The Company of Wolves [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray]

Director: Neil Jordan Neil Jordan

Overview

Company of Wolves is Little Red Riding Hood for the Alien generation. Sheltered 13-year-old Sarah Patterson, living on the edge of a foreboding woods, is visited by her grandmother Angela Lansbury. The old lady delights in telling Sarah the most horrific stories, usually involving what happens to little girls if they trust wolves--the actual, rather than symbolic kind. Later on, Sarah sets out through the woods to visit her grandmother. She makes the acquaintance of a seductive young huntsman (Micha Bergese), who turns out to be.....well, what big teeth he's got. The ads for Company of Wolves, showing a wolf springing from the open mouth of poor little Sarah Patterson, were warning enough for the faint of heart. Actually, the horror is secondary to the remarkable Grimms-Fairy-Tale ambience which the film successfully sustains from beginning to end. And, in keeping with the original unexpurgated versions of most fairy tales, the sexual subtext is never far from the surface. Director Neil Jordan would further develop some of the subliminal themes in Company of Wolves in his 1994 production Interview with the Vampire.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/22/2022
UPC:	0826663231663
Original Release:	1984
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Format:	Blu-ray
Sales rank:	4,025

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Angela Lansbury	Granny
David Warner	Father
Graham Crowden	Old Priest
Brian Glover	Amorous Boy's Father
Kathryn Pogson	Young Bride
Stephen Rea	Young Groom
Tusse Silberg	Mother
Micha Bergese	Huntsman
Sarah Patterson	Rosaleen
Georgia Slowe	Alice
Susan Porrett	Amorous Boy's Mother
Shane Johnstone	Amorous Boy
Dawn Archibald	Witch Woman
Richard Morant	Wealthy Groom
Danielle Dax	Wolf Girl
Vincent McClaren	Devil Boy
Ruby Buchanan	Dowager
Jimmy Gardner	Ancient
Roy Evans	Eyepatch
Edward Marksen	Lame Fiddler
Jimmy Brown	Blind Fiddler
Terence Stamp	The Devil
Gareth Milne	Actor
Graeme Crowther	Actor
Nick Hobbs	Actor
Dinny Powell	Actor
Bill Weston	Actor
Tex Fuller	Actor
George Fenton	Composer

Technical Credits

Neil Jordan

Angela Carter

Chris Brown	Producer
Rodney Holland	Special Effects
Neil Jordan	Director,Screenwriter
Peter MacDonald	Special Effects
Nik Powell	Executive Producer
Christopher Tucker	Special Effects
Alan Whibley	Special Effects
Stephen Woolley	Producer,Executive Producer
Angela Carter	Screenwriter
Susie Figgis	Casting
David John	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Though die-hard horror fans may find initial disappointment in director Neil Jordan's decidedly more fable-oriented take on the werewolf legend, those willing to give the dreamlike The Company of Wolves a chance are bound to become ensnared in its dark and foreboding charm. Forgoing the usual shocks associated with shapeshifters, Jordan instead offers a thoughtful variation of Little Red Riding Hood which explores the loss of youthful innocence and subsequent temptations of a young woman on the verge of adulthood. Cinematographer Bryan Loftus' lens offers a lush, dark forest full of shadow-lurking threats as director Jordan establishes himself as a remarkable visual stylist in his sophomore effort. Though some heavy-handed symbolism often finds the film straddling the fine line of pretentiousness, Jordan displays an assured restraint that keeps the film successfully functioning on this level, and the viewer engaged with his protagonist's emotional peril. While the special effects may betray the film's age when it comes to the demanding werewolf transformation scenes, forgiving viewers will note that the execution of the effects scenes remains effectively chilling despite the film's relatively miniscule budget. Outside of the transformation scenes, Jordan wisely utilizes special effects sparingly (a refreshing change of pace when compared to contemporary efforts) and always for a reason. The special effects in The Company of Wolves are frequently used to reinforce the mythological symbolism which drives the film, drawing the viewer into the story and relying on thick atmosphere to maintain the horror of the film's effectively unsettling tone.

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan