The Curse of the Werewolf

source: The Curse of the Werewolf

Trailer—The Curse of the Werewolf

This is a pretty good old werewolf film... it's not that bad. This one he looks more like a Wolf Man (similar to Lon Chaney, Jr.) than the more modern werewolf. Curse of the Werewolf has a very interesting film beginning of how Leon's parents met, what happened to them, how he was born and taken in to be cared for. The story hits a little bit of a low for a few minutes but then picks back up around 50 minutes into it. This is a great late night popcorn flick... it's a bit interesting and can be enjoyed by fans of older horror films. 7.5/10

This is second only to the wonderful original starring Lon Chaney, Jr. twenty years earlier. Oliver Reed brings a more pronounced character to the ravenous tippy toed terror of the night. This is a top notch project from director Terence Fisher and one of the best from Hammer Studios. Rounding out the play bill are Clifford Evans, Yvonne Romain, Hira Talfrey and Michael Ripper.

I think that more than anything, "The Curse of the Werewolf" does what too many werewolf movies fail to do: offer an explanation of how the first werewolf got created. Apparently, if someone is conceived under rather unpleasant circumstances, that person is a lycanthrope. After a beggar gets imprisoned in 18th century Spain, he rapes the jailer's daughter. She dies in childbirth, but her son Leon is raised by a nobleman. Sure enough, Leon is a werewolf. As an adult, Leon (Oliver Reed) tries to control himself, but unfortunately can't. This is another addition to Hammer's cool filmography. It shows Leon's inner torment, knowing what will happen every full moon. As for associating Spain with werewolves, that country of course produced actor Paul Naschy, who has made a career out of playing werewolves; Portland's own Movie Madness even has a section devoted to him.