Even A Man Who Is Pure In Heart (even in a remake!)

THE WOLFMAN-2010-This big budget gory over acted horror story is actually a kind of homage to the 1941 Universal original. (It gives credit to being "based" on the motion picture screenplay by Curt Siodmak!)

Lawrence Talbott (Benicio Del Toro with a Moe Howard haircut) returns to his native England (after living in America for many years) to investigate the disappearance of his brother at the request of said brother's fiancée (Emily Blunt). He's haunted by the memory of seeing mother's bloody corpse right after she committed suicide. His father Sir Henry (Anthony Hopkins) seems like a nice bloke but may harbor s secret. Meanwhile a werewolf terrorizes the countryside and during an attack on a gypsy camp Lawrence is bitten and "cursed". He wastes no time changing into a wolf and graphically kills lots of people. Hugh Weaving is a Scotland Yard police officer tracking him down. Rick Baker did the special make-up effects and is a victim. Also with Art Malik, Anthony Sher and Geraldine Chaplin. Del Toro was also one of the producers and the score is by Danny Elfman.

Director Joe Johnston previously made HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS, THE ROCKETEER, JUMANJI and JURASSIC PARK 3.

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Octaman! Auch de Lieben!

OCTAMAN-1971-In Mexico a group of scientists investigate the legend of a half man/half octopus. Dr. Torres (Kerwin Matthews, THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD) leads the group. Pier Angeli (who died of a drug overdose soon after filming ended) is his assistant. Also along are an American promoter (Buck Kartalian) who wants to bring Octa back alive, a college professor and some weird looking locals who become victims. The monster itself is a shambling octopus looking thing with floppy tentacles and mouth and eyes that never move. The costume was created by Rick Baker and Doug Beswick who both went on to bigger and better things. He kills by swatting victims with his tentacles but one guy gets a tentacle in his chest. When the group find an "octa-baby" the monster kills a scientist and takes it back leading me to believe that perhaps this is actually an "Octawoman"!

Jeff Morrow (THIS ISLAND EARTH) has one scene as a skeptical scientist. At one point they capture Octy but he escapes with Angeli in tow. If this kind of sounds like the plot was lifted from THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON keep in mind that OCTAMAN was written and directed by Harry Essex who wrote the screenplay for that 1954 classic!

Still OCTAMAN is fun low budget nonsense that doesn't drag and would make a great double bill with the monster catfish man "classic" ZAAT!

http://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2010/01/z-marks-spot.html

Thanks for reading!