Films like “The Wolfman” bring us face to face with monster in the mirror

Monsters are metaphors, and what truly scares us about them is what they represent.

Deep down, the vampire stands for sexuality, and its risks of abuse, obsession and disease. The zombie is a shuffling symbol of the loss of independence and identity. Even the budget bogeyman of our own age — the implacable, inhuman slasher — comes from our fears of a cruel and irrationally violent world.

But the werewolf represents something far more personal.

This monster isn’t an exterior challenge but an interior one, not the creature waiting outside in the shadows but the brutal beast within. He is pure id, our basest and most primitive instincts made furry flesh, howling at the moon and mindlessly hurting our loved ones.

Universal Themes:
In some ways, he never went away. There are legends of humans magically turning into animals in nearly every culture; the word “lycanthrope” itself comes from the Greek. Yet modern writers seemed unmoved, and the movies were similarly uninterested. It wasn’t until 1935 that Universal unveiled “Werewolf of London.”

Apart from eventually inspiring a rollicking Warren Zevon song, its influence was small. Star Henry Hull, who drew the line at any makeup beyond modest fangs and a dramatic widow’s peak, actually wore a cap and cloak on his nightly prowls. With a nattily attired monster and dull lectures on botany, the film felt like a mild Jekyll-and-Hyde retread. There were no sequels.

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‘Avatar’ star sinks teeth into ‘Dracula’ role

In Hollywood, you only have as much clout as your last movie. So if you just starred in the biggest film in box-office history, you have plenty of equity to spend. Case in point: Avatar’s Sam Worthington, who has signed on to two projects since James Cameron’s science-fiction epic started bulldozing records.

The first is an adaptation of the grim futuristic graphic novel mini-series, The Last Days of American Crime, which he is attached to star in and produce.

And he has also sunk his teeth into the role of Dracula in yet another re-visitation of the vampire legend. Considering the success of Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, it’s no surprise the most famous of all blood-suckers would rise from the tomb one more time. But what can audiences expect from Dracula: Year Zero (aside from hopefully a more appealing title) when it’s released?

“It’s a script I really like,” director Alex Proyas (The Crow) told us last year. “It’s about the origins of the legend of Dracula, but it has a new spin … It’s a movie that has to be done on a grand scale.”

The science-fiction western — with a title that pretty much says it all — will be directed by Jon Favreau, who had been expected to reunite with his Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. on the movie. But when Downey dropped out to instead make a Sherlock Holmes sequel, Craig decided to saddle up instead.

Adapted from the comic book of the same name, the movie was penned by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof, who are scripting the next Star Trek film, due in June 2012. Cowboys and Aliens will be out in summer 2011.

Meanwhile progress continues on another James Bond sequel, despite the fact the fate of its studio, MGM, is uncertain. Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty) has already been mentioned as a possible director (he worked with Craig on Road to Perdition).

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Wrath of the Gods

THIS year Greek mythology is providing the backstory for two films, featuring two different characters who happen to be the sons of Greek gods.

There’s the Clash Of The Titans happening on March 25, featuring Sam Worthington as Perseus the son of Zeus. The other is Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief, an action-adventure showing nationwide on Feb 11, revolving around Percy, the son of Poseidon.

When actor Logan Lerman learned about the making of the film, he jumped at the chance to work closely with Chris Columbus, who directed Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets and Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone.

In an interview transcript provided by Twentieth Century Fox Film, Lerman said: “I was obsessed with (Columbus). I didn’t really know anything about the books or the storyline of this film at that point, but I read the first Percy Jackson book immediately and liked it a lot.

“I hope that when the fans of the books see the movie they enjoy it, although there are differences between the book and the film.”

As it turns out, Columbus isn’t the only hero that Lerman would be working with in the making of Percy Jackson. The film features an impressive cast, including Catherine Keener (who plays Percy’s mother), Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Ray Winstone, Sean Bean and Kevin McKidd.

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Best Super Bowl ads: The movie trailers

Super Bowl Sunday is the one time of year where movie studios prep their best commercials to campaign for the rest of the year.

This year, we saw TV spots for “Robin Hood,” “The Wolfman,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and Prince of Persia.

Here are the movie spots that ran during the big game:

ROBIN HOOD
An epic action film based upon the Robin Hood myth, starring Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott. It is due on screens May 14.

The film began development in 2007 when Universal Studios snagged a script entitled “Nottingham,” which centered onthe heroic Sheriff of Nottingham to be played by Crowe. Scott’s creative dissatisfaction with the screenplay led him to develop a story about Robin Hood becoming an outlaw.

THE LAST AIRBENDER
Though not officially a Super Bowl ad per se, a spot for “The Last Airbender” aired right before kickoff. It’s an upcoming adventure-fantasy film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan and a live-action film adaptation of the first season of the animated television series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

The film’s style stems from East Asian art, mythology, and Chinese martial arts. The first of a planned trilogy, the film stars Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, and Dev Patel. Look for it to hit screens July 2, 2010.

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What did you think about today’s movie news? Are you excited about the reboot of ‘Dracula’ and ‘The Wolfman’? Did you watch the superbowl, and did you enjoy all the amazing movie previews?