Check out the trailer for "The Wolfman" here - http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/the-wolfman.html?showVideo=1

New Poster for The Wolfman
Source: Kino Gallery
November 25, 2009

A new international poster for Universal Pictures' The Wolfman has made its way online and can be viewed below.

Directed by Joe Johnston, the February 12 release stars Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Art Malik.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=12950

Yet Another Two The Wolfman One Sheets Released
Thursday, November 26, 2009
By: MrDisgusting

To go along with the previous release, Universal Pictures International has released yet another two one sheets for Joe Johnston's The Wolfman remake arriving in theaters February 12.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18210

The Wolfman Bleeds Red This Valentine's Day
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
By: MrDisgusting

For those of you worried that Universal Pictures' The Wolfman would take the path of the less righteous aiming at a PG-13, fear not as the Benicio del Toro starrer has been beefed up with R-rating for "bloody horror, violence and gore."


Be ready: February 12, 2010.

Like the 1941 original that starred Lon Chaney Jr., new pic will be set in Victorian England. Del Toro will play a man who returns from America to his ancestral homeland, gets bitten by a werewolf and begins a hairy moonlight existence.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18330

That's great news! Horror movies should be rated R, not PG-13.

That's great news! Horror movies should be rated R, not PG-13.

For the most part I'd agree though there has been some great PG-13 horror ex. Drag Me To Hell.

For the most part I'd agree though there has been some great PG-13 horror ex. Drag Me To Hell.


Well Sam Raimi is the exception. ;)

Well Sam Raimi is the exception. ;)

Yeah, it's rare that you would come across a decent PG-13 horror flick.

Ooooooooooo The movie looks good and scary.

Emily Blunt's Take on The Wolfman Delays
Source: Perri Nemiroff, Ryan Rotten
December 10, 2009

Emily Blunt, who stars as Gwen Conliffe in Universal Pictures' redo The Wolfman, has a theory on why we had to wait so long to see the film.

"I think with a film like that, because there are special effects and it's a big movie, you can't accelerate its release date," she explained to Shock Till You Drop this afternoon, offering a culinary analogy.

"It's not fair and so I think it just needed some more time. They needed to cook a little bit more. But the film is so good, so I'm really happy that they waited and I think it's the best time for people to see it. This fall is all about the awards seasons and all of that, so I don't know if it's that kind of film. It's not. It's a werewolf movie."



The Wolfman, directed by Joe Johnston, is ultimately pouncing onto the theatrical circuit nationwide on February 12.

"It's a brilliant…more of a throwback to the old Lon Chaney films and it's classic and gothic and eerie but I don't think it competes with the slasher movies in that way because I think it's better. I did my job, they loved the movie so, I almost feel this is the best time because I feel like more people are going to see it in February anyway."


Blunt admits she's unsure why new editors were brought in to tinker with the film.

"I don't know what happens behind those scenes. I think it's important to get as many influences as possible of a film of that scale, with that much effects that need to take place."

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=13208

Producer Now Talks Wolfman Delays
Source: Total Film Magazine
December 27, 2009

When Shock Till You Drop caught up to actress Emily Blunt, we asked her about the delays plaguing Universal's The Wolfman.

Now, Total Film Magazine has producer Scott Stuber on the extra work that was done by director Joe Johnston.



Here's an excerpt from their article:

Scott Stuber explained the movie's metamorphosis.

He said: "The visual effects work was so complex that some of the stuff wasn't ready. There were so many textures we had to create, like landscapes of London and all the elements within the London sequence; they just weren't where they needed to be."



Asked about talk that the design of the werewolf had proved a digital effects nightmare, he said: "It was never our attention for this to be a CGI-fest. Our whole thing was to honour Lon Chaney Jr and the spirit of the original.

"It's an authentic, make-up-driven film, but there are transitional pieces that we needed to do in CG, so you didn't have to cut away during the change in the monster.

Integrating the make-up and the effects to make them feel like one cohesive whole was always going to be a challenge and it's something we've had to work through."



