see.
Wolfen is a beautifully transferred DVD that has great picture quality - the only problem is that Wolfen has a deleted scene in the bar with singer Tom Waits.
Are studios so in a rush to make a buck that they are deleting scenes, leaving out sub-titles and essential dubbing? What's the point in owning a good looking disc with missing movie parts? A shocker from Warner and a red flag to the other major studios who think that DVD collectors don't notice such omissions.
Movie Review: Some reviewers are too generous.
Summary: 2 Stars
"They can track you by yesterday's shadow, they can hear a cloud passing overhead."
I saw this when it first came out in theaters and again years later. My opinion of the film did not change much. It was kind of interesting in concept, but had one central problem; Finney was a miscast.
I have enjoyed Albert Finney in some of his other roles, and perhaps his work since Wolfen might be coloring some folks' take on this movie. But he is most certainly in the wrong part here. Which is too bad because I can still remember some of the film, so what's that say??
"Their world is more complete."