Popular Culture Review Vol. 17, No. 1, Winter 2006 | Page 42

38 Popular Culture Review produced. In addition, contemporary attempts to reinterpret the werewolf mythology have been few and far between, with Stephen Sommers’ assertion that werewolves change back and forth from their human incarnation depending on the density of a night’s cloud cover one of the newer (and awkward) contributions to such lore. Underworld's origin story, positing that vampires created werewolves to keep an eye on things during daylight, at least helps establish how the Lycans and Vampires have come to despise each other. On the whole, however, the majority of werewolf films appear to hew closely to the mythological traditions established in the Universal Studios films. Indeed, one question that suggests itself asks how far from traditional werewolf mythology new productions may venture without alienating the expectations of the genre’s audience. For every Ginger Snaps that uses werewolf mythology as symbolic of the young Ginger’s coming of age both physically and mentally, there is a Cursed that falls prey to a simple lack of narrative focus. On one hand we have a Dog Soldiers that resonates with a creative spin on the genre constructs of a Howard Hawks western or John Carpenter horror/science fiction film with its focus on a group of professionals who must combat overwhelming odds to survive. On the other hand, there is an Underworld that gets caught up in its special effects usage while failing to fully utilize its antecedents from as far back as Romeo and Juliet. With these concerns in mind, it appears that werewolf cinema stands at something of a crossroads. While available technology has occasionally improved the onscreen depiction of these creatures, such films’ scripts are often found wanting. Expanding the origin story in these titles to more clearly establish the “rules of the game” for the narratives, while also mining contemporary scientific research to create fresher permutations of the werewolf legend, may help encourage a new cycle of these films that will be well-received by audiences. Central Michigan University J. Robert Craig W orks Cited Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, directed by Charles Baron, 1948. An American Werewolf in London, directed by John Landis, 1981. An American Werewolf in Paris, directed by Anthony Waller, 1997. Cry o f the Werewolf directed by Henry Levin, 1944. Cursed, directed by Wes Craven, 2004. Dog Soldiers, directed by Neil Marshall, 2002. Frankenstein Meets the WolfMan, directed by Roy William Neill, 1943. Frost, Brian J. The Essential Guide to Werewolf Literature. Madison, WI: Popular Press, 2003. Ginger Snaps, directed by John Fawcett, 2000. Glut, Donald F. Classic Movie Monsters. Metuchen, NJ & London: Scarecrow Press, 1978. House o f Dracula, directed by Erie C. Kenton, 1945.