Movie Box Review

Dir: Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein (Shelter - podcast review)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance
USA, 2012

Seen: January 25, 2012 at the Rainbow

Reason to see: Selene, the vampire death-dealer protagonist, is one of my all-time favourite film characters and it's on My Most Anticipated Films for 2012

Underworld Awakening technically follows Underworld: Evolution chronologically in the series but if you aren’t overly familiar or haven’t revisited the series recently they do help with a little memory jogger, which is the lead into the current world where humans were not only made aware of the vampire and lycans existence, but also defeated them in a ‘cleansing’ leaving the remaining numbers very small. I found that a bit of a challenge to buy into, that the humans would prevail, but that’s the world they create so you kind of have to go there to experience the film. In this near future world we travel with death dealer vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) who awakens after the said ‘cleansing’.

A brief personal history of how I weight in on the Underworld series is that I absolutely adored the highly stylish full-tilt vampires vs lycans (werewolves) action film that was the original Underworld, but was completely dismayed by some random gender crap in the sequel Underworld: Evolution that made me hate the film, which is a statement I don’t make very often. And then I flipped back to enjoying the series with the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans which features Michael Sheen and was the only film in the series without Kate Beckinsale. So, personally I’ve had a bit of a rocky relationship with the series but I can’t help but the gorgeous stylings, amazing action and cool vampire & werewolves throughout.

In terms of the action and art direction of how the film it looks and feels, I loved it. It’s a little dingier than the original film so you have to take that into account as it aligns with this whole living on the fringes with low resources which doesn’t really read ‘vampire’ to me, but it is something new. I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the actors in the film including Theo James (‘Bedlam’), Charles Dance (Aliens 3) and Kris Holden-Reid (‘Lost Girl’) who I really think they could have had more in the film. Plus, to make sure it doesn’t go without saying, Kate Beckinsale was fantastic to see, I love her as Selene a fierce and beautiful death dealer who kicked a whole lot of butt in the film and makes no qualms about the fact that she is completely in charge.

I was pretty surprized to see that it was only 88 minutes with around 10 of those being credits, but I still felt like I got 1-films worth of enjoyment for the film. The story and world may not have been perfectly what I was looking forward but they stayed true to what they created and I respect that. In terms of the series I’d still say the first one is my favourite, and then Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, then Underworld Awakening and finally Underworld: Evolution. It was one of my most anticipated films of the year so I was excited and looking for a bit more than what we got here, but I certainly was entertained and engaged while watching.

In terms of the story, I took me for a bit of a surprized that I don’t think the themes will appeal to everyone; but it also feels like it’s one of many periods within this world and therefore we’ll have more to enjoy to come. However, for supernatural action fans this is a total fun ride with lots of action, and interesting story and continuing the journey through the cool world they have created so for that I do think it’s a success.

Underworld Awakening opened in Toronto on January 20, 2012, and it was excited to see not just one but two action films with female protagonists released on that date with both Haywire & Underworld Awakening. I saw ‘em both. Good times.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll buy it
I'd recommend it to fans of the series & vampire/action film fans

See also a spoiler-filled awesome discussion of the film over at Before the Dawn and a spoiler-ree review on Episode 59 of the Movie Moxie Podcast:


© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Dir: Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein (Shelter - podcast review)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance
USA, 2012

Seen: January 25, 2012 at the Rainbow

Reason to see: Selene, the vampire death-dealer protagonist, is one of my all-time favourite film characters and it's on My Most Anticipated Films for 2012

Underworld Awakening technically follows Underworld: Evolution chronologically in the series but if you aren’t overly familiar or haven’t revisited the series recently they do help with a little memory jogger, which is the lead into the current world where humans were not only made aware of the vampire and lycans existence, but also defeated them in a ‘cleansing’ leaving the remaining numbers very small. I found that a bit of a challenge to buy into, that the humans would prevail, but that’s the world they create so you kind of have to go there to experience the film. In this near future world we travel with death dealer vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) who awakens after the said ‘cleansing’.

A brief personal history of how I weight in on the Underworld series is that I absolutely adored the highly stylish full-tilt vampires vs lycans (werewolves) action film that was the original Underworld, but was completely dismayed by some random gender crap in the sequel Underworld: Evolution that made me hate the film, which is a statement I don’t make very often. And then I flipped back to enjoying the series with the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans which features Michael Sheen and was the only film in the series without Kate Beckinsale. So, personally I’ve had a bit of a rocky relationship with the series but I can’t help but the gorgeous stylings, amazing action and cool vampire & werewolves throughout.

In terms of the action and art direction of how the film it looks and feels, I loved it. It’s a little dingier than the original film so you have to take that into account as it aligns with this whole living on the fringes with low resources which doesn’t really read ‘vampire’ to me, but it is something new. I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the actors in the film including Theo James (‘Bedlam’), Charles Dance (Aliens 3) and Kris Holden-Reid (‘Lost Girl’) who I really think they could have had more in the film. Plus, to make sure it doesn’t go without saying, Kate Beckinsale was fantastic to see, I love her as Selene a fierce and beautiful death dealer who kicked a whole lot of butt in the film and makes no qualms about the fact that she is completely in charge.

I was pretty surprized to see that it was only 88 minutes with around 10 of those being credits, but I still felt like I got 1-films worth of enjoyment for the film. The story and world may not have been perfectly what I was looking forward but they stayed true to what they created and I respect that. In terms of the series I’d still say the first one is my favourite, and then Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, then Underworld Awakening and finally Underworld: Evolution. It was one of my most anticipated films of the year so I was excited and looking for a bit more than what we got here, but I certainly was entertained and engaged while watching.

In terms of the story, I took me for a bit of a surprized that I don’t think the themes will appeal to everyone; but it also feels like it’s one of many periods within this world and therefore we’ll have more to enjoy to come. However, for supernatural action fans this is a total fun ride with lots of action, and interesting story and continuing the journey through the cool world they have created so for that I do think it’s a success.

Underworld Awakening opened in Toronto on January 20, 2012, and it was excited to see not just one but two action films with female protagonists released on that date with both Haywire & Underworld Awakening. I saw ‘em both. Good times.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll buy it
I'd recommend it to fans of the series & vampire/action film fans

See also a spoiler-filled awesome discussion of the film over at Before the Dawn and a spoiler-ree review on Episode 59 of the Movie Moxie Podcast:


© Shannon Ridler, 2012

DVD Review of the North American TV series Being Human following a vampire, werewolf & ghost roommates.


