Quote:
Originally Posted by blackjack60
Point taken, but one can also point out that it was only in the 20th century that werewolves became wolf-like monsters. During several hundred years of preceding folklore a werewolf either changed into an actual wolf or a wolf with just one or two human characteristics (lack of a tail, etc.). The concept has now drifted very far from that, with a few great results (the AWIL look) and many cliched bad ones. I think the original poster is on to something in asking to see werewolves that actually look like a blending of human and wolf--this would require filmmakers to actually study anatomy, instead of exaggerating the features of previous film werewolves.
A werewolf might be a fictional creature, but it still has to be somewhat wolflike, or else it's not a werewolf. The "spindly spider fingers," catlike claws, wrinkly skin, mindless antisociality, and overlong ears have nothing to do with wolves or humans. They can be fun but by now they've been overused. It would be interesting to see a werewolf that actually resembled a blend between a human and a real wolf. At this point it would be far more original too. I wouldn't want monster werewolves to go away, but the genre could use some variety. But I don't think it'll get any soon--expensive special effects and limited budgets (with even more limited imaginations) remain the curse of this subgenre.
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You seem to have misunderstood. My point was not that werewolves are fictional and therefore have no need to cleave to reality. My point was that werewolves in their myths are not intended to be faithful representations of wolves, but rather are intended as terrifying monsters. The wolf does not represent a wolf, the wolf represents our fear of being hunted and a reflection of our own savage natures at our worst. In this way, the werewolf as a concept holds no obligations to the enlightened view of the literal animal after which it is crafted, but rather to these darker aspects of ourselves which have been with the werewolf myth arguably since its inception. In this way I believe exaggerating the monstrous features of the werewolf is perfectly true to the concept of werewolves as a whole. The wolf aspect of the creature is a symbol, and twisting it to be even more monstrous is an interpretation of that symbol that I think is quite effective even if it's not always my ideal fapping material.
That's not to say there's no room for more creative takes on the werewolf, but what the OP is asking for isn't even particularly rare. Off of the top of my head, The Vampire Diaries, Twilight and Bitten all have more anatomically correct wolf form werewolves that travel in packs. It's not only not uncommon, it's trendy, and I'll admit it's a trend I don't really care for.