hellraiser7 The Horror and Fantasy genres are always a very beautiful and interesting combination because both are sometimes the same as their most of the time about putting ordinary people in extrodinary circumstances beyond their own control and understanding, they also remind us there truly is more to our world than meets the eye.This film is one of my favorate fantasy films but also one of my favorate films of all time. I always loved grimms fairy tales ever since I was five, though they were also one of the scariest as the stories had some monsters and demons as well as dark underlying context within the stories which gave me chills. But despite those things they did teach me some of the most important lessons in life, which is exactly what this film did for me. This is also one of those films with so much subtext that it would take more than one watch to uncover more.The production value of this film is fantastic it is a feast for the eyes, all the effects are practicaly there's no CGI bullcrap. From the transformation sequences of the Wolves which are jaw droping and a sight to behold. It's almost similar to what I'd see in the Cronenburg films as the transformations are focused on the body and are done in different fashions. However I really love the world that is constructed around them which looks a bit similar to the level design in video games "Ghouls and Ghosts" and "Dark Souls"; the world is both dark, fascinating, and dangerous which is true to Brothers Grimm fashion. The place has a very surreal sensibility it really feels like were in the dreams and mind of someone (which is obvious from the beginning), I like how it seems like it's one step in reality but one step away. From some plant life like oversized oddly shaped mushrooms, gigantic trees, well as the giant sized toys, down to the use of the darkness trying to envelope the land.Music is also great, which really fits the nature of this film. It has a really spooky and errie sensabilty which I'll admit sent me chills, especially that score at the end.But of course what really makes this film is the story and it's format. The format of the film was really unique for it's time as it's a story within a story, from the fact at the beginning we see everything taking place in the dreams of Roselyn's mind, down to the characters in her imagination telling tales of their own; man wrap your head around that one. I personally think this is cool because it not just makes the film an anthology by it's nature but sorta gets at the power of storytelling how a story can truly have a life of it's own.Cast is really soild from Angela Lansberry (yeah I saw an episode or two of "Murder She Wrote") whom fits the old granny archetype well but I really love how she narrates the stories she tells, it really has that comforting feel of when our grandparents or parents ever told us stories. But also sort of adds to the darkness of the stories as we hear the confort of her tone go off in places which really sent a icy chill. David Warner one of my favorate actors does well with what he has despite a small role, one moment that stands out was when he takes back a severed hand of a wolf only to discover it was a human hand; the fear on his face is much like ours in that moment but also that scene was a reference to another old werewolf story.Though to me the best one is Sarah Paterson whom is just great as Roseylyn. This actress was one of the first crushes I had when I was a kid, I of course also saw her in that 1987 "Snow White" film an underrated gem in my book but that's another story, so you get how big it was. It suck that afterward this actress didn't get more, let alone become another 80's brat pack star wouldn't that be something. Oh, well anyway she just radiates beauty inside and out, her performance is great Roselyn isn't some stereotypical annoying adolescent but feels almost like a real person which in a way gives her a bit of a relatability/emphasize factor as she's energetic, curious , has budding desire which are the feelings we've felt when we were that age.It's no doubt a coming of age tale and much more as it presents it's themes in not just a honest dark light but mirror. Roselyn is an adolescent which is an interesting time for everyone as it means passage to adulthood but also the passing of childhood; this can be an exciting time for some but for others it's the most terrifying. This I feel gives this subject a human and three dimentional sensabilty because the adulthood world and the assention isn't all wonderful has a filp side of the coin, despite it's wonders it also just like the world around them has it's dangers, but also the sad thought of having to let go of our childhood.I really like the imagry which reflects these themes and sexual overtones from seeing Roselyn looking into a nest and discovering two tiny forses, sort of symbolizing the internal need primal need for