Image courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2010 B.H. Productions (Muse) Inc. All rights reserved.

Dirs: Paolo Barzman, Charles Binamé, Adam Kane, Erik Canuel, Jeremiah S. Chechik, Jerry Ciccoritti
Cast: Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Mark Pellegrino, Sarah Allen Gianpaolo Venuta, Kristen Hager, Vincent Leclerc, Angela Galuppo
Canada/USA (source), 2011 (TV)

Reason to see: A vampire, werewolf & ghost as roommate = perfect show for me.

Being Human is a TV series that follows a set of new housemates and their struggles from personal to romantic, professional and cultural all of which are complicated by the fact that they are supernatural beings (a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost) but have chosen to do their best and remain and be human.

I was first in line to check out a show that features a vampire, werewolf and ghost as roommates as I'm a huge fan of paranormal TV and this show brings a nice blend of lore, long-term story arc as well as budding friendships between the trio of vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer), werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) and ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath) who do their best to deal with their supernatural situations. One of the most interesting dynamics of the series is that each of the three main characters is an underdog or outsider within their own supernatural community, none of them chose their fate and each is effected differently. For example, Josh being a werewolf is only out of control on the full moon, but the weight of his actions at that time can stay with him for the entire lunar cycle. Then Aidan is a long-standing vampire who has chosen to abstain from vampire culture and society but it's a continual and challenging position to be in. Then we have Sally, the ghost who’s transparent to the non-supernatural world and mystified at her own mysterious transition. It's three very different perspectives on dealing with a situation that has been pushed upon you and changed each and every one of their natural, but each choose to be, or at least attempt, to maintain their humanity.

Based on the UK series of the same name, Being Human is in a unique situation of running almost con-currently with its across-the-pond counterpart which has three completed seasons in comparison to this North American version (also referred to as SyFy Being Human or Being Human US even though it's and American/Canadian co-production shot in Montreal). They two versions are very aware of each other and they North American version even has a nod to the UK version with vampire Aidan who is a namesake of the actor Aidan Turner who plays the vampire Mitchell in the original UK version of the show. I really enjoyed the UK version therefore was skepitcal but hopeful about this new version, and I admit I went into the series after already seeing the first two seasons of the UK version and it took me quite some time to decide on how I felt about it. The two versions follow many of the same plot lines and characters, but the North American version also adds new plotlines although it does keep to the heart of the original series. I wouldn't necessarily recommend watching the concurrently, but if you pace out the two from each other it's a highly enjoyable series that pulls at the heart strings, shows the power of friendship, the grand struggle to stand apart from the norms and to take a stand for a greater cause.

I really loved both the comedy and the kindness in the series, the struggles of the characters to maintain their humanity and the challenging choice of whether or not to use there supernatural powers for or against humanity. They wrestle with the question if it's possible to remain neutral, when it's time to take a stand and is it better or worse to succumb to your own nature. And somehow in all of that they manage to go through relationship and romantic entanglements as everyday stresses of workplace and tenant/landlord relationships and challenges.

I did find that the series takes a bit to find it's feet, but it's worth giving it a chance because of the great characters and some stand out performances including reoccurring guest star Mark Pellegrino ('Supernatural') as the vampire power player Bishop and series regular Sam Huntington (Fanboys, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night) as the awkward werewolf Josh. The emotional journeys of all of the characters and interesting and overall I say it's a must-see for any fan of paranormal TV fan. I love the friendships and moral questions it portrays and I truly felt for all of the characters.

It's a great time to hop on the Being Human train and if you've not seen it yet you can easily catch up for it's return in Season 2 which will being to air in January 2012. I'll be waiting with baited breath to see where they go next.

If you want to hear even more about Season 1 of Being Human?
You can listen to reactions from each and every episode over at Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural, the paranormal TV podcast I co-host with my sister Suzie:

• Episode 1: There Goes the Neighbourhood (Part 1)
• Episode 2: There Goes the Neighbourhood (Part 2)
• Episode 3: Someone to Watch Over Me
• Episode 4: Wouldn't it be Nice (If We Were Human)
• Episode 5: The End of the World As We Knew It
• Episode 6: It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Wrong
• Episode 7: See Your True Colors...and That's Why I Hate You
• Episode 8: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things
• Episode 9: I Want You Back (From the Dead)
• Episode 10: Dog Eat Dog
• Episode 11: Going Dutch
• Episode 12: You're the One I Haunt
• Episode 13 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Me Killing You

DVD Extras (4-Disc DVD Set):

• The Making of Being Human (47 minutes) behind the scenes, series clips, interviews with co-execuative producer/director Adam Kane, executive producer/writer Jeremy Carver, actors Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Sam Witwer & Mark Pellegrino, VFX supervisor Mario Rachiele, make-up artist Emilie Gauthier, SFX make-up artist Érik Gosselin, on reaction/connection the UK series, what drew them to the series, the interweaving of what's the urban setting and mid-20's journey, the genre elements & themes and the connection to real world scenarios, the unique friendship and connection between Sally, Aidan & Josh including the actors talking not only about their own characters but their perspective on the characters and their intermingled relationships; the monster rules for the show and how they've incorporating the traits from different cultures into the show plus discussing the expectations of genre fans regarding rules; discussing each of the types of supernatural creatures in the show with vampires, ghost and werewolves including the creature attributes, characters journey, challenges and connection to their supernatural world as well as the visual effects & make up application to create the visuals for characters including ghost make up and extensive footage on werewolf design creation & transformation.
• "What Would You Choose" Featurette (3 minutes) show clips & stills from both the North American & UK versions of the shows with actors Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Sam Witwer responding to which supernatural creature they would choose to be plus brief description of the visual effects creation of their characters into their supernatural, plus actor Mark Pelligrino on the deep humanity of the show and his character; as well as response to how much each of the actors watched of the UK version of the show and the connection between the two shows.
• Interviews with Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath & Sam Huntington (5 minutes) casual interviews with the cast at a premiere/carpet event chatting about season 1, their characters & journeys, speculation to season 2, reactions from fans. This feature has some really funny moments including casual chatting with some Sam Huntington & Sam Witwer chatting about who in their characters would win in a fight & their impressions of Meaghan Rath. Interviews are interspersed with clips from the show.
• Being Human Panel at San Diego Comic-Con (39 minutes) panel with actors Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath & Sam Huntington, executive producer/writer Jeremy Carver and co-executive producer/writer Anne Fricke responding to questions including on how they came to the show, working together, where they want their characters to in season 2, how the team came together, the characters arcs and lots of love for Season 2 scripts and hints/questions/reactions on Season 2. I was a little disappointed in this feature, it's from pretty far away, the audio is pretty low in comparison to the other features, people constantly walking in front of the camera, there are no titles to indicate who is speaking but I enjoyed the casual nature of the discussions and the enthusiastic camaraderie especially between the members of cast.
• Trailer
  

