Wolfman Chronicles

Die-hard "wolfman" fans would probably get a kick out of narrator/director Ted Newsom's compilation of old theatrical trailers for films dealing with the subject of lycanthropy. Sci-fi writer Curt Siodmak invented Mr. Hirsute, and Lon Chaney Jr. rose to fame in the Universal Pictures horror hall of fame as Lawrence Talbot, "The Wolfman." Chaney's career, up to his final performance as the Wolfman in a 1962 television special is chronicled, as well as those of the legion of followers who took on the role, from Bela Lugosi in the abysmal The Ape Man to the late Michael Landon in the hormone-raging classic 1 Was a Teenage Werewolf. The wolfman theme continued to crop up on occasion throughout the 60s and 70s in films like Hammer's Curse of the Werewolf with Oliver Reed, and such obvious mixed-genre titles as Werewolves on Wheels. While there are tons of clips to watch here, the voiceover narration doesn't offer much insight into the wolfman phenomenon. An optional purchase. (Available from most distributors.)