#12 - The Wolf Man (1941)
(dir. George Waggner)
This movie raises a lot of questions. Why is it that when Bela turns into a werewolf, he is an actual wolf, but when Larry turns, he becomes half-man half-muppet? Why does a werewolf strangle his victims instead of biting or scratching them? When a woman says "no", does she really mean "yes"? How can a film be set in Europe in 1941 and not ever mention the war?
Like some of the other Universal classics, some aspects of this film have not aged well. Its biggest strength is its atmosphere and set design - everything from the gypsy caravan to Conliffe's antique shop to the foggy forest where the hunt occurs look really great. The acting is also generally very good, especially Claude Rains, and Bela Lugosi has a small but fun part. The makeup on the monster is good for what it is, but he just looks so damn goofy now that it is a bit hard to take it seriously.
If you're a fan of werewolf movies or of horror films in general, this film is required viewing for the influence it had on the genre, but in my opinion it isn't quite up there with the greats like Frankenstein or The Mummy. It's worth mentioning too that the restored blu-ray version of this movie looks absolutely incredible.
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