Being Human Season 1 (North American) is available on DVD as of November 15, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, and grew to love it as the season progressed
I'll watch it again
I'd strongly recommend it to any paranormal TV fan

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

Cross posted here at Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

DVD Review of the North American TV series Being Human following a vampire, werewolf & ghost roommates.


Image courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2010 B.H. Productions (Muse) Inc. All rights reserved.

Dirs: Paolo Barzman, Charles Binamé, Adam Kane, Erik Canuel, Jeremiah S. Chechik, Jerry Ciccoritti
Cast: Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Mark Pellegrino, Sarah Allen Gianpaolo Venuta, Kristen Hager, Vincent Leclerc, Angela Galuppo
Canada/USA (source), 2011 (TV)

Reason to see: A vampire, werewolf & ghost as roommate = perfect show for me.

Being Human is a TV series that follows a set of new housemates and their struggles from personal to romantic, professional and cultural all of which are complicated by the fact that they are supernatural beings (a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost) but have chosen to do their best and remain and be human.

I was first in line to check out a show that features a vampire, werewolf and ghost as roommates as I'm a huge fan of paranormal TV and this show brings a nice blend of lore, long-term story arc as well as budding friendships between the trio of vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer), werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) and ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath) who do their best to deal with their supernatural situations. One of the most interesting dynamics of the series is that each of the three main characters is an underdog or outsider within their own supernatural community, none of them chose their fate and each is effected differently. For example, Josh being a werewolf is only out of control on the full moon, but the weight of his actions at that time can stay with him for the entire lunar cycle. Then Aidan is a long-standing vampire who has chosen to abstain from vampire culture and society but it's a continual and challenging position to be in. Then we have Sally, the ghost who’s transparent to the non-supernatural world and mystified at her own mysterious transition. It's three very different perspectives on dealing with a situation that has been pushed upon you and changed each and every one of their natural, but each choose to be, or at least attempt, to maintain their humanity.

Based on the UK series of the same name, Being Human is in a unique situation of running almost con-currently with its across-the-pond counterpart which has three completed seasons in comparison to this North American version (also referred to as SyFy Being Human or Being Human US even though it's and American/Canadian co-production shot in Montreal). They two versions are very aware of each other and they North American version even has a nod to the UK version with vampire Aidan who is a namesake of the actor Aidan Turner who plays the vampire Mitchell in the original UK version of the show. I really enjoyed the UK version therefore was skepitcal but hopeful about this new version, and I admit I went into the series after already seeing the first two seasons of the UK version and it took me quite some time to decide on how I felt about it. The two versions follow many of the same plot lines and characters, but the North American version also adds new plotlines although it does keep to the heart of the original series. I wouldn't necessarily recommend watching the concurrently, but if you pace out the two from each other it's a highly enjoyable series that pulls at the heart strings, shows the power of friendship, the grand struggle to stand apart from the norms and to take a stand for a greater cause.

I really loved both the comedy and the kindness in the series, the struggles of the characters to maintain their humanity and the challenging choice of whether or not to use there supernatural powers for or against humanity. They wrestle with the question if it's possible to remain neutral, when it's time to take a stand and is it better or worse to succumb to your own nature. And somehow in all of that they manage to go through relationship and romantic entanglements as everyday stresses of workplace and tenant/landlord relationships and challenges.

I did find that the series takes a bit to find it's feet, but it's worth giving it a chance because of the great characters and some stand out performances including reoccurring guest star Mark Pellegrino ('Supernatural') as the vampire power player Bishop and series regular Sam Huntington (Fanboys, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night) as the awkward werewolf Josh. The emotional journeys of all of the characters and interesting and overall I say it's a must-see for any fan of paranormal TV fan. I love the friendships and moral questions it portrays and I truly felt for all of the characters.

It's a great time to hop on the Being Human train and if you've not seen it yet you can easily catch up for it's return in Season 2 which will being to air in January 2012. I'll be waiting with baited breath to see where they go next.

If you want to hear even more about Season 1 of Being Human?
You can listen to reactions from each and every episode over at Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural, the paranormal TV podcast I co-host with my sister Suzie:

• Episode 1: There Goes the Neighbourhood (Part 1)
• Episode 2: There Goes the Neighbourhood (Part 2)
• Episode 3: Someone to Watch Over Me
• Episode 4: Wouldn't it be Nice (If We Were Human)
• Episode 5: The End of the World As We Knew It
• Episode 6: It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Wrong
• Episode 7: See Your True Colors...and That's Why I Hate You
• Episode 8: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things
• Episode 9: I Want You Back (From the Dead)
• Episode 10: Dog Eat Dog
• Episode 11: Going Dutch
• Episode 12: You're the One I Haunt
• Episode 13 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Me Killing You

DVD Extras (4-Disc DVD Set):

