Product Details

• Actors: David Gant, Julian Sands, Maru Valdivielso, Gary Piquer, Luna McGill
• Directors: Paco Plaza
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: November 22, 2005
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BBOFBS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,969 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Multiple mutilated cadavers have been found in the forest. Precise surgical cuts mixed with savage gashes have the authorities perplexed and the villagers of Allariz frightened to enter the woods. An unknown traveling soap vendor Manuel Romosanta is captured and confesses to the murders using the victim's body fat to make his soap. The investigation digs deeper when he proclaims his innocence due to the curse of Licantropy -turning him into a werewolfFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR UPC: 031398179665 Manufacturer No: 17966

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Beast Within, December 20, 2005

By 

R. Rosener "Photomatic" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Werewolf Hunter - Legend of Romasanta (DVD)

A lot of people obviously don't get this film. To be fair, the way it's marketed sets you up for something totally different, a nice B-movie gore fest with scary monsters. But the most frightening thing about this movie is that it's a true account of the first documented serial killer. So the film really should have been under a different genre. It attempts (sucessfully) to portray a cold blooded killer who just happens to be a romantic at heart. You are thrust into his world of insanity and contradictions. At times he's gentle and sympathetic, and the next moment he's thrusting straws into bird's eyes. Julian Sands plays this part perfectly. At first sympathetic, and finally sadisitic, he reveals the killer over time, never quite letting on when he's going to snap. The director cuts back and forth between objective reality, and the fantastic delusions of the serial killer. Historically the film is set at a time in Europe when reason and science were struggling to replace folk lore and superstition. The director plays off that tension by leading us down the werewolf path with a truly repulsive physical transformation. But the credit for the most hideous transformation goes to Sands. Be warned. This movie does contain graphic images of violence against children. I could not believe one reviewer got all hacked off about the cruelty against animals, and overlooked violence against kids??? I'm a seasoned horror movie viewer and could barely watch some of the scenes.... However, this film is worth viewing. I'd put it in the same class as "CLose Your Eyes". These are psychological horror films which examine the most frightening monster known to man; himself.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular, September 7, 2006

By 

Patrick Hasseries (Wenatchee, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Werewolf Hunter - Legend of Romasanta (DVD)

Though not born in time for the 1980's werewolf phenomena I have always been an avid lover of the beasts. I rented Werewolf Hunter from Blockbuster one evening believing it was another werewolf B movie to suffer through for the sake of my passion. Oh how wrong I was.

Not being a traditional werewolf movie in any sense of the term, I can understand how a number of werewolf cinema buffs would not like this movie. It lacks any really memorable werewolf moments until near the end. Those who are interested in pre-modern serial killers or are more educated on the historical aspect of lycanthropy however, will be in for quite a treat.

Though I do not believe Julian Sands was the best choice for the portrayal of Romasanta, I believe he still did an excellent job and held my interest the whole way through. Some reviewers might not like his work (to say the least) however I enjoyed his roll both in this movie and in Rose Red.

The first half of the movie plays predominantly on building the scene and on explaining the nature of Romasanta's killings. I found the fact that he uses his victims' body-fat to make soap a very interesting twist to the tale. Though hardly scary in the least and lacking of any real 'action' the plotline is still very engrossing. The only downside is that it makes writing a positive review rather difficult without giving away a number of spoilers/enjoyable twists.

Where the first half of the movie shows you all the pieces the second half is what puts them all together. The movie plays heavily on the early use of lycanthropy to rationalize the existence of serial killers, albeit in a time period a century or two after it's popularity. It also includes the common element of mental illness amongst werewolf cases.

Historically Romasanta appears to have been the one with the mental illness, making up his story about being a werewolf to explain why he had done what he'd done. In the movie however, it makes his fantasy into a reality and it is not he but his partner who posesses the mental illness.

The writer of this movie obviously did quite a bit of research on historical werewolf accounts although, as most of Hollywood does, did not use it in an entirely correct manner. Despite all the flaws (only one real werewolf scene to mention) I believe this movie is still incredibly worth watching. Perhaps not worth purchasing at the price amazon is asking, but if you are a diehard werewolf fan like I am you'll want to get it anyway.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crazy movie!, January 9, 2006

By 

- Kasia S. (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Werewolf Hunter - Legend of Romasanta (DVD)

So I saw this movie right after I finished watching Mindhunters, and this was Werewolf hunter, so I got a double crazy movie treat in one day!

Set in the mid-19th century Europe,the movie is based on the true story of one of the earliest serial killers on record, perhaps one of the better movies with werewolf themes, since they have an actual historic backdrop to these brutal deaths commited. The message behind this movie is a mad man who killed women in a way that only an animal could have done it. It's not about a guy in a dog suit, this was deep.

The main reason why I saw this movie was that I fricken love werewolf movies, nothing creeps me out that a hairy beast, and that I loveded the Warlock movies with Julian Sands, and guess what; he plays the perfect bad guy AGAIN in this very movie!

Sands plays Manuel Romasanta, a charming and flirtatious man who seduces women only to leave a trail of corpses and scared animals who run away from him. He meets his own girm fate then one of his victims realises he did soemthing tho her sisters that cannot be forgiven , after she falls in love with him she starts a merciless hunt after him.

I really liked the movie, the woods, eerie darkness and violent scenes made this more of a serious movie. Usually werevolf movies are gory eye candy, that really dont need any plot, this was not the case.

THere is a bit of nudity, I was suprised to see so much naked flesh running around, but it was not over the top and it blended with the raw organic feeling of 1800s without looking cheap. I also loved the cinematography, this movie looked great on the screen, it did not look like actors in costumes, their faces, clothes, homes, and their whole world was old and forsaken, it was perfect.