In compagnia dei lupi

This is one of those films that you either love or hate.

Depending on your personal taste, you will be either captivated by it or thoroughly bored. I happen to fit into the first category.

I must admit to having seen its video box for years and was completely turned off by it. I had been thinking, "Oh yuck, another 'gross out' werewolf movie."

So after discovering by accident what this movie was truly about (in the margin of a child's fairy tale book in my local Barnes and Noble!!!), I thought "I've got to see this."

And it wasn't easy to find.

But once I did, I was genuinely enthralled by the gorgeous and lovingly detailed backgrounds, the remarkable script and imagery. Think of this as "Little Red Riding Hood" goes "Eraserhead".

A thoroughly weird but wonderful little film that belongs in a secret classification all its own (along with such brilliant projects as "Head", "Eraserhead", "The Blair Witch Project" and the original "Haunting", to name a few) in which surrealistic suggestions, your brain and the power of your imagination rule the night.

In short, if you're looking for a run-of-the-mill 80s slasher flick then this movie is definitely NOT for you. If, on the other hand, you want to see a wonderful dark take on a traditional fairy tale then you will have a hard time making a better choice than this one!

One small note I wish to add: if you know about and/or raise real wolves like I do, you might find the scenes with them chasing others through the forest and bursting through the walls more funny than frightening. I say this because you know perfectly well how shy and gentle real wolves are, how completely opposite they are from European tradition as flesh and blood devils. But even so, you will enjoy watching those scenes anyway simply because its still fun to watch the cinematography of those gorgeous, fluffy little wolves running about all over the place with those huge smiles on their faces (they're obviously in a great mood and don't look the least bit vicious--I don't think I ever saw one of them actually snarl anywhere, just howl and smile).

Oh, and the "He Wolf" who ends up beating our red-hooded heroine home gives a genuinely stunning (but brief) performance. He's both disturbing and amusing to watch. He snarls. He writhes. He tempts and glares in the most sinister of ways, and he even sticks his tounge out to lick himself all over his own face doggy-style in ways that even Gene Simmons would envy----here's hoping the actor went on to receive acclaim in his career!

The company of Wolves. why is it so underrated? A simple low budget sweet tale that everybody knows cleverly put together into this horror masterpiece with a few more short stories added. Special Effects are great. I love the first story the most where they cut the Werewolves head off and it turns back human. I'm probably going to upset a few people now when I rate the special effects more than In An American Werewolf In London. But the best bit if all is all the god damn German Shepherds jumping through the window at the end. Believable as Wolves Not - but still such a delicious, entertaining, humorous and gory. The Company Of Wolves is OK in my book.

Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) is a teenager, living in a country house in England with her family in the present days, and having a nightmare with wolves and werewolves in the Middle Ages. In her dream, her boring sister is dead, she lives with her father (David Warner) and her mother (Tusse Silberg), but she spends lots of time with her lovely grandmother (Angela Lansbury). Granny tells her many stories of werewolf and gives her the following advice: "- Never stray from the path in the woods, never eat a windfall apple, and never trust a man whose eyebrows meet." One day, Rosaleen, while going to visit her grandmother, meets a handsome man and bets who would arrive first at her granny's house. Soon she finds who he is.

"In the Company of Wolves" is the second and one of the most fascinating films by Neil Jordan. Based on the fairy tale of the Little Red Riding Hood, it is indeed an adult stylized version of the tale in a dreamlike atmosphere with open end. But further than that, it is also a spectacular approach of the beginning of the puberty, losing of the innocence through wild and erotic dreams, when the character of Sarah Patterson is becoming a young woman. Neil Jordan makes an excellent horror movie, which can have the most different interpretations, depending on the experience of the viewer. He uses many symbols, such as the lipstick, or the first date of Rosaleen. The gorgeous and promising actress Sarah Patterson has never become a star. With her interpretation in this cult-movie, any fan would believe she would have a great career ahead, what has never come true. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Companhia dos Lobos" ("The Company of the Wolves")

Note: On 23 March 2024, I saw this film again.

Thirteen-year-old teenager Rosaleen : Sarah Petterson lives with her parents : David Warner , Tusse Silberg, on the outskirts of a forbidding forest . Meanwhile , the beautiful girl listens her grandmother : Angela Lansbury telling fairy tales and the latter fills the heroine's head with grim stories of wolves until a sticky final . As Rosaleen dreams of a medieval fantasy environment inhabited by men who turn into wolves. As the bizarre world in which the charming teen lives is full of polecats, owls , toads , snakes , hopping , prowling and slithering round the crooked houses of the woods .

A horror fairy tale , being consistently paced , freely based on Charles's Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood and crossing it with Legend of the Werewolf . Weird terror movie that's heavy on dreamy visuals , gorgeous production design by Anthon Furst , colorful cinematography by Bryan Loftus , primitive but acceptable special effects with gruesomely vivid werewolves and Freudian symbolism . Main cast and support cast are frankly excellent , giving powerful interpretations . Starring attractive Sarah Patterson as the girl who's on the verge of womanhood and discovers rare worlds , in spite of her early age she gives an enticing acting , as well as high quality performance from veteran Angela Lansbury as the sympathetic granny , along with brief interpretations from David Warner, Georgia Slowe, Graham Cowden , Brian Glover , Terence Stamp and Stephen Rea who is Jordan's regular .

It displays a sensitive and atmospheric musical score by George Fenton, adding a medieval backgrounding sounds . The motion picture was original and compellingly written -along with Angela Carter- and directed by Neil Jordan . This great filmmaker has made splendid movies, such as : Mona Lisa , High Spirits , We're no Angels , The Crying Game , The Miracle , Interview with the Vampire, in Dreams, Michael Collins , The Butcher Boy , The Good Thief , The Brave One , Byzantium , among others . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching . Essential and indispensable seeing.

Overall this film is pretty good; I wouldn't say it rivals "American Werewolf in London", or even "Dog Soldiers", but it's a fun fantasy horror flick. Though the film is only an hour and a half long, it does tend to drag in a few places, but overall it's worth your time. Great practical effects, atmospheric production design, and inventive storytelling make this film enjoyable, particularly for fans for gothic fantasy and horror.