• The Making of Being Human (47 minutes) behind the scenes, series clips, interviews with co-execuative producer/director Adam Kane, executive producer/writer Jeremy Carver, actors Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Sam Witwer & Mark Pellegrino, VFX supervisor Mario Rachiele, make-up artist Emilie Gauthier, SFX make-up artist Érik Gosselin, on reaction/connection the UK series, what drew them to the series, the interweaving of what's the urban setting and mid-20's journey, the genre elements & themes and the connection to real world scenarios, the unique friendship and connection between Sally, Aidan & Josh including the actors talking not only about their own characters but their perspective on the characters and their intermingled relationships; the monster rules for the show and how they've incorporating the traits from different cultures into the show plus discussing the expectations of genre fans regarding rules; discussing each of the types of supernatural creatures in the show with vampires, ghost and werewolves including the creature attributes, characters journey, challenges and connection to their supernatural world as well as the visual effects & make up application to create the visuals for characters including ghost make up and extensive footage on werewolf design creation & transformation.
• "What Would You Choose" Featurette (3 minutes) show clips & stills from both the North American & UK versions of the shows with actors Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Sam Witwer responding to which supernatural creature they would choose to be plus brief description of the visual effects creation of their characters into their supernatural, plus actor Mark Pelligrino on the deep humanity of the show and his character; as well as response to how much each of the actors watched of the UK version of the show and the connection between the two shows.
• Interviews with Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath & Sam Huntington (5 minutes) casual interviews with the cast at a premiere/carpet event chatting about season 1, their characters & journeys, speculation to season 2, reactions from fans. This feature has some really funny moments including casual chatting with some Sam Huntington & Sam Witwer chatting about who in their characters would win in a fight & their impressions of Meaghan Rath. Interviews are interspersed with clips from the show.
• Being Human Panel at San Diego Comic-Con (39 minutes) panel with actors Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath & Sam Huntington, executive producer/writer Jeremy Carver and co-executive producer/writer Anne Fricke responding to questions including on how they came to the show, working together, where they want their characters to in season 2, how the team came together, the characters arcs and lots of love for Season 2 scripts and hints/questions/reactions on Season 2. I was a little disappointed in this feature, it's from pretty far away, the audio is pretty low in comparison to the other features, people constantly walking in front of the camera, there are no titles to indicate who is speaking but I enjoyed the casual nature of the discussions and the enthusiastic camaraderie especially between the members of cast.
• Trailer
  

Being Human Season 1 (North American) is available on DVD as of November 15, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, and grew to love it as the season progressed
I'll watch it again
I'd strongly recommend it to any paranormal TV fan

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

Cross posted here at Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Dir: Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Nikki Reed, Kellen Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elisabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Booboo Stewart, Julia Jones Sarah Clarke
USA, 2011

Seen: November 19, 2011 at Scotiabank in AVX

Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#26)

My journey with the Twilight films & books has been an interesting one. I first read both Twilight & New Moon and then headed into see the first film, Twilight which follows the romance between the protagonist Bella (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson), and I ate it up. I'm no romantic, but I loved the film. I loved it so much that I have co-hosted Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast since 2009 when Twilight came out on DVD. But later that year I was heavily disappointed in the film New Moon, which is my favourite of the books as it chronicles the relationships that develops between a saddened Bella and her buddy Jacob (Taylor Lautner), but the film is a very direct translation of the book which tried to cram every moment and nuance and in the process lost a lot of the heart, essence and artistry created with the more interpretive Twilight. With the third film Eclipse, we come to a very direct love triangle between our characters along with having the biggest action-y scenes in the series until that point, and although I enjoyed it, I wasn't blown away. I think I mostly was relieved it wasn't awful, but I was disheartened as I felt it played up the action in hopes of gaining a broader audience, which honestly isn't very necessary considering it's already has a huge audience. So, going into Breaking Dawn: Part 1 I wasn't all that jazzed. It's my least favourite of the books and certainly got my feminist core miffed. But, it was still on my Most Anticipated Films of 2011 list (#26) and I knew I would see it. And hell, it's a female-protagonist vampire film, of course I'm would to see it!

So The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 picks up where Eclipse left off and follows the continuing romance between human Bella and vampire Edward, and although their relationship is very unconventional it's still very conservative so to keep the heat increasing we have to make things all above board which means we have to have a wedding. I actually was quite looking forward to this in the film, and it was one of my favourite moments of the film with the great combination of awkwardness and beauty that the series is so great at bringing together in a humorous and real way. It's also one of the few times we get to see the humans in the film, including the awesome Billy Burke who reprises his role as Bella's father Charlie - I find him to be a stand out in each and every one of the films. I thought that the wedding might be the only part of the film I enjoyed, but as the story progressed I realized I was still enjoying it. I enjoyed the authentic translation from the book, the nods to the earlier films, the continuing development of Bella & Edwards relationships - bumps and all. I also realized that this section of the saga really is about Bella and her building maturity and how much of that is her choice which honestly, feels like a something that's depicted in film in a positive light. I'll admit that this story certainly has complications, but I do always feel like Bella does what she wants and stand her ground very strong, often with little or no support. It also continues to tackle the interesting question in the series about the power of choice.

It's wild that going into the film I didn't even really consider that I might end up liking it, but in the end I ending up really enjoying it and would place it as a 2nd favourite after Twilight. I also didn't know how it would fair being a Part 1 of 2 and didn't really think the book warranted 2 parts but after seeing Breaking Dawn: Part 1 I'm completely content with the decision. The pacing was great, the story didn't feel rushed and I felt like it had everything it needed to convey it's message and the emotions behind it. Breaking Dawn: Part 1 returns to the roots and the sweetness of the original Twilight, stays true to the book and also provides and powerful, emotional journey. A journey that I'll happily continue to see unfold in Part 2 which will be released in November 2012.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected
I'm already looking forward to seeing it again
I'd strongly recommend it to people interested in female-protagonist & coming of age films and of course, to all Twi-Fans

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed, Most Anticipated Films of 2011 and 2011 Book to Film Adaptations

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Dir: Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Nikki Reed, Kellen Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elisabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Booboo Stewart, Julia Jones Sarah Clarke
USA, 2011

Seen: November 19, 2011 at Scotiabank in AVX

Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#26)

My journey with the Twilight films & books has been an interesting one. I first read both Twilight & New Moon and then headed into see the first film, Twilight which follows the romance between the protagonist Bella (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson), and I ate it up. I'm no romantic, but I loved the film. I loved it so much that I have co-hosted Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast since 2009 when Twilight came out on DVD. But later that year I was heavily disappointed in the film New Moon, which is my favourite of the books as it chronicles the relationships that develops between a saddened Bella and her buddy Jacob (Taylor Lautner), but the film is a very direct translation of the book which tried to cram every moment and nuance and in the process lost a lot of the heart, essence and artistry created with the more interpretive Twilight. With the third film Eclipse, we come to a very direct love triangle between our characters along with having the biggest action-y scenes in the series until that point, and although I enjoyed it, I wasn't blown away. I think I mostly was relieved it wasn't awful, but I was disheartened as I felt it played up the action in hopes of gaining a broader audience, which honestly isn't very necessary considering it's already has a huge audience. So, going into Breaking Dawn: Part 1 I wasn't all that jazzed. It's my least favourite of the books and certainly got my feminist core miffed. But, it was still on my Most Anticipated Films of 2011 list (#26) and I knew I would see it. And hell, it's a female-protagonist vampire film, of course I'm would to see it!