He said director Joe Johnston had done "an excellent job" but the first test screening led to a need for reshoots:

"We needed one more piece between Benicio (Del Toro) and Emily (Blunt). We added a new scene during the post-bite, pre-transformation sequence when he's starting to realise something's wrong."



They also beefed up the action in the London set-piece, which piled more work on the special effects team.

A second test screening had 'terrific results' and Stuber is optimistic:

"It's a big quality piece of entertainment. It's beautiful, rich, gothic, tragic - it's everything you hope it would be."

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=13439

Basil Gogos Paints Wolfman Poster!
Source: CHUD
January 13, 2010

My jaw is on the floor for various reasons, but mostly because I never expected to see this.

Universal commissioned artist Basil Gogos, a legend in his craft, to paint a rendition of The Wolfman as represented by actor Benicio del Toro and make-up artist Rick Baker.



From Oliver Reed from Curse of the Werewolf to Karloff as Frankenstein, Gogos' long career shaped a generation of monster lovers through his paintings, often seen on the cover of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=13651


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/WolfmanChud.jpg

Gene Simmons, David Lee Roth Provide Wolfman's Howl?!
Monday, January 18, 2010
By: MrDisgusting

BD reader 'Avery' just pointed us in the direction of a really interesting article over at Box Office where they report that Rock stars Gene Simmons - lead singer of KISS - and David Lee Roth - frontman of Van Halen - were among the many people who came in to the studio to provide animalistic sound effects for John Johnston's The Wolfman.

What sound effects? How about Benicio del Toro's howl!
Check out some excerpts below:


"Well, when we were designing his howl, we were going off in a lot of different directions," Johnston tells Box Officie.

"We tried a lot of things to see what would work and be interesting. We listened to every wolf howl ever done on every film. We listened to all of them. And you'd be surprised how unconvincing most of them are. Some were just wolves, but some were men going, 'Aoooooooo!'"



He continues, "We didn't get a lot from our research in what's been done before. We were looking for this great pure tone—we knew we were going to process it and overlay elements to it, but we wanted that great foundation.

We tried Gene Simmons and one of Gene Simmons' howls is in the movie. I don't think Gene Simmons would recognize it, but it's in there. We had David Lee Roth come in and do a few howls...


"...That was a blast. We had opera singers come in and howl, we had animal impersonators. Gene Simmons and David Lee Roth were pretty near the end of the process. By then we knew what we were looking for, we were homing in on it. And their stuff became the most useful stuff that we did.

Like I said, I don't think they would recognize it after what we've done to it because we've digitally processed it and added cool overtones and all that stuff. We were basically just looking for a wolf howl you'd never heard before. What we realized is that everybody in the audience knows what a wolfman sounds like. Even if it's from their imagination, it's all pretty much the same thing. We just wanted our howl to be the best version of that howl.

And I think we've come up with something that's definitely spine-tingling, and at the same time it's familiar enough that the audience is going to recognize it—it's what they expect, with enhancements.."



You can hear it on the big screen February 12th when THE WOLFMAN transforms into theaters.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18747

Hey, Elfman's Back on The Wolfman!
Source: MovieScore Magazine
January 20, 2010


Paul Haslinger (former member of Tangerine Dream) is out.
Danny Elfman is back in on The Wolfman.


That's the word from MovieScore Magazine who reports Universal's remake, directed by Joe Johnston, is indeed going back to the classical score Elfman created for the film.

If you recall, Universal announced last November that Haslinger was replacing Elfman for unknown reasons.


Although Elfman's score is being put back into the picture, it doesn't mean he's available to complete what he started. He's currently working on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

To help finish the music in time, Universal has called on composer Conrad Pope (who served as an orchestrator on Elfman's score for Sleepy Hollow), so the piece is still in good hands!

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=13742

Final U.S. One-Sheet for The Wolfman
Source: Universal Pictures
January 22, 2010

The first horror film of the 2010 to generate the most posters we've ever seen goes to Universal's redo of The Wolfman.

The variety of key art is welcome, no doubt. And everyone is going to have their favorite poster.

Now add this one to the mix.
Below is the studio's "final one-sheet," which bears a slight resemblance to the French poster in that it sells the film in one broad stroke.

