Werewolves in the 'media'

In modern media, literature, drama, film and games werewolves are classed as an anti-hero. As I'm looking at films, I'm going to focus on the 'werewolf' in the film world and possibly how it's changed through literature adaptations.
A classic 'werewolf' film being 'The Wolf-Man' opened in 1941, has helped shape the great folkloric legend seen in 'Hollywood' blockbusters today.

(bad quality, the original 1941 trailer)

In later films from this era, the 'wolf-man' later goes on to join other creature of darkness including, 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', there cementing his place in horror history forever.

Lon Chaney, who created 'The Wolf-Man' also created the original 'Werewolf in London' 10 years earlier, this film was the first 'werewolf' films of it's kind. Why? Because it was the first film to feature the creature on 2 legs, with human characteristics. As well as creating 'The Wolf-Man' Lon Chaney's films had a great cult following at the time, with many people creating spin offs of the original.

The first 'modern horror genre' 'werewolf' films to arrive were the ever successful saga: 'The Howling', first released in 1981, with seven films in the saga the final instalment being released in 1995. The film was a literature adaptation of a book by Gary Brandner. With a mixed public reception the film is now a modern claasic of it's genre, with cult following of most 'werewolf' films.

(1981 orginal trailer: The Howling)

The XX email

The following is an email i sent via social networking site 'myspace' to a band called 'The XX'. I wrote to them about a song of theres as it's the only song that i feel works extremely well with the way i see my media production. I've written to them to see if they willing to let me use small bits of it in the production. Hopefully they'll let me know soon :)
I'll post their reply when I've received information back.


"Hello XX people!

I'm writing to show not only my love for your song crystallised but to tell you it's shaped my whole media project this year!
See my names Kloe Conway and I'm from the not so small city of Norwich, though it's not as big as London and fancy places like that! STOP THE WAFFLE, I'm writing to ask you if you would allow me to use snippets of your song, crystallised in my media trailer... I'm making a film trailer for the last year of my A Levels and seeing as whenever i listen to the song i see it falling all around my production.
It's only for educational purposes, this wont be distributed or anything dodge but would you please please please get back to me as i am desperate to use the song. :D

did i mention i think your band rocks!
please please get in contact with me on my media email it's... kloeconwaya2@googlemail.com

Thank you very much, your lovely people
Kloe Conway xxx

p.s yes this is waffle but it's serious waffle that requires a serious answer :)"

The song i want to use:

The Age of Stupid

I went to a special screening of 'The Age of Stupid' yesterday at a local 'indie' cinema. The film staring Pete Postlethwait, talks about a world we live in, destroyed by climate change. The world set in 2055, has Postlethwait alone in a building that stores all of the worlds paintings, films, music and finally every animal 2x2 pickled.
A possible reference to 'Noah's Ark' with the animals only more sophisticated.
As i was watching the film as a 'media consumer' i found the film didn't interest me. This being fair that it's not the type of film i would pay to see in the cinema, I did enjoy the post-modern twists. The film cons you into thinking it's going to be a bit 'Al Gore' as the opening titles roll, but once the films introduces Postlethwait in a 'distopian future'.
I enjoy the way the film creates an active viewer, by creating a screen that Postlethwait controls and contains all the video evidence of the way we destroyed the world. It's an en lighting film that defiantly makes you think about the way you live your life.
Apart from engaging with the audience in the film, the producers have created an interactive website where you can purchase many household items that aid 'Eco living' and other novelty items including an 'The Age of Stupid' pack, this pack contains certificates and stickers and other bits and pieces you have mess around with whilst leaning about climate change.
http://www.ageofstupid.net/ -Interactive website. (opens a new page)

Although this film was not beneficial for what i'm looking into doing for my production, i like the way they've encluded an 'active audience' and aimed the film at a generation that live on youtube and other social networking websites.

Researching "Werewolves"

Also known as werwolf, is a mythological or folkloric creature. Thought to be half human with the ability to shape shift into various animal forms, although the most common being a wolf. This is either after being bitten by the 'infected', after being placed under a curse or through choice of their own.

('Dog Soldiers' 2002 Directed by Neil Marshall)

Generally thought of as a European character, although most myths and legends come from Native America, although common in other parts, stories of shapeshifters most commonly in the form of a wolf come from native tribes in America.

