Valentine’s Day is upon us this Sunday bringing a promise of love and coupledom. While the aptly titled film Valentine’s Day [VSDAY] angles to get people in the theaters, a hairy situation unfolds through Universal Studios. Directed by Joe Johnston [JOJOH], The Wolfman [WOLFM] is a remake of the 1941 classic horror film. After having been delayed for two years, Wolfman finally gets to reap the benefits of coming out this holiday weekend.
Benicio Del Toro [BDELT] plays Larry Talbot, the role Lon Chaney Jr. played in the original. Larry is afflicted with the curse that turns him into a werewolf when the moon is full. Anthony Hopkins [AHOPK] stars as his father and Emily Blunt [EBLUN] as the love interest.
Vampires have gotten their due in the recent decade but the werewolf has played second fiddle in films like Underworld and The Twilight Saga. After the original 1941 film, the werewolf was the star of sequels including Frankenstein meets the Wolfman. In more modern times, enthusiasts got An American Werewolf in London and its sequel in Paris. The beast became even more pop culture friendly thanks to Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf. Even Jack Nicholson howled at the moon in Wolf.
Johnston’s The Wolfman features a plush gothic period look combined with state of the art special effects of the beast. The story has Del Toro searching for the creature that murdered his brother in order to bring peace to his father and his brother’s fiancée. When he himself is afflicted with the curse, a love story unfolds amidst an atmosphere of psychological terror.
The cast of Hopkins, Blunt and Del Toro brings credibility and should be a draw. Hopkins is an Oscar-winner who chilled audiences as Hannibal Lector while Blunt, who is also in theaters for The Young Victoria [YVICT], is an actress on the upswing. Oscar-winner Del Toro who usually plays cops, gangsters and other people affiliated with law enforcement is a unique choice as a man fighting a beast in 1880s England. An appearance by Hugo Weaving [HWEAV] as a Scotland Yard investigator looking for answers cannot hurt.
Finally, The Wolfman promises to deliver a good old fashioned horror story with heart-pounding moments and updated transformation scenes. The film could also ride on the period piece enthusiasm that met Sherlock Holmes a month ago.
For those of you who are fans of romance but don’t want to see something frilly on the big screen this holiday weekend, then The Wolfman could be a good date for you.
Tag(s): VSDAY, JOJOH, WOLFM, BDELT, AHOPK, EBLUN, YVICT, HWEAV