You've got your stars. And there is the beast.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=13787

Bark at the Moon, Listen to the Howl of The Wolfman!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
By: MrDisgusting

This Friday, January 29 is a full moon. And when the moon is full, the legend of The Wolfman comes to life!

In honor of the bright sky tomorrow night, Bloody Disgusting has got a special treat for you -- how about your first listen to The Wolfman's HOWL?!


The Wolfman and his howl are on par with Freddy to his glove or Jason to his mask.

Get your first listen beyond the break. What do you guys think?


Starring Benicio del Toro, Universal Pictures' redo arrives in theaters February 12.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18874

Killer Art Report Card: The Wolfman
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
February 4, 2010

The art of the film poster isn't dead, but it is suffering from a lack of creativity.

Thomas Jane said it best in The Mist when he commented studios can easily "whip up some bad Photoshop poster in an afternoon. They do it all the time, two big heads." Which is the reason way I haven't had the urge to have anything framed that was made for a modern film in the last 20 years.

That's not to say there hasn't been art that's impressed me, it just isn't up to par with the old days. The Killer Art Report Card is a column that looks at and grades multiple one-sheets created for select titles.


This week, we look at Universal's remake of The Wolfman, a film that’s offering post aficionados a wide range of diversity. While they share some common themes - villagers, the Wolfman, its cast - I was surprised to see the use of "the full moon" take the backseat.





The Original:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf1.jpg


At first, one is hit with the abundance of blue before being drawn to that leering head of the Wolf Man himself. (See? They did floating heads back then, too.) So much for any semblance of secrecy as to what he looks like.

Still, for audiences in 1941, this is nightmarish stuff that is compounded by the silhouettes of angry villagers - recalling a key ingredient to the Frankenstein formula that was already a success by this time - and eerie trees that reach skyward.


Star power sold the picture as well, hence the larger than life cast list (beneath the crude title treatment that looks like it's selling a caveman film) leading with the respected Claude Rains.

Significant is the sex appeal - in the form of a blonde, her back arched and breasts pointed up - inserted in the bottom left-hand corner.


Not bad, but not one of the best of the Universal one-sheets.









Teaser #1:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf2.jpg


What's this movie about? Oh yeah, the Wolfman. And look, there he is!


Less is more in some instances and I still feel this is giving too much. Nevertheless, it captured my attention instantly and it's the image Universal is taking to the streets on bus stops and billboards.

One could say this is a natural evolution of the '41 poster for the original film. The Wolfman here is peering out at you at the same angle the Wolf Man is positioned in the ‘41 art; clearly here obscured by shadow, though.

The strength here is the fine detail - his coarse hairs, the subtle lines in his face - put you up close with the beast.


Grade: A-









Teaser #2


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf3.jpg


An intense scene in the trailer that doesn't make for very riveting poster art.


The previews have shown Larry Talbot's potential main squeeze, co-star Emily Blunt, hiding behind a tree, rheumy-eyed and out of breath, while the Wolfman scours the woods looking for her in the distance.

This teaser captures none of the intensity, or the Wolfman for that matter. Where is the hirsute bastard?



Blunt looks concerned, but she also appears as a Photoshop patchwork (look at that arm) terrified of the ominous trees lurking in the distance. The image isn't engaging and the absence of the titular creature makes little sense.


Grade: D









Final American One-Sheet / French One-Sheet:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf4.jpg


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf5.jpg


Standard floating heads fare.


Follow the strategically-placed eye lines of the American art: Hugo Weaving and his facial hair threaten Benicio Del Toro; Blunt is also throwing a look in Del Toro's direction, this one is of concern.

Del Toro is looking at his on-screen pop Anthony Hopkins. And Anthony Hopkins is staring at us.

So, what's up Hopkins? Got a secret to share? Because if the dude playing the Wolfman isn't looking at us, and you are, something must be going on. Hmm?



Although I hoped for something more, the floating heads treatment for this "final" one-sheet - which has to sell the audience on everything in the picture with a single image - isn't surprising. Nor is it exciting.

The Wolfman, reduced to a pint-sized pup, isn't striking a very dynamic pose either.