procreation. Or even where a pack of wolves are running and we see them running over or away from toys on the ground and broken, that gave me chills because it showed the end of childhood as well as the dark need to corrupt or overcome our innocence.Also in a strange way the film is kinda a Cronenburg Tale, as this film does have some of the bodily effects and horror common in his films. But like in his films deals with the subject of duality. The film really deals with the subject highly, as it is about the duality of the inner beast and dark desires from within and the inner child, dreams and innocence within us. Despite how much we struggle and fight the desires within, it's just no use because there is no real way to win against it, as our inner dark desire burns brighter, the fire of innocence gets reduced to a mere spark. And even if we sudue the interal beast we defy our own nature. Let alone the beast inside us doesn't want and can't be tamed, it's not ment to; as Dr. Malcolm once put it, "Life finds a way, it will do it violently if it has to but it always does."There is a scene that perfectly reflect this as we see an interesting interplay between both Roselyn and The Woodsman/Wolf. On one hand she is somewhat scared but also can't help but exercise her desire which is a hot as the blazing fire in the fireplace. And we also hear the famous lines from the "Red Riding Hood" tale which make perfect sense as she is expressing attraction and desire but a little fear as these are still new feelings for her. Much like any of us at her age, like myself when I started to see girls differently.There's no where to run or hide from the wolves, because the wolf is within the darkest corridors of our soul.Rating: 4 stars

tombstoneangel Personally trapped with this disturbing story about werewolves, this film production Jordan conveys such beauty that left me in love ; the story conveys so much feeling , so tenderly , that one comes to love her with all my heart , there is room for the development of terrifying subplots, dark and dramatic stories, the film has a romantic air , its atmosphere is fairytale , with delicious characters and a relentless narrative.The effects of makeup and special effects are great, masterful performances of the entire cast , the cinematography is beautiful and penetrating ; the content of the movie you see: evil , kindness , betrayal, compassion, family issues , and the curse of the werewolves .Sarah Patterson is beautiful and wonderful , plays Rosaleen , a smart girl , sweet , tender , she is the soul of the film; This film is a mature and very fascinating terror, is a masterpiece of cinema , love it so much that often causes , please pay attention to all quotes from the movie because everything is very deep and special.The Company Of Wolves is one of my favorite movies.

Bonehead-XL Neil Jordan could never be considered your typical horror filmmaker. He's most well known for his thrillers, frequently set among the beautifully photographed Irish countryside. The director has, on occasion, dabbled in the genre: The supernatural farce "High Spirits," the romantic "Interview with a Vampire," the Freudian psycho-horror of "The Butcher Boy," the botched mainstream thriller "In Dreams," most recently the immensely satisfying undead character study "Byzantium." Near the beginning of his career, however, he created one of the oddest werewolf movies ever made, as far as you could get from a typical horror film, the gorgeous, allegorical "The Company of Wolves." Adapted from Angela Carter's book of feminist fairy tale reimagings, the film's stories are told through several framing devices. In the modern day, a young girl has locked herself away from her family in her room, suffering from cramps presumably brought on by her first menstruation. She dreams of living in a vaguely medieval village. In the dream, her wise grandmother tells her stories of men becoming wolves. One tale involves a disappeared husband returning to his wife in a most unexpected way, another about a boy meeting the devil. Soon, Rosaleen herself has become the story teller, telling tales of wolves at a wedding and a she-wolf, before the stories seem to invade both her dreaming life and her waking life."The Company of Wolves" is fraught with allegory. The film mostly concerns itself with a young girl coming into adulthood, with men and their sexual appetites represented as wolves. In the dream, Rosaleen's older sister has been killed by a wolf. The developing young girl is soon being courted by the neighbor's boy, who urges her to step off the path and kiss him. She doesn't seem much interested and rebukes his advances. At night, she awakens to see her parents making love, an act which seems to confuse and intrigue her. The movie directly confronts the Little Red Riding Hood story in its last act. While on the way to Grandmother's house, Rosaleen meets a charming