Dog Soldiers

Is this the best werewolf film ever? Well if it's not it comes very close. A group of squaddies are sent out on manoeuvres in the wilds of Scotland and get more action than they bargained for.
Well, actually it's not Scotland it's Luxembourg. I've seen various reasons given for this but it looks to me like foot and mouth stopped filming being a possibility in Scotland last year and as a large portion of the money for this film came from Luxembourg that's where they went.
But I digress, this film is, in my opinion, the best British horror for years. It's not a horror comedy per se but as Shakespeare teaches us a tension packed script needs its lighter moments of relief. Then the tension can start building all over again!

This is a great gung ho, don't have to think too hard movie. Okay, so the plot is basically "Aliens" or "Predator" with werewolves but the execution is terrific. I particularly liked the way you never really get a good look at the beasts. Fleeting glimpses, shadows and silhouettes can be far more frightening than it being in your face. And they definitely are if the costume is crap (see Oz seasons 3 and 4).
Speaking of Buffy the Vampire Slayer there is a scene that reminds me of Oz's transformation in 'Phases' where Oz falls behind the sofa and comes back up a werewolf, although in Dog Soldiers the lycanthrope falls behind a table. This is an age old trick and I'm sure that Dog Soldiers (and BtVS) is deliberately echoing horror film conventions here. It must be, the script is packed with enough self aware horror culture references and one liners to satisfy any Buffy fan.

"If Little Red Riding Hood appears with a bazooka, chin the bitch,"
Sarge

It's not just budget restraints that lead Neil Marshall the writer/director to keep the werewolves in the shadows. He says, quite rightly, that films like the great "An American Werewolf in London" are transformation movies and that was not what he was after. I agree with this point of view. Why do all werewolf films have to be about the man who turns into the wolf? All that soul searching and not believing stuff has been done to death. This film takes the other viewpoint, that of the victims of the salivating monsters who just want to kill and eat them. A refreshing change in my opinion.

The focus of "Dog Solders" is the squad of soldiers. They are introduced and their characters set up very quickly but very well in a scene where they set up camp and banter through the night...until an eviscerated cow lands in the middle of their encampment! From then on the movie runs through a plethora (good word, eh?!) of movie references/situations.
As they flee through the woods "Predator" (great film) and "Blair Witch" (crap) spring to mind. As they are rescued by Megan in a landrover the werewolf on top of the vehicle reminds me again of Oz in "Phases." As they barricade themselves into a farmhouse a whole load of siege movies come to mind. You could almost call it a cross between " The Howling" and "The Alamo."
Unfortunately for the heroes this house has absolutely no silver anywhere. Now who lives in a house like this?
Trying to spot all the references is one of my favourite hobbies with BtVS. In "Dog Soldiers" it's practically impossible in one viewing. I'll have to wait for the dvd.