So The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 picks up where Eclipse left off and follows the continuing romance between human Bella and vampire Edward, and although their relationship is very unconventional it's still very conservative so to keep the heat increasing we have to make things all above board which means we have to have a wedding. I actually was quite looking forward to this in the film, and it was one of my favourite moments of the film with the great combination of awkwardness and beauty that the series is so great at bringing together in a humorous and real way. It's also one of the few times we get to see the humans in the film, including the awesome Billy Burke who reprises his role as Bella's father Charlie - I find him to be a stand out in each and every one of the films. I thought that the wedding might be the only part of the film I enjoyed, but as the story progressed I realized I was still enjoying it. I enjoyed the authentic translation from the book, the nods to the earlier films, the continuing development of Bella & Edwards relationships - bumps and all. I also realized that this section of the saga really is about Bella and her building maturity and how much of that is her choice which honestly, feels like a something that's depicted in film in a positive light. I'll admit that this story certainly has complications, but I do always feel like Bella does what she wants and stand her ground very strong, often with little or no support. It also continues to tackle the interesting question in the series about the power of choice.

It's wild that going into the film I didn't even really consider that I might end up liking it, but in the end I ending up really enjoying it and would place it as a 2nd favourite after Twilight. I also didn't know how it would fair being a Part 1 of 2 and didn't really think the book warranted 2 parts but after seeing Breaking Dawn: Part 1 I'm completely content with the decision. The pacing was great, the story didn't feel rushed and I felt like it had everything it needed to convey it's message and the emotions behind it. Breaking Dawn: Part 1 returns to the roots and the sweetness of the original Twilight, stays true to the book and also provides and powerful, emotional journey. A journey that I'll happily continue to see unfold in Part 2 which will be released in November 2012.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected
I'm already looking forward to seeing it again
I'd strongly recommend it to people interested in female-protagonist & coming of age films and of course, to all Twi-Fans

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed, Most Anticipated Films of 2011 and 2011 Book to Film Adaptations

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

DVD review of the undead action/comedy Dylan Dog: Dead of Night starring Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington and Anita Briem

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2010 Long Distance Films, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Kevin Munroe (TMNT (2007))
Cast: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Paranormal PI? Yep, that's enough for me!

With a tagline of 'No Pulse, No Problem', you know that you are in for a film that doesn't take itself too seriously. And Dylan Dog: Dead of Night definitely doesn't take itself too seriously as it plays the comedy card far and wide in a deadpan/noir way with dry voice overs, a comedy relief sidekick (Sam Huntington of the North American version of 'Being Human') and lots of deadpan humour, pun intended.

I'll admit I went into the film knowing that it received absolutely horrific reviews and although it isn't perfect, I'm a little surprised people reacted as strongly as they did. You have to approach it for what it is - a film-noir toned comedy following a private investigator who used to do specialized work by taking on undead clients, be they vampire, zombies and the like. But I like vampires, zombies and the like so I was totally game for this one and to be honest it's not as bad as everyone says. I got a little tired of the voice overs (which I rarely like, but it suits the tone), and there are some quick & easy comparisons to other films (like Constantine) but overall I found it a pretty fun film with a unique perspective, interesting story and likeable characters. There is also a fair amount of eye candy with a very buff Brandon Routh and very cute Sam Huntington and we get some kick-butt fighting with a strong woman in the mix too. So, I think the ladies & gay guy viewers luck on this one - which again might be the reason for it not being received well.

It's not a perfect film, but it's an enjoyable film and it certainly was very entertaining. If you like comedy-centric paranormal with a noir film this will be totally up your alley, and if that's to hyper-niche’d for you I'd still give it a shot. I thought it was a lot of fun.

DVD Extras:
No DVD Extras

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is available on DVD as of November 1, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll happily watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of the comedy & the paranormal

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

DVD review of the undead action/comedy Dylan Dog: Dead of Night starring Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington and Anita Briem

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2010 Long Distance Films, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Kevin Munroe (TMNT (2007))
Cast: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Paranormal PI? Yep, that's enough for me!

With a tagline of 'No Pulse, No Problem', you know that you are in for a film that doesn't take itself too seriously. And Dylan Dog: Dead of Night definitely doesn't take itself too seriously as it plays the comedy card far and wide in a deadpan/noir way with dry voice overs, a comedy relief sidekick (Sam Huntington of the North American version of 'Being Human') and lots of deadpan humour, pun intended.

I'll admit I went into the film knowing that it received absolutely horrific reviews and although it isn't perfect, I'm a little surprised people reacted as strongly as they did. You have to approach it for what it is - a film-noir toned comedy following a private investigator who used to do specialized work by taking on undead clients, be they vampire, zombies and the like. But I like vampires, zombies and the like so I was totally game for this one and to be honest it's not as bad as everyone says. I got a little tired of the voice overs (which I rarely like, but it suits the tone), and there are some quick & easy comparisons to other films (like Constantine) but overall I found it a pretty fun film with a unique perspective, interesting story and likeable characters. There is also a fair amount of eye candy with a very buff Brandon Routh and very cute Sam Huntington and we get some kick-butt fighting with a strong woman in the mix too. So, I think the ladies & gay guy viewers luck on this one - which again might be the reason for it not being received well.

It's not a perfect film, but it's an enjoyable film and it certainly was very entertaining. If you like comedy-centric paranormal with a noir film this will be totally up your alley, and if that's to hyper-niche’d for you I'd still give it a shot. I thought it was a lot of fun.

