House of the Wolfman (2009)

The Universal Monsters series had classic after classic, before everything culminated in a series of 'monster mashes'. First was Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, followed by House of Frankenstein, and House of Dracula. I always thought those were lazy titles, and makes it confusing what order they come in. Indie director Eben McGarr clearly had a different question though-Why was there never a House of the Wolf Man? Well, if you want something done, you know what you've gotta do!...

Five very different people, each experts in their fields, are invited to the isolated manor home of mysterious Dr. Bela Reinhardt. Reed Chapel, ace sportsman and his scientist sister Mary, sultry Elmira Cray, bookworm Conrad Sullivan, and master hunter Archibald Whitlock. They are unsure why they are here, and the castle seems to hold many secrets, and watchful eyes. Soon the time will come for Dr. Reinhardt to reveal the truth, and monsters will emerge...

House of the Wolf Man is a low budget indie production, seeking to recreate the style of the old classics, and in many ways it's a success! Most films shot on digital fail to achieve that classic film look, and even more modern films stocks might need a bit of work to look 80 years old. But House manages to succeed on that front. In some ways it looks modern, but for the most part it's a perfect retro throwback!

The story is pretty basic, with a good mystery to get us wondering, and some time for the characters to get to know each-other and figure things out. There are some good scenes, and a fun spooky atmosphere! The answer to why all these people are here does feel a bit unsatisfying, like a soap opera, but it at least makes sense.

Here however is where we come to the elephant in the room. In this movie promising the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, and Dracula, they only show up for one fight in the last 5-10 minutes! All those scenes of conversations, investigation, and whatnot, they're all well and good...in a normal film! But this is promised to be a monster movie! This is exactly what the later Universal films would do. Have barely any monster action! Come on, we want the good stuff! If you wanted to make a pure mystery, you should've just done it.

The climax is simultaneously the best part of the film, and the worst. The story reaches its peak as Dr. Reinhardt unveils his plan, and I can't say it's the most well thought out! He intends to prove if his guests inherited his genius by basically locking them all in the room with a werewolf and seeing if they survive. It's at this point when all semblance of story stops, and the film becomes a monster free-for-all. And that's where the good comes! The movie is finally delivering what it promised.

The ending is pretty awful though! While the Wolf Man and Frankenstein are scrapping, guess who just happens to come knocking-Count Dracula! Only a couple minutes before the end! He spouts off a couple of lines, then the movie comes to an abrupt stop, resolving nothing. It almost feels like sequel bait, but that was never in the cards.

The characters are fairly basic archetypes in some ways, but are likeable enough. Sportsman Reed avoids being a dumb meathead, while bookworm Mary is fine, with somewhat poor taste in men. Nerdy Conrad meanwhile is the most observant, but also has his annoying habits, like a hysterical giggle that made me want to plug my ears.

Elmira is a sultry gal with a frosty exterior, but has a heart of gold. She may not like the others, per se, but she tries to do right by them anyway, and develops a sincere/genuine friendship with Conrad. The only thing I didn't understand was what she was supposed to be an expert in! We never do learn, because she shuts Reinhardt up before he can say.

The final guest is the awesomely named Archibald Whitlock, a rude and brash big game hunter. I was expecting him to die since he was an asshole, but the others seem like they're all set to survive. But half get anticlimactically punched, then are just never seen again, while the others have an unclear fate.

Whitclock comes with an entourage of frican tribesman, who he often puts down. 

african tribesman give their lives fighting bravely, bug eyes, slowpoke heroes, hunter blends, grateful to them in death and vows to honour their memory, using his tribal name! Just a shame his newfound outlook lasts all of 5 seconds.

racial  their African speak is a bit = gibberish for comedic effect, and  gets a bug-eyed moment, but that's it. In fact, = associated with 'cowardly negroes', but this guy takes on a werewolf in hand to hand combat! The dude ain't no 'fraidy-cat!

And lastly, Bela Reinhardt is a fun villain. Charitable, a good host, and always shifty. There's never a moment where this mysterious doctor doesn't look like he wants everyone dead. There's also a giant manservant Barlow, as well as an old madwoman locked in the attic, who gives her own cryptic advice to the others.

Onto the acting. A hurdle that can come whenever modern day actors try and play someone from the 20s or 40s is they overdo it! Folks back in the day may have had ridiculous slang or accents, but they were still regular people, and spoke normally. A lot of modern actors tend to lean too hard into the goofy speech, which spoils the authenticity. The cast here mostly do well. Sometimes a touch modern, sometimes exaggerated, but they don't do an awful job.

Ron Chaney's presence as the descendant of horror royalty is appreciated, and a nice link to the classic Universal films. And his appearance is perfect! The man looks like he could be a classic movie star! However Ron Chaney is not an actor, and it shows. He doesn't do awful, but his delivery can be a bit =.

The stunt performers playing the monsters do a great job, as does Michael R. Thomas as Dracula. His delivery does verge on the cheesy, but with only a couple of lines it's hardly too much. He look the part, and sounds just how a vampire should.

The effects in House of the Wolf Man are easily the standout! They're almost wasted not being part of a major production! And they're certainly wasted only being in the last 10 minutes. Frankenstein's Monster has his traditional flat head, green skin, and neck bolts, but looks more like a decaying corpse. The Wolf Man meanwhile gets a neat midway appearance, which could have easily satisfied as a werewolf, before sprouting extra fur and bulk. The ghouls at the end looked pretty bad though, and unnecessary.

The direction here is stellar. The shots are composed really well, with lighting and actors lining up perfectly, and having an authentic classsic feel. The location here is a neat one too, a convincing Gothic castle complete with laboratory. The music is your traditional classic  and builds up the mood well!

Overall, House of the Wolfman is an inspired effort, and has a lot of good to it! But there's also many unsatisfying elements too. Despite them this is still well worth checking out for fans of classic horror...