France nixes Weaving and the Wolfman and inserts angry villagers.


Grade for both: C+









Basil Gogos Painting:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf6.jpg


Universal reconnects with those who grew up on Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine (the "monster kids") and commissions artist Basil Gogos to give us his rendition of the Wolfman for a new generation.

The piece is moving because it's a master at work. It's obvious he's working from this image for reference, but the color palette - like so many of Gogos' works - is bold, the pose is menacing and the detail is terrific. Love the glint in the Wolfman's eye and the saliva cascading from his mouth.


Grade: A









French Teaser:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf7.jpg


This is what a teaser should be. It's handsome. Simple. It not only speaks to fans familiar with the story, with its depiction of the silver-topped cane carried by Larry Talbot, but it also throws focus on an iconic prop.


In the original, Talbot uses the cane - a wolf's head and pentagram - to kill the werewolf which bites him in the woods. It later becomes not just a reminder of that tragic night he was attacked but a symbol of his curse.

As we can see, the cane itself has been upgraded (sans pentagram) and it's a stunning piece of work, especially seen in the shaft of, presumably, moonlight coming down from the top of the poster.


Grade: A+









Thailand One-Sheet:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf8.jpg


Doesn't the Wolfman know that one should aim the camera downward for Facebook/MySpace profile portraits? Shaves the weight and it's more flattering.


All kidding aside, the approach here is refreshing. The perspective takes the point of view from a victim on the ground. The Wolfman stands overhead, surveying the area before, perhaps, returning to tearing his prey to pieces. This is the only one-sheet to date that puts Rick Baker's make-up on full display and it's complimented by the brilliant full moon.

Not keen on the color scheme of the background. Regardless, kudos for putting the monster front and center.


Grade: B









British One-Sheets:


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf9.jpg


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Werewolf10.jpg


Style "A" forfeits any presence of Del Toro for the Wolfman and the woman in his life, Blunt. The composition works. The Wolfman's pose, and the shadow play, is unique and compliments the column-like effect created by the trees and mist. Blunt's somber stance tells us things might not end all to well in this tale.


Grade: A-



Style "B" is a riff on Universal's domestic teaser. It's "colorized" and looks unprofessional and shoddy. But hey, we actually get a Wolfman creeping up on us this time.

Grade: D


http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=13972

Johnston Prepping "Director's Cut" Of The Wolfman
Source: Ryan Rotten
February 6, 2010

Shock sat down with director Joe Johnston to chat about The Wolfman (which opens next Friday, February 12th) and he says that a longer cut of the film is being prepped for the DVD release.

How much longer? An additional 17 minutes of footage will be re-instated.


He told us it's stuff that was cut out of the 3rd pass when the studio wanted him to speed up the 1st act to get to the first transformation.

Check back shortly for more from our chat with Joe Johnston.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=14007

One-on-One With The Wolfman's Joe Johnston
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
February 8, 2010


Fifteen minutes isn't enough time to talk to Joe Johnston. Especially when the topic of discussion is Universal's remake of The Wolfman, opening on February 12.

Nevertheless, when the director sits down one-on-one with Shock Till You Drop the weekend before his film's release, that's all the time we've got.





Ryan Rotten: When screenwriter Curt Siodmak was brought aboard the original 'Wolf Man', Universal already had a cast lined up and they gave him a narrow window of time to turn in a script.

This is echoed in your case where you only had a small amount of time to prep…

Joe Johnston: It's impossible to make a film like this with three weeks of prep. Had I started from ground zero, there was no way I could do it. Mark Romanek had, I didn't know what, but he had done something. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't a sinking ship I had been airlifted onto. He made a lot of good choices. I was able to change a lot more than I expected. I was able to re-cast some parts, some of the supporting actors. While I'm making a completely different film than Mark would have made, he provided some ingredients that fit into the version I wanted to make.


The other thing about it is when you get put in a situation like that, you have to say, "Okay, I've got three weeks of prep here. We're going to start shooting March 3, or whatever it is, I don't have time to sit down an analyze this script and decide what I'd like to do and start intellectualizing about it." I have to read it and trust my instincts. That was the only way to do it.