DVD Extras:
No DVD Extras

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is available on DVD as of November 1, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll happily watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of the comedy & the paranormal

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Image - Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment

Writer/Dir: Joe Nimziki - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Landon Liboiron, Lindsey Shaw, Ivana Milicevic, Jesse Rath, Niels Schneider, Frank Schorpion
USA, 2011 (DVD Release)

Reason to see: I have a strong love for werewolf films

Wow, I really enjoyed The Howling Reborn. I was a little leery going in not being too fond of the original The Howling and the fact that this was based on the book I was unfamiliar with called The Howling II (by Gary Brandner), putting that two and two together just had me wondering what exactly would this film be like. But I took a chance and I’m glad I did as thankfully it's a fantastic coming of age journey film plus has all the great things you come to love with a werewolf film from great effects that are visceral and creepy to the mystery of the werewolf tale and lore. Plus, it cleverly aligns the werewolf transitioning to coming to adulthood by being set during the last days of high school with our underdog protagonist Will (Landon Liboiron) who spends time his days not approaching sexy classmate Eliana (Lindsey Shaw of 'Pretty Little Liars').

That’s where the film really gets going. The underdog and the ‘it’ girl is a theme that I think a lot of people are going to connect with and Landon Liboiron & Lindsey Shaw have great chemistry making the romantic tension in film work on many levels from hopeful wanting to dangerous desire. For the audience it totally works but case you immediate connect with Will and are rooting for him 100% of the time. The supporting cast is nicely filled out with Jesse Rath as Will's friend Sachin who serves as the resident Lycanthrope expert and film buff and Niels Schneider (Les amours imaginaires) as Roland & Eliana's boyfriend, who together provide nice depth in story and tension amongst the high school drama of it all. I loved how even though it’s full of gore and great stunts & effects there is a real sweet love story at the heart of the film and it’s got a awesome score and soundtrack to boot including nostalgic gothic treats like Killing by Echo and the Bunnymen.

I was really impressed with The Howling Reborn pulling together teen angst with a real sense of immediacy and still being an impressive horror film even with it’s PG-13 rating (listen to the commentary for interesting insights on the rating. The only thing that kind of distracted me was that Landon Liboiron really looks a fair amount like Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter of the Harry Potter films), not so much that I didn’t enjoy the film but it did throw me out of it on occasion. I do give big props to both Landon Liboiron and Lindsey Shaw for bring their characters to life with abandon and really going for it, you really feel it with the end result. I strongly recommend checking out The Howling Reborn.


DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with writer/director Joe Nimziki and actor Lindsey Shaw, I really enjoyed this commentary, it's nice & conversational plus lively and entertaining and they discuss many aspects of the film from technical aspects like shooting on HD and with steady cams, changes to the script and film along the way, connection to the original film The Howling, writer/director Joe Nimziki talks about casting and specifically casting Lindsey Shaw and she discusses the unique audition process, they chat about filming in Montreal and the school the film was shot in and the different experience working with the extras there, the stunt work, working with Ivana Milicevic including the audition process, how they overcame creative challenges in the film including the scheduling getting shorter & shorter, what scene were issue with ratings and what choices were make to keep certain moments in to maintain a PG-13 rating, the years and path the film took over time and even addresses that it was written before the book Twilight and how at the time it was hard to get it across but now people are much more used to it, great memories of the process of making the film, inspiration for the film and lots of thanks and kudos to the cast & crew.
• The Making Of: The Howling Reborn: (30 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes footage, pre-production footage of script reading, chemistry reads (which are awesome), audition tapes, storyboards and interviews including with writer/director Joe Nimziki and actors Lindsey Shaw, Landon Liboiron, Jesse Rath and Ivana Milicevic, VFX Supervisor Alan Best, production designer Yuda Acco, SFX Key Make-Up Artist Adrien Morot, director of photography Benoit Beaulieu, stunt coordinator Tyler Hall, executive composer Klaus Badelt, composers Mark Anthony Yaeger & Christopher Carmichael, on the inspiration behind the film, the paralleling the concept of animal nature and coming of age, the journey of the characters, the love story of the film, the metaphor of werewolves and our animal nature and the unique telling of a werewolf story, the challenge of creating a new werewolf look and behind the scenes with the werewolf effects, the look and feel of the film, the battle scenes, the audition process and especially the challenge of casting the complex characters and the importance of chemistry between Will & Eliana, and working together. The making of is broken down into different chapters including: The Story, The Filmmaker & Cast, The Werewolves, Visual Effects, Sound and Music
• Storyboard Gallery scroll through storyboards for many of the film sequences including action sequences & werewolf transformations

The Howling Reborn is available on DVD as of October 18, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I really enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I strongly recommend to fans of horror with romance and it's a must see for fans of werewolf films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews and Werewolf Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Image - Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment

Writer/Dir: Joe Nimziki - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Landon Liboiron, Lindsey Shaw, Ivana Milicevic, Jesse Rath, Niels Schneider, Frank Schorpion
USA, 2011 (DVD Release)

Reason to see: I have a strong love for werewolf films

Wow, I really enjoyed The Howling Reborn. I was a little leery going in not being too fond of the original The Howling and the fact that this was based on the book I was unfamiliar with called The Howling II (by Gary Brandner), putting that two and two together just had me wondering what exactly would this film be like. But I took a chance and I’m glad I did as thankfully it's a fantastic coming of age journey film plus has all the great things you come to love with a werewolf film from great effects that are visceral and creepy to the mystery of the werewolf tale and lore. Plus, it cleverly aligns the werewolf transitioning to coming to adulthood by being set during the last days of high school with our underdog protagonist Will (Landon Liboiron) who spends time his days not approaching sexy classmate Eliana (Lindsey Shaw of 'Pretty Little Liars').

That’s where the film really gets going. The underdog and the ‘it’ girl is a theme that I think a lot of people are going to connect with and Landon Liboiron & Lindsey Shaw have great chemistry making the romantic tension in film work on many levels from hopeful wanting to dangerous desire. For the audience it totally works but case you immediate connect with Will and are rooting for him 100% of the time. The supporting cast is nicely filled out with Jesse Rath as Will's friend Sachin who serves as the resident Lycanthrope expert and film buff and Niels Schneider (Les amours imaginaires) as Roland & Eliana's boyfriend, who together provide nice depth in story and tension amongst the high school drama of it all. I loved how even though it’s full of gore and great stunts & effects there is a real sweet love story at the heart of the film and it’s got a awesome score and soundtrack to boot including nostalgic gothic treats like Killing by Echo and the Bunnymen.

