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Though they don't have nearly as many big-screen appearances as zombies or vampires, werewolves are still popular characters depicted in several films. It's not always the case, but most films with the hairy supernatural species show the werewolf characters as ordinary people turning into vicious killers. However, it's not a rule that werewolf stories must be told within the horror genre. Films like Teen Wolf have used lycanthropy to tell relatable coming-of-age stories through a comedic lens.

Stories of lycanthropy align with the 1980s cultural shift when conversations around sex and puberty were seeping into pop culture. Many of the '80s werewolf films deal with supernatural characters entering a new phase of life, with the physical transformation from human to wolf being representative of this change. Many of these transformations depicted in '80s werewolf films are presented as being painful, which happens to pair well with gory imagery typically associated with horror films.

The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.

Horror in the High Desert

One of the most fruitful uses of found footage in recent memory, Horror in the High Desert is a pseudo-documentary chronicling the bizarre events that stem from the 2017 disappearance of a hiker in the Nevada wilderness.

Writer-director Dutch Marich achieves verisimilitude with smart direction and authentic performances. In classic true crime doc fashion, information is strategically unveiled to maximize impact. The methodical pacing pays off with an incredibly unnerving final 15 minutes of found footage. You’ll immediately want to follow it up with the equally effective sequel, Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva, also on Screambox.

Crabs!

Every once in a while, the first few frames of a film will capture you. It isn’t common, but certain ones – in any genre – ingratiate right out of the gate. Such is the case with Death Spa (1988); when lightning hits the ‘Starbody Health Spa’ leaving only the letters ‘Death Spa’ lit up within the first moments, I knew I was in for some fun. Anything that riffs on Motel Hell (1980)’s ‘Motel Hello’ sign can’t be all bad, you know? Death Spa is as high energy as its title implies, twice as goofy, and has more than enough plot for three films.

It was a weird time for horror; by the late ‘80s slashers couldn’t cut through a paper bag, so filmmakers sometimes turned to the supernatural for new thrills (or at least ones absent from the screen for a bit). Director Michael Fischa (My Mom's a Werewolf...

This past weekend, the world got a little less entertaining with the passing of veteran actor John Saxon, whose career spanned over an impressive seven decades. A truly singular onscreen presence, Saxon was teen idol turned character actor with a penchant for playing authority figures throughout his diverse career.

If you look at Saxon’s Hollywood résumé, John’s contributions to both the cinema and small screen entertainment are endless, with roles in timeless classics like The Plunderers, Posse from Hell, Summer Love, The Appaloosa, Death of a Gunfighter, Gunsmoke, Fantasy Island, The Big Score, Fast Company (which was directed by an up-and-coming David Cronenberg), Falcon Crest, Running Scared (1980), Beverly Hills Cop III, Dynasty, Melrose Place (playing Daphne Zuniga’s lawyer for multiple episodes), and of course, Enter the Dragon, opposite Bruce Lee.

In terms of his genre output, the variety of films that Saxon was a part of is equally impressive,...

The '80s was a great decade for werewolf movies. 1981 alone gave us two stone-cold classics of the genre: Joe Dante's "The Howling" and John Landis's "An American Werewolf in London." But what of Michael Wadleigh's "Wolfen"? The 1981 adaptation of Whitley Strieber's novel may be less fondly remembered than its contemporaries, but it enjoys something of a cult status today, hailed by admirers for its mixture of social commentary, police procedural and straightforward horror elements. (Some would even argue that it's not really a werewolf movie at all.) Now, more than 30 years on from its theatrical debut, "Wolfen" is hitting Blu-ray for the first time -- and to mark the occasion we're posing the question: what is the best werewolf movie of the 1980s? Are you a "Company of Wolves" adherent? A "Teen Wolf" aficionado? Or do you prefer the low-budget charm of Larry Cohen's...

Mpi/Dark Sky Films is bringing the late-'80s horror flick Death Spa directed by Michael Fisha, the guy who also gave us My Mom's a Werewolf, to Blu-ray and DVD on May 27th. Featuring Ken Foree, Death Spa is set against the backdrop of a health club in which an evil spirit is killing off the fit, hot bodies working up a sweat. Special features include...

The post Mpi, Dark Sky Pulls Death Spa Out of the Vault for Blu-ray Release appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

George Romero is getting into the Crypt Keeper game. The zombie king is has produced a series of thirty minute horror films and filmed the wrap-arounds to comprise George A. Romero Presents Deadtime Stories Vol. 1 (out of a two-volume set). All three shorts on the first DVD are written by Jeff Monahan (Lone Star). Monahan directs one segment, with Michael Fischa (My Mom's a Werewolf, Delta Heat) and Matt Walsh (Prey) each get a segment of their own. Intrigued? I sure am. Check out a couple killer clips from two of the first three segments. George A. Romero Presents Deadtime Stories Vol. 1 hits DVD and digital download on July 12th.