Although traits pass and change from story to story, werewolves are cemented in modern fiction as a character of true horror. The most notable characteristic that seems to stick is the wolf's vunerability to pure silver bullets.

Common Attributes and way to identify a werewolf differ around the world. Russian's believe that if you can tell a werewolf by looking under their tongue. They believe the 'infected' have slight bristles under their tongue. Other communities think cutting a suspected werewolf whilst in it's human form and then looking into the wound to find fur.

Other way of identifying a werewolf include:

• eyebrows meeting over the bridge of the nose
• curved fingernails
• low set ears
• and a swinging stride

Although the suspected appearance of the werewolf changes from culture to culture, two thing are questioned to stick out. One being the fact that they appear no different to ordinary wolves, although this can easily be over rided by the myth at werewolves are granted with extra physical powers beyond the realms of humans and ordinary wolves. The second is that werewolves are believed to not have tails, this comes from the belief that witches were thought to change forms as they wouldn't have tails. The only feature that is thought to stay with the werewolf is their human eyes.

Vampyre - A Historic Reference

The term 'vampire' was not popularised until the early 18th century after an influx of speculation in western Europe. The vampire modern culture is used to seeing wasn't born until 1819 with John Polidori's publication 'The Vampyre' the work was arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century. Although the most famous vampire book to change the face of modern horror fiction was Bram Stokers novel 'Dracula' it is this novel that has made vampires name in horror history.
The word 'Vampire' first arrived in the English dictionary in 1734 after being used in a travelogue titled 'Travels of Three English Gentlemen' published in 1745, now a lost manuscript. The English term vampire is believed to have arrived for the french 'vampyre' or the German 'vampir' in the early 18th century from Serbain. Theory has said the term was borrowed from Turkic term 'tatar' meaning 'witch'.
The first form of old Russian term 'Upir'. Manuscript 'Book of Psalms' written by a priest who transcribed the book, the priest sign the book with his name 'Upir' Likhyi' meaning translates into 'Wicked Vampire' or 'Foul Vampire' this has been cited as an apparent nickname.

Common descriptions of a 'vampire'

• bloated
• dark in colour, usually a ruddy purplish colour - usually put down to the diet of blood
• blood seeping from the nose of mouth when 'sleeping' in their shroud of coffin
• also 'sleeping' usually with the left eye open
• it is said they would be dressed in the shroud they were buried in
• finally the teeth, nails and hair may have grown, although in general fangs where not a feature.

These simple descriptions come from most European legends of the vampires.

Vampires in Popular Culture

The world is crazy for vampires at the moment! they're everywhere... and the cause of this pandemic is none other than a series of 'tween' books written my an American housewife come superstar over night! Que Stephanie Meyers now cult tween series 'The Twilight Saga'

The series follows the dramatic twists and turns of a young girl falling in love with a vampire then being left by the vampire and then falling in love with a werewolf only for the vampire come back again and snatch her away in a whirlwind of white lace and ornate flower arrangements that concludes in their wedding of all things!

It's every girls dream at the minute to fall for a beautiful young man who turns out to be a blood thirsty vampire.

But vampires haven't always been popular, look back to 1922 when Nosferatu made his first feature length appearance, now he was no looker, girls where screaming to get away from him not closer! another devilishly decrepit looking vamp... Count Dracula, now this young/old/never ageing man has had films made about him for years, and not once has he looked as good as a vampire now. Although Gary Oldman in 'Bram Stokers Dracula' doesn't look too bad, just not as good as Cullen up top!

Vampire films have been around since the good ol'days of the silent film, adapting each time to fit the era. The most popular literature adaptation (apart from 'Twilight'!) is Bram Stokers 'Dracula' with over 170 versions to date (including TV film) by 2005 'Dracula has been the subject in more fictional films than any other character.

Making my mind up

out of a page of notes i've made, here is the few ideas i'm going to consider and refine before making my final choice of which way to take this production:

Films/Literature

• Salvador Dali, 'Un Chien Andalou'
• Dean Koontz, 'Frankenstein' (a new twist on Mary Shelleys classic)
• Nosferatu, the original vampire
• Bram Stoker, 'Dracula'

I want to my production to fit in with modern pop culture i.e 'vampires' ( Stephanie Meyers 'Twilight') and 'Werewolves' ( Stephanie Meyers 'New Moon') but i also want my production to take influences from classic versions of these, hense the Noseratu and Frankenstein.