I was really impressed with The Howling Reborn pulling together teen angst with a real sense of immediacy and still being an impressive horror film even with it’s PG-13 rating (listen to the commentary for interesting insights on the rating. The only thing that kind of distracted me was that Landon Liboiron really looks a fair amount like Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter of the Harry Potter films), not so much that I didn’t enjoy the film but it did throw me out of it on occasion. I do give big props to both Landon Liboiron and Lindsey Shaw for bring their characters to life with abandon and really going for it, you really feel it with the end result. I strongly recommend checking out The Howling Reborn.


DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with writer/director Joe Nimziki and actor Lindsey Shaw, I really enjoyed this commentary, it's nice & conversational plus lively and entertaining and they discuss many aspects of the film from technical aspects like shooting on HD and with steady cams, changes to the script and film along the way, connection to the original film The Howling, writer/director Joe Nimziki talks about casting and specifically casting Lindsey Shaw and she discusses the unique audition process, they chat about filming in Montreal and the school the film was shot in and the different experience working with the extras there, the stunt work, working with Ivana Milicevic including the audition process, how they overcame creative challenges in the film including the scheduling getting shorter & shorter, what scene were issue with ratings and what choices were make to keep certain moments in to maintain a PG-13 rating, the years and path the film took over time and even addresses that it was written before the book Twilight and how at the time it was hard to get it across but now people are much more used to it, great memories of the process of making the film, inspiration for the film and lots of thanks and kudos to the cast & crew.
• The Making Of: The Howling Reborn: (30 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes footage, pre-production footage of script reading, chemistry reads (which are awesome), audition tapes, storyboards and interviews including with writer/director Joe Nimziki and actors Lindsey Shaw, Landon Liboiron, Jesse Rath and Ivana Milicevic, VFX Supervisor Alan Best, production designer Yuda Acco, SFX Key Make-Up Artist Adrien Morot, director of photography Benoit Beaulieu, stunt coordinator Tyler Hall, executive composer Klaus Badelt, composers Mark Anthony Yaeger & Christopher Carmichael, on the inspiration behind the film, the paralleling the concept of animal nature and coming of age, the journey of the characters, the love story of the film, the metaphor of werewolves and our animal nature and the unique telling of a werewolf story, the challenge of creating a new werewolf look and behind the scenes with the werewolf effects, the look and feel of the film, the battle scenes, the audition process and especially the challenge of casting the complex characters and the importance of chemistry between Will & Eliana, and working together. The making of is broken down into different chapters including: The Story, The Filmmaker & Cast, The Werewolves, Visual Effects, Sound and Music
• Storyboard Gallery scroll through storyboards for many of the film sequences including action sequences & werewolf transformations

The Howling Reborn is available on DVD as of October 18, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I really enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I strongly recommend to fans of horror with romance and it's a must see for fans of werewolf films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews and Werewolf Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

This week on the Movie Moxie Podcast Shannon chats about the recent Genie Awards along with recent release of Red Riding Hood and Werewolf Films as a Genre.

You can subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Or subscribe through iTunes here.

Show Notes
0:00 – 6:00 - Introduction
6:00 – 12:10 – Genie Awards
12:10 – 22:15 – Red Riding Hood Review
22:15 – 44:30 – Werewolf Films as a Genre
44:30 – 47:45 – DVD releases
47:45 – 0:00 – Upcoming up Next Week
0:00 – 0:00 – Outro

Show Notes

• I mention the podcast Podcast Answer Man
• I mention the CBC Podcast The Age of Persuasion, specifically the episode AOP goes to the Movies
• Genie Winners
• Film Fan Fridays Newsletter Sign Up Here
• DVD Releases of the week
• I mention Before the Dawn, my Twilight podcast

Werewolf Films as a Film Genre Show Notes

• Shannon's Definition of Werewolf Film: Films with a werewolf, werewolves in them or where the central focus is around werewolves. Werewolves defined as humans who turn into wolves or werewolves, usually uncontrollable on the full moon, but not exclusively so. Werewolf films are generally horror films and often feature impressive make-up and effects especially in the depiction of the werewolf transformations.
• Wolfathon Post
• Wolfathon Vlog
• Classic Werewolf Films: The Wolfman (1941), Werewolf of London, She-Wolf of London, The Wolfman (2010)
• 70's Craziness: Fury of the Wolfman, The / La furia del Hombre Lobo
• 80's Werewolf Films: An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Wolfen
• 90's Werewolf Films: Bad Moon, American Werewolf in Paris
• Romance-centric Werewolf Films: Hair of the Beast, The / Le poil de la bête, Blood & Chocolate
• Shannon's Faves: An American Werewolf in London, Ginger Snaps, Ladyhawke, Wolfen
• Hybrid Films/Werewolves not the focus but they are there: The Twilight Saga: New Moon , The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Underworld: Evolution, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
• List of all Werewolf Films Reviews
• Werewolf Films Recommended by Others: American Werewolf in Paris, Dog Soldiers, Ginger Snaps 2, The Company of Wolves, Cursed, Les Pacts Des Loupes, Wolf, Curse of the Werewolf and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein - thanks to Kurt, Christian, Rob, Kristin, Andrew, Reg & Doug!
• Werewolves on the small screen: Being Human (UK & North American), Teen Wolf (June 2011)

This week on the Movie Moxie Podcast Shannon chats about the recent Genie Awards along with recent release of Red Riding Hood and Werewolf Films as a Genre.

You can subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Or subscribe through iTunes here.

