Werewolves have been a big part of the horror canon since the dawn of cinema, but they’ve never been better in film than in 1981. For decades, these giant dog-like beasts took a backseat in movies.what moviegoers think, but in 81, audiences got two hits and a great movie american werewolf in london, howland Wolfen. It’s odd that there’s been such a huge craze so long after the original Werewolf in the 1940s, but perhaps it’s this colossal drought that led to two classics in the early ’80s. These three products have a lot in common, but they stand out in their own way, enough to justify the fact that all were released in the same year.
By the 1980s, the werewolf subgenre had been dormant for decades.Universal Monster’s werewolf The show was a hit in the ’40s, but ended with a hilarious 1948 comedy Albert and Costello meet Frankenstein. The 50s had a fantastic title i am a teen werewolfThe 60s brought the Hammer-touch Curse of the Werewolfthe 70s get a modern edge the beast must die and exciting titles werewolf.So yeah, the movies haven’t exactly disappeared since then Lon Chaney Jr. is officially off the scene, but no one seems eager to try and outgrow Universal’s iconic franchise, and no one other than those filmmakers who grew up on them.
Why were werewolf movies booming in the 1980s?
Until the eighties! For whatever reason, this decade saw a massive boom in werewolf movies, and not just 1981. Company of Wolves In 1984, Stephen King’s silver bullet and comedy teen wolf ’85, All-Star Ghoul Feast monster squad In 87, Teen Wolf also in ’87…and my mother is a werewolf 89 years? Well, not all of the werewolf movies of this decade were great, but a lot of them were, and two of the three that came out in ’81 were the best of the entire era.
‘Howl’ is a dastardly monster movie
The first of three werewolf films released in 1981 was howlreleased on March 13, 1981, planned and directed behind the scenes gremlins, Joe Dante. Few had seen such a modern representation of the monster before Dante’s films. The film is about Karen White (Dee Wallace), an amnesiac news anchor, is sent to a remote resort to take time to heal the spirit, but during her stay, she and some of her companions begin to be stalked by werewolves.
Of the three werewolf films in 81, howl Probably the most resonant theme. It’s a movie about sex, affairs, relationships, and, of course, murderous, bloodthirsty werewolves. For all its ambitions, it’s fun for the first 20 minutes or so, but the film’s set-up ends up being more than welcome because it lasts 30 to 40 minutes. howl This is a movie that takes a while to get the werewolf action going, but once it does, it’s totally worth the wait.special effects master Rob Botin Give these werewolves a huge, slimy, obnoxious size – and they look downright amazing. The second half of the movie is a non-stop thrill ride, and there’s a lot more to these furry suckers than you might think. A great werewolf movie, but not the best.
The Werewolf Is the Tamest of the Three Werewolf Movies Made in 1981
The second werewolf film released in 1981 was Wolfenreleased on July 24 of that year, directed by: Michael Wadley. The story follows a New York City police officer named Dewey Wilson (albert finney) as he goes to great lengths to find the killer behind a string of brutal murders. Hmm…I wonder what might be behind this. The movie does its best to differentiate itself by adding elements of crime and employing elements of police procedurals, but in the end, we’re all just there for one thing – werewolves!
Sadly, Wolfen doesn’t really go beyond howl and american werewolf Do. As far as action and horror go, this is the mildest of the three, opting for a similar slow-burn approach to what you’ll find in the first half. howl.It sounds crazy to say it, but Wolfen Could benefit a lot from a remake. Keep the slow-burn procedural approach, but when we get some monster scenes, either make them disturbing or give us some good kills. Wolfen Regardless, it’s not bad, it just doesn’t live up to its potential.
Why An American Werewolf In London Is The Greatest Werewolf Movie Ever Made
The biggest werewolf movie of 1981 is unmistakable.That’s right, it’s american werewolf in london. John Landis’s Horror-Comedy Hybrid is the most haunting, weirdest, darkest comedy movie of the entire werewolf subgenre. In short, it absolutely rocks. The film tells the story of two American backpackers crossing the UK who are attacked by werewolves, turning one of them into a werewolf himself.Landis’ film is composed of an absolutely stellar cast, including david norton, Jeanne Agatand Griffin Dunne, and has probably the best cinematography of any film in the subgenre, and the best werewolf effects of all of them, without a doubt. The effect was so incredible that the movie ended up winning its first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup.This category was invented because american werewolf? Probably not, but we’ll act as we did before. Not only is this one of the best movies in its field, it’s also one of the greatest horror movies of all time. It’s one of those true examples of a movie that completely changes the genre. Guys, you don’t get much better than this. Plus, you can’t forget about those stunning puffer jackets on the poster. This is professional costume design at work!
So how did the class of 1981 fare? Well, honestly, it depends on what you’re looking for.as if you can’t tell Ann Aamerican werewolf in london is the best all-around choice and has the deepest roots in the classics of the subgenre, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for you. One night, you might feel a down-to-earth, more realistic approach to these movies. in this case, Wolfen Definitely your bag. Could there be a more straight-forward horror approach that deals with PTSD, chaos and sordid relationship choices, and an incredibly grim tone throughout its run? howl It will definitely help you solve your problem.If you’re looking for a bleak but secretly funny monster movie, an imperative in the history of horror and one of the best movies of the decade (let alone of all time), then you should probably go American. None of these movies are bad, so you can’t go wrong no matter how you look at them.That being said, if you haven’t seen both no titled Wolfenmaybe start with these.
If you’re looking for a great werewolf movie but don’t know where to start, roll the dice and see one from 1981. Young filmmakers of the 1980s were likely fascinated by classics of this subgenre as children. They had a lifetime to think about their own take on a werewolf story, made a few films to build their reputations, and after proving themselves, finally got the budget for a monster movie. There will be more and more werewolf movies as time goes on, but there’s never been a better year for werewolf movies than 1981.