huntsman. The two flirt openly, the girl obviously attracted to the predatory man. Carter combines the original fable's sexually voracious Big Bad Wolf with the heroic, positively masculine huntsman, not distinguishing between "good" or "bad" sexuality. Once at the house, upon realizing he's a wolf, Rosaleen cast her red hood into the fire, an act heavy with symbolic importance. The ending turns the tables, the young girl taking control over the wolf. Considering the entire movie has associated wolves with wanton sexuality, the ending blatantly implies a girl becoming a woman, embracing sex on her own terms.Though "The Company of Wolves" is never a typical horror picture, Neil Jordan and his team create some striking, horrifying images. An early moment has Rosaleen stepping through a giant version of her bedroom, her childhood toys transformed into menacing figures. The first werewolf transformation, a man tearing his flesh off to reveal the wolf underneath, is startling and graphic. A wedding party morphing into a pack of wolves is similarly unsettling, the twisted faces reflected in a broken mirror. The best moment comes near the end, the huntsman falling to the ground, contorting, his skin bulging, a wolf bursting from his human flesh. It's hard to say if gore hounds will have the patience for a movie as surreal as "The Company of Wolves" but I suspect they'd truly appreciate moments like these.Of course, Jordan's images entrance as much as they disgust. The movie's loose, dream-like tone allows the director to create surreal, unforgettable moments. The girl in the red hood scales a tree in the forest, finding a bird's nest full of eggs. She smears on lipstick before the eggs hatch, revealing weeping statues of infants. The implications of sexual awakening and motherhood are fine but the strangeness of the image is far more likely to stick with the viewer. Most memorably, a major character is decapitated, their head flying away and shattering like a porcelain doll. The final tale-within-the-tale is about a female wolf climbing out of a well, an intoxicatingly gorgeous segment that is rich with mythic meaning. Smaller moments shine, like a book full of spiders or a white rose blooming into a red one, each full of symbolic importance.The cast is filled out with experienced character actors like Angela Lansbury, who is excellent, and David Warner, as well as Jordan regular Stephen Rea. However, Sarah Patterson truly fascinates in the lead role. Her Rosalen is a lovely young girl and Patterson is all too willing to play the part's complexity. The film's interior world is too complicated for Rosaleen to be a simple heroine. Instead, Patterson plays the part with the richness the material demands. The actress has few credits after this which is truly a shame. I would have loved to seen more of her.From George Fenton's lush score, to Anton Furst's intricate production design, to Bryan Loftus' gorgeous cinematography, "The Company of Wolves" is a fascinating and dark reinvention of classic fairy tales. You could read into the movie's rich subtext or simply let the images wash over you. Either way, you're unlikely to forget it.

WakenPayne The one main reason why I wanted to see this is because I have seen it compared very regularly to a similar (but less arthousey) movie Ginger Snaps. After watching this I can see why. Both of them use lycanthropy as a metaphor for growing up. When I compare both I don't know which I prefer, mainly because both use completely different methods of getting this message across.The plot is that Rosaleen's sister dies because she went into the woods and strayed from the path. After her funeral her grandmother (Angela Lansbury) takes Rosaleen into her house for the night and tells her a story about newly-weds. The groom (Stephen Rea) leaves on their wedding night inexplicably and returns years later after the bride knows the truth, marries another and has three kids, basically telling Rosaleen that men are beasts. Then there are a few other stories told like a man getting hair growth and being taken by the forest (I know, weird) and a wedding reception where the groom gets a visit from a woman he impregnated and the impregnated woman turns all the guests into wolves. Then we have a basic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, only this time The Huntsman and The Wolf are one and the same character. Rosaleen then tells the story of a She-Wolf getting shot and injured, then transforms back into a woman in front of a priest who heals her wound and afterward hides. Rosaleen then accepts that she wants to change into a wolf and does so.Okay, if you are interested yet art-housy movies dripping with symbolism that you have to work out aren't your taste then instead try Ginger Snaps instead (yes that movie also has symbolism but it's a lot more subtle). If however you do enjoy movies like this then pick it up immediately.