Game of Werewolves - Die Jagd beginnt

First of all, I'd like to say that I appreciate someone trying to return some manner of bestial ferocity to mythological creatures. For those of us tired of melodramatic art movements, like Gothic Romanticism, it's a breath of fresh air to see a monster who, for once, isn't sexy and erotic.

On the other hand, this is still an ode to Gothic horror -- it just has all the soap opera parts ripped out and replaced with black humor. So, if you're expecting a radically different approach, then I think you'll be a bit disappointed.

The plot is straight out of a Lovecraft or Poe tale, and, indeed, it name-drops both authors halfway through the story. The setup is pretty standard for Gothic horror: a small, rural village; a cursed bloodline; a horrible secret; and, of course, a large mansion. Still, the tropes are used well, making for an engaging and frequently funny story. The humor is very black -- think more like Re-Animator than Evil Dead. Unlike An American Werewolf in London, the comedy part dominates the movie, with little time actually given to gore, horror, or special effects. Of course, this is understandable, given the small budget, but it would have been nice to see more horror, at least.

Newly released horror movies like "Game of Werewolves" boost up my confidence, hope and enthusiasm that the genre isn't – contrary to popular belief – dead and buried just yet! Even allegedly exhausted and old-fashioned themes, like for example werewolves, can still result in refreshingly original and terrific films; it all just depends on dedicated cast and crew members that demonstrate an obvious respect and worship towards the genre. Heck, "Game of Werewolves" even proves that it's very well possible to make a horror effort that is scary and gross but simultaneously funny and light-headed. Writer/director Juan Martínez Moreno, together with his excellent ensemble cast and crew, clearly has the right attitude towards the horror genre and obviously knows his classics. When he was present at the Brussels Festival of Fantastic Films to introduce the movie to the audience, he stated that he was fed up – like all the rest of us or at least me – with the nowadays portrayal of werewolves and intended to make them iconic monsters again. "Game of Werewolves" is first and foremost an ode to the legendary classic Universal horror movies, in terms of storytelling and atmosphere, and the immortal lycanthrope hits of the 1980's in terms of special effect and transformation make-up ("American Werewolf in London" and "The Howling" of course). I'm usually very skeptic when directors claim they want to revive traditional horror values, but Moreno is one of the first directors who actually deliver their promise! Straight from the moodily narrated opening sequences, you just know the film will be a genuine treat! The narration, guided by neat drawings, tells us about a malignant Duchess who lived in a small Galician town around the year 1900. She desperately wanted to have a child, but her husband couldn't give it to her, so she kidnapped and male-raped a handsome gypsy male that traveled through the region. After she was impregnated, the Duchess ordered the villagers to slaughter the father as well as his entire gypsy community to eliminate any link with the boy's father. Just before dying, one of the gypsy women cursed the Duchess and foretold that her son would turn into a werewolf at the age of 10 and he would terrorize the village for all eternity. The only way for the curse to break would be the sacrifice of a direct descendant of the Duchess. More than a century later, Tomas – a debuting author with a severe case of writer's block – retires to the area to work about a new novel. Little does he know that his great-aunt was the evil Duchess and that he will serve as werewolf bait to lift up the curse. This short description actually just illustrates a very brief part of the film. The story is much more convoluted and elaborated, but it's too much of a joy to discover yourself. Just know that the screenplay is very well-structured, coherent and waterproof. All the main characters are extremely likable, which is also a rare quality to encounter in horror movies, and there's a masterful interchange of sequences that are downright hilarious (the finger!) and sequences that are good old-fashioned scary and tense (the unfolding of the subsequent curse). The finale is grotesque and outrageous without becoming ridiculous and the unpretentiousness of it all is a great added value. The filming locations and scenery are perfect and hallelujah for the special effects. Damn all them films like "Twilight", "Underworld" and whatever else to hell… "Game of Werewolves" is the real stuff!

I guess the normal title wasn't fancy enough, so they decided to spice it up for the international market. Unfortunately the movie didn't make enough money in Spain (as the director told the audience in attendance at the Festival I watched the movie). So a Sequel/Prequel is not very likely. Still if you like horror comedies, you will enjoy this one too, for exactly those things.

It's not a movie with a lot of weight or a lot to say, it's just entertaining and a nice way to pass the time. The characters are good and the story moves along quite nicely too. Some jokes might have more meaning in Spanish, but you will get quite a lot with the subtitles too. I'm sure this director has a few other funny things up his sleeve for the future.

I saw this film as part of the Imagine film festival (SF/fantasy/horror) Amsterdam 2012. All classical ingredients for a horror movie were included: old buildings, isolated village, an ancient curse, main character related to cursed family, no outside help to be expected, and so on. Nevertheless, entertaining throughout, due to a perfect mix of humor and tension. This combination works out perfectly to fill up a feature film length (97 min).

Music was classical/symphonic with low bass strings on one hand, and non-classical parts on the other hand. Nice contrast working out very well at appropriate places.

Surprising twists throughout. In short: expect the unexpected at all times. Even when you think you can predict what follows, something else happens. This film ranked 10th for the audience award, with an average score of 8.08/10.

Now this is a horror comedy you should definitely sink your teeth into.No pun intended.Lobos de Arga is an example where horror and comedy are nicely balanced and is filled with surprises and twists.It also doesn't shy away from showing blood and gore.The werewolves portrayed don't mess about.There is a genuine threat coming from the werewolves which is good since visually they might not be the most convincing or scary.Through their fierceness and actions however it becomes clear these are proper monsters (in your face Twilight).Lobos de Arga is a fast paced film but has a good build up where it sets up the mood and ambiance first before the craziness takes the upper hand.How crazy?Well,so much is happening,I would not know where to begin.Take my word for it you will root for the characters and at the same time laugh at them because of some of the events they have to go through.The main characters are extremely likable including the Jack Russel named Vito.What are you waiting for go see this at once.A must watch!