It was an interesting exercise, while I wouldn't want to do it again, I have to remember my first instinct is usually right. Because sometimes I would either have self doubt or get talked into considering something else, I usually realize what I came back to is what I wanted in the first place.







Rotten: From what you're saying, it sound an awful lot like what I hear when I talk to indie film directors and the time constraints they're put under.

Where their creativity is pushed into a fly by the seat of your pants situation.

Johnston: That's pretty much what it was. I did have great support, but when you have support like that it means that's something you don't have to worry about. I didn't have to worry about the photography, I didn't have to worry about the visual FX or the production design so I could focus on the interplay amongst these four characters and make it interesting. There's always a battle with the studio about what the movie is.


I think I was fairly successful in convincing the studio that mine was the right version or with, at least, postponing the battles until it was too late. I don't think it's the movie they thought they were going to get and they're pleasantly surprised with what it is and how it turned out. With a movie this size you can't turn to them and say, "Hey, leave me alone to make a movie and I'll show you what I have in ten months." It doesn't work that way.


It takes a lot of energy just to deal with that side of it. You've got the guys in the studio and it's like, "Okay, I'll listen to your ideas, but you have to listen to mine." It's definitely a power struggle.







Rotten: You talked earlier of a 17-minute cut that's coming to DVD. Is there a definitive Joe Johnston cut?

Johnston: Well, I have to say that I always question what a director's cut is. Because if the release print is not the director's cut then you rolled over. And what I'm calling the DVD is the extended cut because we're putting back in, in a perfect world, I would have left in.


When audiences say, "Hey, it's slow for the first 15 minutes," you have to listen to them. For better or worse, this is a movie business we're in and we're in the business of selling tickets. You want the audience to see the movie, be entertained and then go tell their friends to see it. I recognize that.


You're walking a fine line between art and commerce, and I recognize the line is there and I have to walk it like anyone else.







Rotten: This film takes the classic Universal monsters aesthetic and lets scenes breathe.

It definitely has a pace, at times, that's the antithesis of what we see in contemporary horror films.

Johnston: Visually I wanted the film to look like it belonged in 1890. That's important, I didn't want it to look like a film that was shot in 1890, but when you watch the film, you recognize you’re in a different place. And you reset the constructs in your mind.


You're not expecting Saw VI, or something. This is different. Something like that is tough for a studio to recognize. I understand why. Selfishly, it's not my money and I want to put my version of the movie on the screen.


I have to say, The Wolfman, my version, is closer to me than anyone else's. As hard as it is to fight those battles.







Rotten: The story calls for the use of the silver wolf cane, but it skirts the Wolfman mythology's connection to the pentagram.

Did you ever toy with that story-wise?

Johnston: We didn't because the pentagram was the thing that became supernatural element. A paranormal thing - the ability to see it appear on the victim's hand.


Suddenly it's no longer about being bitten and a virus running through your body and curse. It's something supernatural and we wanted to avoid…not that being bitten and turning into a wolfman isn't supernatural, it was of another realm.







Rotten: I also noticed the absence of a scene that was used in early trailers which found the Wolfman in a ballroom attacking someone.

Why did you decide to cut it out? I presume this scene had taken place during the London chase sequence.

Johnston: It was at the end of the London chase. What happened - and this has happened to me many times before - in pre-production you try to make the film affordable. There's a certain amount of money you can spend and there was a sequence in the original script where he rampages through London, very similar to what we ended up with, and it ended at this conservatory. We couldn't afford a London chase, but we afford the conservatory part. So we shot that.


After we cut the film, we recognized - everyone recognized - that, "Gee, we want this action sequence of him rampaging through London." We went back to shoot it, along with another sequence. We added about 200 more visual FX shots, which meant not only did we have to push the release date, we had to come up with more FX money.


Also, once we cut it together, the conservatory scene played at a different pace. It didn't fit anymore. You didn't want to see the Wolfman stop at this conservatory where a ball is happening and everyone thinks he's in a costume - which is what the gag was.


So, it's in the deleted scenes. [laughs] If you really want to see it, there it is.







Rotten: Do you mind talking about the back and forth about the score? Elfman is back and I thought that worked out for the best.

