The Wolf Man

"Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon is bright."
This classic is just amazing. Go watch it. Like now. I love it every time I re-watch it and it gets better each time too. Lon Chaney Jr. dons the mantle of The Wolf man in an amazing performance that wear tear at your heart (and throat). From great foggy dark nights, to happy gypsies dancing the Wolf man is one of the best classic monster movies to watch that started a franchise and legacy.

This film has a lot going on. You have the Father (played by Claude Rains) Son relationship story line, you have Larry trying to get the girl story line, and you have Larry vs the Wolf curse story line.
What's interesting about this is that the female lead is already engaged, and she stays safe (for the most part) and still loves the man she's engaged to. Granted Larry pulled some smooth semi-creepy pick up lines on her, but he never fully gave up his love for her.
The Father son relationship isn't prominent in the film, but once in a while it will pop up and you can really see how unconnected the two characters are, and the sadness when the father realizes that he beat his son to death at the end.

What I really love about this film is the make-up to the wolf man. He isn't more wolfish like modern were-wolves (or most were-wolf movies once the technology was established) it had more of a human quality to it and that's what I really love about this. It doesn't focus on the monster side, even once he is transformed he still resembles a man. I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that it took 6 hours to put on Lon Chaney Jr's make-up and 3 hours to take off. That is a lot of dedication to the part to spend half a day apply and taking off make-up. There is even a scene where the wolf man is reverting back to man through dissolves and that took around 10 hours to film!

Lon Chaney Jr often said that the Wolf Man was his baby, and it shows. He reprised his role as the wolf man in Frankenstein meets the wolf man, House of Dracula, House of Frankenstein, and even Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. I say that everyone should watch this, because this is how you do a wolf man film. Make it simple, make it creepy, follow the rules. I loved were-wolves all my life. It was my favorite monster as a kid and this film just justifies why. With great performances, a well shot film, and even a cameo of Bela Lugosi there really isn't any reason to dislike this movie. There is a reason why it is called a classic, and the next time your walking home and spot the blooming of wolfbane, watch out!

RECOMMENDATION: High