“Howl;” Werewolves on a Train!
Werewolves on a train? – –Well, why not…it worked for snakes on a plane, and monsters and other nasties can be even more horrifying if their victims are somehow in a confined space with less chance to run or escape…
So take a British night train out of London, have it break down in a deep, dark forest infested by werewolves, and you’re set for some claustrophobic gory fun. Being British, however, this will be a proper train, complete with a tea cart girl dispensing tea and chicken sandwiches. There is a guard on duty, working a second shift but well-attired in a dress jacket, asking passengers for tickets…
Things start to go awry when the train hits a deer which clogs under the wheels, necessitating a stop where the investigating engineer becomes victim #1. Werewolves gradually approach and then infiltrate the train, which passengers progressively barricade. As the barricades are breached, the characters of passengers are revealed, and hand-to-hand combat becomes necessary with the werewolves, which to me rather resemble Yeti with upgraded dentition…these are humanoid werewolves, with not nearly enough hair and snout. I like a werewolf with a good muzzle, so I fault the creature design…
As the Nazis discovered, you can only push Brits so far, and in one memorable scene, a well-attired book-reading gentleman goes absolutely medieval on a werewolf’s head with a fire axe! Howl is recommended for moments of black humor such as this, and you can catch this 2015 film on Netflix or Utube…
It‘s the last train to oblivion! 🙀
Tags: Howl, werewolves
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FOXSYLVANIA 
August 21, 2023 at 12:38 am
I went to see “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” today. Based on a chapter from Bram Stoker’s pioneering novel DRACULA, the prosthetic creature effects used for Javier Botet (the one playing the expatriate Transylvanian) were to die for!*
But, even more promising were the trailers for “A Haunting In Venice.” Due out this October (appropriately enough), it is supposed to be based on Agatha Christie’s 1969 Hercule Poirot novel HALLOWE’EN PARTY. But, based on the previews, I’d say some elements of “The Last Seance” (one of her few forays into genuine occult fiction) have been included, too.
*Sorry. No pun–initially–intended. 😉
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August 21, 2023 at 1:00 pm
I’ve heard that this Dracula was closer to Bram Stoker’s original vision for the character. I dislike vampires who are overly sensual or “sparkle…”
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August 21, 2023 at 7:49 pm
I wonder what Samuel L. Jackson’s reaction would be to werewolves on a train or vampires on a ship? 😉
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August 21, 2023 at 8:44 pm
I also see what you meant by faulty creature design. That bottom middle photo looks more like the salt-sucking alien from “The Man Trap” (STAR TREK: TOS Season 1/Episode 5)!
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August 22, 2023 at 2:50 pm
I remember that episode! Didn’t it deceive McCoy, and almost kill Kirk? 🙀
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August 22, 2023 at 6:28 pm
Yep! A classic case of beautiful-but-deadly. Although, the first half was the result of telepathic hypnosis.
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August 26, 2023 at 8:09 pm
Btw: “The Proof Is Out There” just wrapped its third season (which was temporarily split in half by the writer’s strike, I think). And, again, there were some glaring inaccuracies on the part of one of the experts consulted by journalist/host Tony Harris.
One of those amateur treasure hunters who go about with metal detectors, nearly all year-round, thought he had inadvertently trespassed on a local version of Bigfoot somewhere up in Alaska. The zoological consultant, Dr. Stephanie Schuttler, dismissed the possibility of any primate, other than a Japanese macaque, being able to survive in such a sub-arctic environment. She said (and I quote): “All others live where it’s relatively tropical.”
Again, not entirely true! The Japanese snow macaque might be the farthest north-dwelling primate known to science. But, it is NOT the only primate species that can tolerate a sub-arctic environment! The golden snub-nosed monkeys of the Himalayan Mountains have certainly learned to survive harsh wintry conditions worthy of being called sub-arctic .
Thanks for letting me post another one of my glorified “op-ed” pieces, here. Have a great weekend!
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