BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

montferrato It is a decent movie, based on a still popular and true story, very well known in northern Spain nowadays. Manuel Blanco Romasanta actually existed. Romasanta was a short man, somehow effeminate, able to get on well with women due to his harmless appearance. He was not a Casanova, but the guy that women would go with to a dark place without suspicion because he looked not dangerous. He had a feline cunning, and was able to deceive many women into travel with him. His method was always the same: Romasanta always approached widows, abandoned wives and young girls looking for a change and betterment in life. He offered women from the most depressed mountain villages of Galicia a better life in the big cities of the north, where they could find better jobs and good suitors for marriage. Then, while traveling with him in the mountains, he assaulted and murdered the women with a surprisingly strong frenzy and brutality. He also skinned the women and took their fat in order to make soap that he sold in some villages of the Spanish/Portuguese border, and made an assorted collection of jewels, rings, pendants, etc, stolen from their victims. He was convicted by 15-17 murders, but the final death toll could have been higher, as he roamed free for years killing at will and with impunity. When he was caught by the police, he told the judges and court that he was the victim of a curse, and that he couldn't help transform himself into a wolf and kill. Nobody believed him and he was sentenced to death. However, a certain French "Professor" called Monsieur Philipps(nowadays would be considered a total quack and nut-job) sent a letter to the Queen of Spain explaining that Lycanthropy was a mind disease, and the Queen commuted Romasanta's death sentence for a life sentence without possibility of parole. Galicia is a small region of northern Spain, located in the northwest, and bordering with Portugal in the South. It is a very interesting area, the "Spanish Transylvania" if you want. There is a very rich folklore, and Lycanthropy has been diagnosed to several people in the area by doctors, as some people believe they are wolves or behave in a canine or lupine way. The movie is OK, but missed a lot of potential. If this story were filmed with a big budget, better screenplay and were given a different approach, we could be talking now of a masterpiece, as all the ingredients are there: only true story of lycanthropy recorded in an European legal system, mysterious land with dark forests and primitive medieval cities, etc. It all has a taste of authenticity. All in all, pretty decent movie, but not a masterpiece. Pity, because it could have been. Lots of missed potential in this movie.

HEFILM Hard to see that this director would one day make the exceptional REC and it's pretty good sequels. But perhaps there are some sparks of seriousness here.This is a big improvement over the previously Brian Yuzna produced Spainish made dog related film I saw (the god awful Rotweiler), this is still little more than a above average production value TV movie. The film has no real focus and it's mostly about characters rather than action or horror so this is a big problem. There is no devotion to making it actually scary and though the actors might be up to the challenge they aren't given much to do. Perhaps should be mentioned that several real birds and wolves seem to have been killed to make this film as well, an always questionable thing to do. Or maybe this is just really well done makeup work in which case extra credit is due.There is a transformation scene that is kinda interesting, though it focuses on a wolf turning into a man rather than the other way around,which it turns out is relevant to the theme of the film. But this is really more of a serial killer movie and there is no attempt to get inside the killer/werewolf's head or to delve into what he does and his twisted reasons. The killer is made obvious from the start so there is no mystery element to keep you guessing and with no depth then you're left with a long dry haul through decent period atmosphere and photography. You either need scares or drama or in the best case both, this offers neither. Oh, like Rotweiler, this features a needless scene of a fully frontal naked man running around. Is this some ongoing theme developing as a trademark for this production company? All kidding and naked men aside this somehow helped lead the director to making the REC films so might be worth a look just to see where and what he had to work with before that.

