MOVIE REVIEW / EVENT REPORT:
HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN
World Premiere at The Vista Theater in
Hollywood
An exclusive TheHorrorDrunx.com article
by
SID TERROR
First came classic THE HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in 1944, then its sequel THE HOUSE OF DRACULA in 1945. Now, at long last, over 60 years later, finally the third film in the trilogy is here! HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN!
Well, kind of. That is the vibe that is being used to market this film, but remember those first two films were made in the golden days of Universal Pictures monster factory. This film isn't made or even endorsed by Universal and in actuality is more in the form of a homage to those great films of the 1940's.
Now I've been saying for years that if Universal were to make a film in the style of their old monster mash-ups, there would be an audience for it.
To go for that similar look and feel (if not in black and white at least in muted color), recreating those old make-ups created by Jack Pierce (which
Universal has copyrighted), and done carefully, those old monsters would still give audiences the creeps. So when I heard that this film was in
production, it was high on my list of things to see. I was so there behind it.
Recently, I was at the HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN world premiere at the Vista Theater in Hollywood on October 1st. Now I purposely stayed away from finding
out too much about the film and its makers before I saw the film. Call it one of my quirks, it is just a decision I made with this movie. I find it is
often just better that way and I can view a film fresher with untainted eyes. So knowing as little as possible about the film (though I did view the
trailer several times) I happily went off solo (without friends or a date in tow) to the theater, not having overdeveloped preconceived
notions.
First off, it was good to see such a healthy turn out. There were a lot of people in line that I knew,
most big fans of the Universal monster films like myself, so I had plenty of people to chat with and catch up on things.
ABOVE: The sold out crowd inside.
This premiere also had the cast and many of the crew attending, which is always a bonus. Before long, HOUSE OF THE WOLFMAN star Ron Chaney (grandson of
Lon Chaney Jr.) who plays the lead role of Dr. Bela Reinhardt, arrived with his family. Ron is always a pleasure to talk to. I saw his daughters Jennifer
and Jaclynn first (actually they saw me) and gave me a big hug and a greeting. Dang but I have some love for that family and their ancestors.
ABOVE: Jaclynn & Jennifer Chaney move in for
the twofer hug greeting.
Also in attendance were several more friends and acquaintances... Actor Daniel Roebuck, Director and writer Don Glut who you will remember I hosted a two
night movie event with at the New Beverly Cinema earlier this year, Wally Wingert (voice-over artist of countless animated cartoons and commercials,
you've heard his voice a million times and not known it, Jay Leno's announcer, etc.), and many others.
The Vista theater was done up nicely for the event too! Remember those old pictures you've seen from back in the day of the premieres for the
original Universal films, with the great marquee displays? It was like that on a slightly smaller scale. One thing I will say about The Vista (even
though Cassandra Petersen's prints are in the cement outside for me to spit on every time I pass), the manager often does unique ballyhoo for films
that play there, getting in costume as characters from the film and greeting guests at the door. This is something I wish more people did nowadays. This
kind of ballyhoo showmanship is sadly a dying art in a world where most people see movies in multi-plex theaters that have all the personality of a beige
cardboard box.
Another interesting trivia note about The Vista theater in Hollywood, none other than Edward D. Wood Jr. once had an office in the Davidian building upstairs / next-door, back in the days when he was first trying to get work as a director of television commercials. He apparently even lived there for awhile.
Finally the red velvet ropes guided us into the theater, which if you've never been inside of The Vista, it is gorgeously restored and I highly recommend a visit.
Opening introductions to the film were kept to a bare minimum with just a few words from writer-director Eben McGarr. I found that unfortunate since most of the cast and many of the crew were in the house, with I being a big fan of q&a's, but oh well, maybe next time.
The film itself started off promising. Photographed in black & white (shot on video) and
atmospheric as we'd expect a homage to 1940's Horror to be.
THE STORY: Five people invited to an ancient creepy castle on a dark stormy night. All that they know is that there may be an inheritance of some kind,
but none of them can figure out just how they are related to the house's owner, Dr. Reinhardt (Ron Chaney).
Now this film is worth seeing, even getting on DVD (when it is released) for your home collection. It might not have earned a spot next to your Universal Monsters collection (put it a few shelves down) but it is well worth having. Support your indie film makers, especially if they pay homage to the good stuff.
The story is a bit too familiar. A group of people in a creepy old house on a stormy night, unable to leave because (a) the road is washed out until
morning and (b) they don't want to lose a chance at their inheritance. You know, THAT familiar old chestnut. Truthfully, I expected something a bit
fresher for a 1940's homage, because it is the kind of story that was already largely abandoned as over-farmed and stale by the 40's. The
30's and 20's yes, but not much or often later than that.
The problem with doing an all-out homage, is that the devil is in the details and if you get any of those details wrong, it just doesn't feel right. It brings you out of the movie. That was one of the nagging problems I had with HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN. When you hear dialogue, witnesses performances, or see camera angles that are staples of a later decade, well, you get the picture. But admittedly, I'm kind of a purest when it comes to these things and most viewers probably wouldn't have a problem with them at all.
I also realize that Universal has copyrights on the original 30s and 40s monster make-up designs, so I can overlook this films makers having to change their (Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Dracula) appearances a bit. But darn it, even in the 1940's you saw the monsters often throughout the film. This one ended up being a bit of a talk and grimace fest that you had to sit through to get to the last reel in order to finally see the monsters show up. More hair-splitting on my part perhaps? After all, many 1950's films were notorious for the last reel appearance of the monster, mostly for reasons budgetary and because they couldn't afford an anything but goofy looking monster, IT CONQUERED THE WORLD being a prime example. I will say though, the monsters looked pretty good in HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN and were worth the wait.
I'll be very diplomatic when it comes to the actors. No one gave a particularly bad performance, though some were better or weaker than others. I won't mention names, because many in this young cast are sure to get better over time and singling them out just wouldn't be fair based on this film. Nothing a stronger script and/or not having to strain the comedic bits wouldn't remedy.
ABOVE: Ron Chaney billed with
his character name.
Of note, Ron Chaney's performance was really good, often rising above the material, proving he has what it takes to deliver a riveting performance.
Comparisons to his grandfather and great grandfather are inevitable, but wouldn't quite be fair. I will say though, he has a great character quality
and I'd like to see more of him on-screen in the future. He was surprisingly effective in fact.
Michael R. Thomas as a Lugosi style Dracula was great in a performance that was truly a love letter to Bela. Pity the Dracula character's entrance was a bit contrived and came so late in the picture. More's the pity that the actor who played Count Dracula, Michael R. Thomas, died shortly before this film was released. I'd have liked to seen more of him. The end credits of the film gave him a touching dedication.
In the final wash, though it doesn't always sound like it, I really did enjoy HOUSE OF THE WOLF
MAN. For me, seeing a movie with THE WOLF MAN, FRANKENSTEIN, and DRACULA was a great way to usher in the first day of October and get me in the mood for
Halloween early. I'd recommend you see it.
I truly expect I liked it more than I will the big budget remake of THE WOLF MAN being trotted out soon by the old monster factory Universal, even if I
was the kind that would pay (or even let a friend treat me) to see the remake of a classic.
P.S. In closing, don't let those foolios at Fangoria lie to you that they gave you exclusive
coverage of the HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN premiere, as they have tried to pass off. Yo, Horror Drunx in the Hooouse (of the Wolf Man)!
"My name is Sid Terror and I am a Horror Drunx"
Happy Halloween (365 days a year)
SID TERROR
Editor-In-Chief
TheHorrorDrunx.com Online Magazine
Hollywoodland, California
October 2009
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