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Let's settle this. Best Werewolf design in film.

Which practical werewolf design is the best?

  • Wolfman

    Votes: 35 6.9%

  • The Howling

    Votes: 43 8.4%

  • And American Werewolf in London

    Votes: 185 36.3%

  • Bad Moon

    Votes: 19 3.7%

  • Dog Soldiers

    Votes: 67 13.1%

  • Underworld

    Votes: 123 24.1%

  • Other (please state)

    Votes: 38 7.5%
  • Total voters
    510
MistahS

MistahS

Prophet of Truth
The Fallen
Sep 2, 2018
3,760
Z-Beat said:
Wolfman's iconic, but having just watched it for the first time I'd probably give it to American Werewolf in London on that list. That thing is freaky as hell, and has one of, if not the best transformation I've ever seen.

Not on the list but I also like Van Helsing's
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Just because it's a guilty pleasure movie
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Yoooo I love this movie. The transformation is so crazy. Hasn't aged the best. But still my favorite werewolf transformation
 

Deleted member 25606

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
8,973
lvl 99 Pixel said:
That has to be the most consistently terrible looking movie monster, right?
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Yup, just doesn't translate well and it's usually a race to least shittiest looking versus best.

That said I voted other my pick is Ginger Snaps, then probably Dog Soldiers, but seriously they are just the best in comparison to the lot, still pretty shit in general.
 
SchrodingerC

SchrodingerC

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,892
An American Werewolf in London edges out the other choices with its design, transformation scene, and sound effects.

Dog soldiers and the howling come at a close second.
 
Charred Knight

Charred Knight

Member
Oct 8, 2019
9,208
lvl 99 Pixel said:
That has to be the most consistently terrible looking movie monster, right?
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Jon Talbain is one of my favorite video game characters so its always hugely disappointing to watch these movies and see someone think "The monster should look half dead, and diseased right". Van Helsing looked really cool though. One of the few that I think nailed it.
 
jett

jett

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Oct 25, 2017
44,709
What Dracula's wolf form from Bram Stoker's Dracula

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Dodongo

Dodongo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,478
I love basically all of these movies.

I'm happy someone mentioned Silver Bullet and Bad Moon.
 
The Masked Mufti

The Masked Mufti

The Wise Ones
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
3,989
Scotland
I gave my vote to Underworld. However I have to say that the transformations in Van Helsing are my favourite, with the way they have to rip off the human skin during the transformation (and then shedding the fur when turning back).
 
lvl 99 Pixel

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,934
Charred Knight said:
Jon Talbain is one of my favorite video game characters so its always hugely disappointing to watch these movies and see someone think "The monster should look half dead, and diseased right". Van Helsing looked really cool though. One of the few that I think nailed it.
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That's why I said movies specifically. Games have done it well both realistic and stylized.
 
Jotakori

Jotakori

Teyvat Traveler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,195
I know you're looking for practical effects and not CG, but my favorite has always been Harry Potter's werewolf. I just love how lanky and creepy it looks when in motion. Somehow its design and movements always unnerved me more than any proper horror movie werewolf ever did.

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More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,676
Dogs Soldiers and Underworld are my favorite for their designs
Van Helsing for the actual movement and werewolf action
American Werewolf for the transformation

havent seen Howling yet
 

Deleted member 25606

User requested account closure
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Oct 29, 2017
8,973
More_Badass said:
Dogs Soldiers and Underworld are my favorite for their designs
Van Helsing for the actual movement and werewolf action
American Werewolf for the transformation

havent seen Howling yet
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Your slacking. The original howling is a classic. As for the sequels I love that the seconded movie has the unforgettable subtitle of "your sister is a werewolf".

But yeah, don't want to preach to much I know you take your viewing seriously and have not only watched a lot of films but have put a quite a bit of time into critique and analysis, but seriously the first howling is one of those movies anyone on a serious quest to absorb all good horror should see.
 
Jordan117

Jordan117

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,042
Alabammy
AAWIL had the best transformation, but the end result always looked crappy to me. Like a cartoonishly angry badger or sloth or something.

As far as practical goes, I thought the UK version of Being Human did a pretty great job, and their transformation effects took a lot of cues from Rick Baker. Plus the character of George was really compelling.

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But my overall fave is Van Helsing, despite the CGI:

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Three distinct designs, a unique transformation I haven't seen before or since (apart from that recent Love Death Robots homage), and viciously ferocious in a way most others fail to be.

Interestingly, the original designer behind this version, horror artist Carlos Huante, also consulted on the Goosebumps movie, and their werewolf was nearly as awesome:

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More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,676
Matthew77 said:
Your slacking. The original howling is a classic. As for the sequels I love that the seconded movie has the unforgettable subtitle of "your sister is a werewolf".

But yeah, don't want to preach to much I know you take your viewing seriously and have not only watched a lot of films but have put a quite a bit of time into critique and analysis, but seriously the first howling is one of those movies anyone on a serious quest to absorb all good horror should see.
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Oh it's definitely on my watchlist. I actually just saw American Werewolf In London for the first time yesterday (loved it), and I'm in the mood for more. So I'll probably forego a Dog Soldiers rewatch to check out The Howling
 
DemonCarnotaur

DemonCarnotaur

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,263
NYC
American Werewolf in London followed by....

Prisoner of Azkaban. (I know it's CG, but come on)

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So. Damn. Creepy.
 
Baha

Baha

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
827
American Werewolf in London hands down, great transformation, great werewolf design and it's howl in particular still holds up imo.
 
Rendering...

Rendering...

Member
Oct 30, 2017
19,089
Jordan117 said:
But my overall fave is Van Helsing, despite the CGI:

223f0299d80e497ba6734ba560d35b13.png

Three distinct designs, a unique transformation I haven't seen before or since (apart from that recent Love Death Robots homage), and viciously ferocious in a way most others fail to be.

Interestingly, the original designer behind this version, horror artist Carlos Huante, also consulted on the Goosebumps movie, and their werewolf was nearly as awesome:

5410a2bf1a2845a6716139ba2658927d.gif
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Carlos Huante is a distinguished creature designer who's been around a good long time. He does cool work.

Those designs are good, but to be honest I like them as far as they resemble buff dudes. It's the Silent Hill effect, like with Pyramid Head and the Nurses: they have enough appealing parts to where you're like "OK, that monster is a little bit sexy."

Werewolves are still goofy overall.
 
Fancy Clown

Fancy Clown

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,422
American Werewolf in London's hell hound design is terrifying and is sufficiently wolf-like without just having a wolf head stuck on a human body. I like that even though it's on all fours the back legs look like human legs too, so it's not too wolfy. It feels like a true monster.

After that the OG wolfman design: it's just a classic, elegant design
 
nDesh

nDesh

The Three Eyed Raven
Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,126
The one from the Del Toro-Hopkins movie was a genuinely terrifying force of nature.
 
EYEL1NER

EYEL1NER

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,810
I read in the OP where it said 'practical effects only" but I'm in agreement with the Van Helsing people. I will admit, I was blazed out of my mind at the theater the first time I saw it and it may have colored my opinions of the movie. I loved the film though. The werewolf design was great, even if the cgi was obvious mid-00's looking cgi that looked kind of 'seperate' from whatever else was on screen. The transformations are what did it for me though, that scene where he crawls up the wall and starts shedding/ripping his flesh off revealing the fur and muscles underneath.

The first Underworld came out around the new too and I remember loving the movie but being really disappointed in the sub-nosed, regular-faced werewolf design. If Underworld had had werewolves that looked like the onsnin Van Helsing??? Wooo boy, wouldn't that have ever been amazing...
 
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