Tim Hayes Werewolf Hunter is an elegant Gothic horror film that hearkens back to the days of Hammer, but with the production capabilities of today. The film is not an action packed mixture of violence and CGI transformations like many werewolf films of today have degenerated into but an actual leisurely paced film that takes the time to develop its characters. At no time during the film is the viewer ever told that yes this is real or no it is not. It is up to the viewer to make their own decision. The film deals with the true story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, a man arrested in 1851 for the murder of more than 13 people in rural Spain. He became known as the Werewolf Of Allariz because his defense against these charges was that he could not control his animal urges since he was in fact a werewolf. Some liberties are taken with the case. One character in the film, Antonio, was never actually proved to have existed since he was never found. Also, the ending merely provides a possible explanation since the truth of the matter is unknown to anyone. Paco Plaza has crafted a truly special film that is unfortunately hampered with a dreadful direct to video title but you should get past that and give this one a shot.

slayrrr666 "Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunter" is an interesting and original take on the werewolf genre.**SPOILERS**In 1851, a series of wolf attacks is plaguing Europe, forcing Manuel Romasanta, (Julian Sands) and his family, Maria, (Maru Valdivielso) Teresa, (Luna McGill) and Barbara, (Elsa Pataky) to move to a new village. As the attacks continue, the authorities, District Attorney Luciano de la Bastida, (Gary Piquer) and Professor Phillips, (David Grant) try every effort in their power to try to end the threat, but are unable to stop them. When they determine that a man is responsible for the murders, she is convinced that the likely suspect is Romasanta. Struggling to believe the story even though she doesn't believe it, when finally confronted with the evidence of who the killer is and what their intentions are, she must fight to stay alive against the overpowering enemy.The Good News: This is one of the more interesting werewolf films around. It has a the feel of a serial killer film while in the context of a werewolf as the main villain. It takes its time getting to the point, allowing the audience to get a feel for the characters and to submerge themselves in the story. We're given the opportunity to get to know these characters, to observe their lives as the killer walks undiscovered amongst them. To make what is essentially a character study film about werewolves is pretty original and allows for a nice watch. When the film decides to abandon the thriller aspect and goes for the action set-pieces, it gets more interesting. The sequence where a victim is trapped inside a burning horse-drawn carriage traveling through the forest out of control is a hauntingly beautiful image and a fantastically suspenseful scene. Trying to see how the escape will occur is really nerve-wracking and is given an extra shot by the fact that it's on a moving obstacle. A nice bit that adds to the film. That it also includes a really ripping transformation sequence is nicely included. For a change, it's from a wolf to a man, and there's a change in how it plays out that's quite a real surprise. This helps it out from the pack that show this feature. It's all done in real life as well, and there isn't any CGI to be found in the scene. These help it rise above the traditional werewolf fare.The Bad News: There are some really big problems with this one. The biggest one is that, for a period piece, it never really gives the feeling that this was supposed to take place then. Everything looks too clean and feels too modern. It's not the best look for the movie. The other big problem is that this a more talkative film than I would have liked it to be. For only being an hour and a half, it really does manage to drag itself out in almost endless dialog and exposition that never really seemed to interest all too much. Thus, it rambles on for the first thirty minutes, before it actually sets itself down into the story and gets moving. That leads into the middle section, where the film features a lot of these conversations instead of doing anything for the sake of the plot. It's all a love story angle that's being played out with a let-down on the werewolf action. That really slows the film down and it never really recovers from that. That also plays out when it becomes about the hunting down the killer. The action doesn't come at all and is all spoken in order to be revealed, and that just makes the film a lot harder to get through than normal. What hurts the film the most, more so than the other factors, is that there isn't a werewolf at all in the film, in the traditional sense. The only one on display is shown as a wolf rather than a werewolf, and it makes it all the more confusing when there's shots of interaction between the others and the wolf is shorter than the victim. That really takes the dread and fear out of the situation really quickly when the main villain is so not terrifying. There's really no reason why it had to have been done in that manner, since it would really make the situation more frightening knowing that the killer was in this manner. It's a really annoying technique that only irritates and doesn't frightening. All in all, these factors really dampen the film from what it should be.The Final Verdict: While this isn't the greatest werewolf film ever made, it's got enough good features in it to really be worthwhile for werewolf fans. It's a pretty slow film, so it's got to be recommended for only the most patient and understanding members of the audience, as they are going to be the ones who can stand who slow the pace of this one really is.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language, Full Male and Female Nudity, scenes of children in danger and animal violence