Show Notes
0:00 – 6:00 - Introduction
6:00 – 12:10 – Genie Awards
12:10 – 22:15 – Red Riding Hood Review
22:15 – 44:30 – Werewolf Films as a Genre
44:30 – 47:45 – DVD releases
47:45 – 0:00 – Upcoming up Next Week
0:00 – 0:00 – Outro

Show Notes

• I mention the podcast Podcast Answer Man
• I mention the CBC Podcast The Age of Persuasion, specifically the episode AOP goes to the Movies
• Genie Winners
• Film Fan Fridays Newsletter Sign Up Here
• DVD Releases of the week
• I mention Before the Dawn, my Twilight podcast

Werewolf Films as a Film Genre Show Notes

• Shannon's Definition of Werewolf Film: Films with a werewolf, werewolves in them or where the central focus is around werewolves. Werewolves defined as humans who turn into wolves or werewolves, usually uncontrollable on the full moon, but not exclusively so. Werewolf films are generally horror films and often feature impressive make-up and effects especially in the depiction of the werewolf transformations.
• Wolfathon Post
• Wolfathon Vlog
• Classic Werewolf Films: The Wolfman (1941), Werewolf of London, She-Wolf of London, The Wolfman (2010)
• 70's Craziness: Fury of the Wolfman, The / La furia del Hombre Lobo
• 80's Werewolf Films: An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Wolfen
• 90's Werewolf Films: Bad Moon, American Werewolf in Paris
• Romance-centric Werewolf Films: Hair of the Beast, The / Le poil de la bête, Blood & Chocolate
• Shannon's Faves: An American Werewolf in London, Ginger Snaps, Ladyhawke, Wolfen
• Hybrid Films/Werewolves not the focus but they are there: The Twilight Saga: New Moon , The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Underworld: Evolution, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
• List of all Werewolf Films Reviews
• Werewolf Films Recommended by Others: American Werewolf in Paris, Dog Soldiers, Ginger Snaps 2, The Company of Wolves, Cursed, Les Pacts Des Loupes, Wolf, Curse of the Werewolf and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein - thanks to Kurt, Christian, Rob, Kristin, Andrew, Reg & Doug!
• Werewolves on the small screen: Being Human (UK & North American), Teen Wolf (June 2011)

Dir: Philippe Gagnon (Dans une galaxie près de chez vous 2)
Cast: Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Viviane Audet, Antoine Bertrand, Mirianne Brulé, Gilles Renaud, Patrice Robitaille, Marc Beaupré
Canada, 2010

Reason to see: Werewolf films are always a go for me, but the fact that this is a historically set Canadian werewolf film had me over the moon (howl!)

I was absolutely beside myself reading the description of The Hair of the Beast / Le poil de la bête. A historically werewolf film set in New France? Plus romantic undertones and obviously it just had to be Canadian. I was totally ready to check this one out.

Set in 1665 New France, we follow petty criminal Joseph Côté (Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge) through his morally grey although mostly legal misadventures which lead him to takes refuge in the seigneury of Beaufort, where many women are anticipated to arrive as "daughters of the king". The women who are waiting to become wives aren't always treated that well and even given the time it feels simply bizarre to see them excited about meeting strangers to marry, but alas, given the historical setting and specific context it's easier to take. The time period also lends the film to have great costumes and rich art direction.

Of course, being a werewolf film we are going to need some furry creature action and therefore it is set during the full moon and before long there are werewolf attacks after Joseph Côté's arrival. The attacks are only threatening the residents but also the women who have arrived including sisters Marie & Sophie Labotte (Viviane Audet & Mirianne Brulé) whom are looking to catch the eyes of the sons of de Beauport and secure marriages.

As a werewolf film, I wanted more wolf-ness, although after seeing many, many werewolf films for the Wolfathon that does appear to be to be pretty norm for the course that the furry fellas only come out to play on a few occasions. But, as a historically set film with both romantic and horror tones to it, I enjoyed The Hair of the Beast / Le poil de la bête.

DVD Extras (French only):

• Making of Les Coulissses du Fantastique (42 minutes) extensive making of including film clips, behind the scenes, costume creation and a fair amount about the created and modified effects for the werewolf-ness, I found them fun to watch even though they were in all French. Also includes interviews with several members of the production team and cast.
• Segments with Cast (12 segments each up to 1 minute each)
• Behind the Scenes Segments (6 segments of behind the scenes footage, 19 minutes)
• Trailer

The Hair of the Beast / Le poil de la bête is available on DVD as of January 25, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it for fans of historical drama with horror elements

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Dir: Philippe Gagnon (Dans une galaxie près de chez vous 2)
Cast: Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Viviane Audet, Antoine Bertrand, Mirianne Brulé, Gilles Renaud, Patrice Robitaille, Marc Beaupré
Canada, 2010

Reason to see: Werewolf films are always a go for me, but the fact that this is a historically set Canadian werewolf film had me over the moon (howl!)

I was absolutely beside myself reading the description of The Hair of the Beast / Le poil de la bête. A historically werewolf film set in New France? Plus romantic undertones and obviously it just had to be Canadian. I was totally ready to check this one out.

Set in 1665 New France, we follow petty criminal Joseph Côté (Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge) through his morally grey although mostly legal misadventures which lead him to takes refuge in the seigneury of Beaufort, where many women are anticipated to arrive as "daughters of the king". The women who are waiting to become wives aren't always treated that well and even given the time it feels simply bizarre to see them excited about meeting strangers to marry, but alas, given the historical setting and specific context it's easier to take. The time period also lends the film to have great costumes and rich art direction.

Of course, being a werewolf film we are going to need some furry creature action and therefore it is set during the full moon and before long there are werewolf attacks after Joseph Côté's arrival. The attacks are only threatening the residents but also the women who have arrived including sisters Marie & Sophie Labotte (Viviane Audet & Mirianne Brulé) whom are looking to catch the eyes of the sons of de Beauport and secure marriages.

As a werewolf film, I wanted more wolf-ness, although after seeing many, many werewolf films for the Wolfathon that does appear to be to be pretty norm for the course that the furry fellas only come out to play on a few occasions. But, as a historically set film with both romantic and horror tones to it, I enjoyed The Hair of the Beast / Le poil de la bête.

DVD Extras (French only):

• Making of Les Coulissses du Fantastique (42 minutes) extensive making of including film clips, behind the scenes, costume creation and a fair amount about the created and modified effects for the werewolf-ness, I found them fun to watch even though they were in all French. Also includes interviews with several members of the production team and cast.
• Segments with Cast (12 segments each up to 1 minute each)
• Behind the Scenes Segments (6 segments of behind the scenes footage, 19 minutes)
• Trailer

The Hair of the Beast / Le poil de la bête is available on DVD as of January 25, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it for fans of historical drama with horror elements

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011