Johnston: It does. Danny had to score a film that was half an hour longer [than what the film is now]. And he had to score it very early. It was last summer, I think. He said, "This has happened to me before, and I know it's going to happen now. You're going to re-cut the film and my score isn't going to work." We re-cut the film, we put his score in. And what happened is he had themes he had spaced out and it worked great in his cut.


When we took out that half hour, his themes were closer together. So things get familiar and you go, "Wait, I just heard that." We previewed the film, we all recognized it didn't work. But there was a reaction from someone high up at NBC/Universal, because a new trailer had been cut with the electronic score, someone said, "Hey, let's do the whole film that way!" It was something I reacted to pretty violently. That's the wrong idea, guys. They said they were going to try it. I had been so worn down, I said, "Okay, let's try it."


They hired a guy who is a talented composer in his own right. They assigned him something that was almost impossible to do. When we put his music to the picture, even though the music was working, it was so out of context with what you were seeing. You can do anything in a trailer, put any music in and the audience doesn't see that trailer and go to the movie expecting that music.


So the studio, to their credit, after they heard the new score, recognized Danny had a better score that matched the film. We then went back in to record about 15 minutes of new material.



More coverage to come!

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/interviewsnews.php?id=14013

Missed It? Here's The Wolfman Superbowl Spot
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
February 8, 2010


Over the weekend, Universal debuted a 15-second television spot for The Wolfman. If you missed it, we have it for you in the player below.


Also over the weekend, director Joe Johnston sat down with the press to talk about the film. Shock went one-on-one with him here, however, during a press conference he had a few interesting nuggets to offer.

When asked about the film's rating, Johnston said: "It was always an R rating. At one point, the head of the studio called me and said, 'You think we could re-cut this into a PG-13?' I said, 'Yes, but nobody would want to see it.' It was always going to be an R. It deserves to be an R."


The blood 'n guts spill this Friday when the film opens!

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=14028

Interview: Rick Baker Opens Up About The Wolfman
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
February 9, 2010


Rick Baker and the Wolfman.

The pairing of the two is sweet like peanut butter and chocolate, and when we broke the scoop about his involvement back in 2007, An American Werewolf in London fans rejoiced. It's the first time, in a long time, Baker gave us a lycanthrope.


With The Wolfman, it's full-tilt Baker time with actor Benicio Del Toro in his make-up chair undergoing a hairy metamorphosis that Baker says is inspired by the original Jack Pierce make-up and features a few alterations.




Ryan Rotten: Is Cursed still a sore subject for you?

Rick Baker: [laughs] Yeah, it's still a real sore point because they started that movie and shut it down and then I packed the stuff up.

They started it up again, which is what they said they probably wouldn't do, then they re-did my stuff and didn't use a lot of it. The deal was I wasn't supposed to get a credit but they still gave me one.


Rotten: I saw your werewolf for that film and loved it.

Baker: I wished it didn't happen, but…


Rotten: But The Wolfman comes along giving you a chance to put your stamp on a classic creature.

Baker: And I did something I don't do, I pursued this. I went in and said I wanted to do it. I was glad. It was hard.

The whole production was hard for everybody. Harder than it needed to be.







Rotten: When we spoke at Comic-Con in 2008 it was undecided what was going to happen with the transformation.

Since then I understand you were brought back in for another round of shooting?

Baker: We came back and did six weeks of re-shoots. They cut the film and decided the film needed some more work, this happens. The main thing wasn't so much transformation stuff I was involved with, none of the quadruped stuff was in the film initially.

[Editor's note: The Wolfman runs on two legs and, at times, on four legs when he breaks into a full gallop.]

They decided to speed up some stuff. The transformation I would have loved to have been more involved with. They utilized some of my design sculpts and skin. Made models from that. I was intentionally left out of it which, to me, is stupid. I pour my heart and soul into it when I do a movie like this. I think they did some terrific stuff though. Steve Begg, who's the visual effects supervisor who should be here, had a really hard job.





Rotten: Have you seen the final film?

Baker: I haven't seen the final thing. They called me in for a DVD thing the other day. The movie hasn't come out yet, I haven't seen it. [laughs] I'm looking forward to seeing it though.







Rotten: I found an old quote from you, around the time you did Wolf, where you said, "I'd love to do a transformation that takes advantage of digital technology…marry rubber with CG."

I'm guessing that's something you'd still love to do.

Baker: I would. Those transformations are always fun to figure out. I think we did some cool stuff in American Werewolf but I cringe when I look at it. That was one of the first times I had a crew on board and they were a dozen guys, fans of a horror, who hadn't worked on a movie before.

The average age was 18-years-old but we managed to do something, 30 years later, that looks pretty damn good. Now the people that are available and were inspired by that film are great artistically or mechanically or great sculptors or mold makers. They're not first-timers. So we could do amazing stuff now.

I would definitely use the digital tools available, you'd be crazy not to. I'd like to mix it up. I think there could have been much more of an impact here if Benicio was in make-up in some of the transformation instead of a CG head right away.





Rotten: Talk about some of the rigors Benicio's make-up on set...

Baker: There's always a little fixing up to do, but Benny, what's great about him is he goes for it. He doesn't hold back. He doesn't care if he looks stupid, he puts trust in the fact they won't use it if it does. He tries things that others actors won't. It was so fun to watch that.

But it's hard on the make-up, too. He'd fill his mouth up with blood. Then he'd spit it out and after a while it's all over the chin and the hair is falling off. It's got slobber and blood all over it. All you can do is push it back on. I really had fun with him. He was cool to work with.

He would pull things out of movies and re-enact them. I'd call him on it all of the time. "Phantom of the Opera, you're doing the Hunchback there, Curse of the Werewolf!" [laughs] Then he'd do stuff on his own and you're like, "What the hell?!" [laughs] That's brilliant!





Rotten: I'm surprised. I would never have pictured him as a monster kid. He was downstairs earlier today talking about Aurora model kits and his favorite characters…

Baker: Oh yeah, he'd bring in magazines into the make-up trailer every day. We bonded over that. I felt like I was playing with the kid down the street, like we were playing monsters.

The whole experience of the film was a bit painful other than working with Benny and all of the actors.







Rotten: Taking another turn, I recently re-read an article about John Landis' script for An American Werewolf in London II that was scrapped in the early '90s.

Did you ever do concept pieces for that?

Baker: No, I never saw that script, actually. What was amazing about American Werewolf is there was a script which today is unusual. [laughs] He had written that when we did Schlock together.

The only difference in the script is the porno theater in Piccadilly Circus was a cartoon theater but it changed to a porno theater because it really turned into that.




Rotten: What's up next for you?

Baker: Right now there's something looming in the near future that will be really cool.




Rotten: Are you ready to revisit another creature feature so soon after this? Universal is gearing up for Creature from the Black Lagoon…

Baker: I did designs for the Creature a long time ago. I'd be interested in that. I think that'd be a good use of CG though. A guy in a suit underwater is hard. I would love to do some kind of Frankenstein project.

I would do any kind of gothic horror project. I wish they'd do more of them, it's what made me do what I do now. I heard they're going to do a Bride of Frankenstein remake which I think is sacrilege.

I would do it, though, if they asked me, just like when I heard they were going to do a King Kong remake. I said, "They're probably going to get some idiot in a gorilla suit." I was right. [laughs]




Rotten: There's always room for another go at Frankenstein.

Baker: So far, I haven't seen one I'm crazy about. What Jack Pierce did with that make-up is so brilliant, if I did the Frankenstein monster, I'd sort of do what I did here with the Wolfman.

Stay true to the concept but just tweak it a little bit. On James Whale's Frankenstein it seemed to all click, didn't it?


Rotten: I agree, that is Frankenstein to me.

Baker: Karloff, Pierce...it all worked.


Rotten: You're Creature, is it lizard-like or closer to Gill Man?

Baker: Gill Man.


Rotten: Nice!

Baker: There's a beauty in that original design. We utilized the proportion and body.


Rotten: I hope to see it someday...

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/interviewsnews.php?id=14027

This looks close to the original. I'd like to see this one.