Now there is a huge amount of characters and history involved with JACK
RUSSELL/JACOB RUSSOFF'S life, too many to put all of them into one
movie so I'm, not going to include every damn character in the whole series.
I'm going to concentrate on his story from the night he turned into
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT on his 18th birthday and his mother died in a car
crash and quickly segue' forward to encountering his lover and helper, the sorceress TOPAZ.
THE STORY:
GREGOR RUSSOFF married Laura, the former girlfriend of his younger
brother Philip. Jacob (later Jack) was born soon after, and Laura was
pregnant with Lissa within two years of marriage; however, when lightning
struck Russoff's Transylvanian castle during a full moon, the werewolf-
Gregor escaped confinement and began attacking villagers, who tracked
down and killed Russoff with silver bullets. After Gregor's death, Laura
found Philip who had moved to LOS ANGELES, anglicizing his name to
Russell and they married after a year; Jack and Lissa remained unaware of
Philip's past.
Approximately fifteen years later, the criminal Committee learned of Gregor's
curse and blackmailed Philip, threatening to reveal his secrets. To protect
Laura's name, Philip paid them but had second thoughts and canceled
payment, causing the Committee to send a hitman to kill Laura. Critically
injured in the car crash that the hitman set-up, on Jack's 18th birthday,
Laura barely had time to tell Jack about his true father and the curse of the
werewolf, making Jack promise not to harm Philip, before dying. Having
inherited lycanthropy the night before, Jack slew the hitman, but also
partially blamed Philip in his mother's death. Laura left Castle Russoff in
Jack's name, but Philip, the trustee, sold the castle to MILES BLACKGAR, who
had it moved, stone-by-stone to his island off the CALIFORNIA coast.
Now, in my movie JACK meets journalist BUCK COWAN and they
become friends. BUCK discovers that DOCTOR MILES BLACKGAR has
the “DARKHOLD” book that JACK is looking for to rid himself of the
werewolf's curse.
MILES BLACKGAR went insane when his wife died in childbirth due to
being turned to stone by MARLENE, who manifested her powers at birth.
DR. BLACKGAR had THE RUSSOFF castle on his island off California's
coast, where he secluded his deadly daughter and worked madly to find a
genetic cure for her. He also became the possessor of the DARKHOLD,
BOOK OF SINS which BUCK COWAN, JACK'S journalist friend had
traced to MILES.
BUCK and JACK sneak into the castle to acquire the DARKHOLD so JACK
can cure his LYCANTHROPY but they're discovered by DR. BLACKGAR
and his MEDUSA-LIKE daughter, MARLENE. BLACKGAR and his
daughter end up turned to stone and JACK and BUCK acquire the
DARKHOLD.
They then take it to Catholic priest, FATHER RAMON JOQUEZ, for him
to translate, that JACK can use it to rid himself of the WEREWOLF
infliction. But in quoting the necromantic words of the DARKHOLD
FATHER JOQUEZ is possessed by the ghost of MAD MONK AELFRIC,
who summons the bullheaded minor-demon DRAGONUS to destroy WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT.
But the DEMON accidentally gores THE MAD
MONK in JOQUEZ' body releasing the MAD MONK from FATHER
JOQUEZ' body, before he dies, and sends DRAGONUS back out of earth's
dimension.
Meanwhile, police detective, LT. LOU HACKETT is investigating and hunting
for WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT because of the trail of werewolf disturbances
JACK has left behind. He suspicions JACK. In the meantime JACK meets
his next-door neighbor RAYMOND COKER who he discovers is a fellow
unfortunate also inflicted with LYCANTHROPY. After a violent encounter
in werewolf form they become friends.
All-the-while JOSHUA KANE is hunting JACK/WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT
to kill him, just for the pure sport of it, to “bag” a werewolf.
LT. HACKETT is given a ring by JOSHUA KANE that enables him to
transform into werewolf form yet still retain his human, thinking mind.
When Hackett is accidentally killed while WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT &
COKER-WOLF are fighting him, COKER is released from his
lycanthropy.
Now Hackett's partner, LT. NORTHRUP, continues to try and track down
why Hackett has disappeard.
But the main story is about TOPAZ & JACK who become romantically
entwined. The Werewolf & the Witch!
After fighting the sociopathic HANGMAN (HARLAN KRUEGER), Jack is entranced
by TOPAZ, the familiar of the Punjabi sorcerer TABOO, who
seeks the DARKHOLD.
Taboo had used the tome decades before to grant his son, ALGON, a golden
touch, but had lost the book in mid-spell, trapping Algon in a mindless
state.
TOPAZ necromantically overwhelmed JACK as his transformation into
werewolf took place and TABOO'S henchmen, BLACK TIGER-MAN, TY
DARVESH and his African WHITE LION-WOMAN mate, SHAKARI,
collected WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT and transported him by helicopter to
TABOO'S mosque in the California mountains. (I created these
CAT-PEOPLE henchmen as MAN-CAT adversaries for WEREWOLF-BY-
NIGHT.)
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT regains consciousness in the cell where his
step-father is being held too, having been also abducted by TABOO.
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT tries to attack PHILLIP but a necromantic force-
shield keeps him away from his step-dad.
After TOPAZ again calms the beast, TABOO probes his primal mind to learn
the whereabouts of the mystic book, DARKHOLD, only to discover it may
have been destroyed. Enraged, the wizard orders Topaz to kill the Werewolf,
but she refuses, angering him further.
Thrown back into his cell, the Werewolf approaches Philip, but PHILLIP
controls his fear, and the hesitant beast recalls Jack's promise to his dying
mother to never harm his step-father. Instead, the werewolf vents his rage
on the cell door, freeing them.
Furious with Topaz's disobedience, Taboo relates the tale of their past to
remind her she owes him her life. Taboo, for the first time, shows her the
mutated, distorted form of his son ALGON as WERWOLF-BY-NIGHT and
PHILLIP enter the room and a struggle begins. TOPAZ faints from the
effort to calm JACK in his beast form but not before she necromantically
and accidentally transfers PHILLIP and ALGON'S minds. Phillip lies
unconscious as ALGON, now revived, is ordered by his father to destroy
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT. Topaz regains consciousness as ALGON and
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT fight on. She asks TABOO to end the fight but
he accuses her of betrayal and slaps her. By this time it has become dawn
and JACK changes back into himself. He uses TOPAZ as a shield and tells
Taboo to rein ALGON in but TABOO orders TOPAZ to mystically overcome
JACK. Topaz realizes TABOO isn't the kind man he appeared to be and
refuses to disable JACK. TABOO relents and lets TOPAZ, JACK and
PHILLIP leave. But TABOO promises he will kill them all if ever he sees
them again.
At the RUSSELL home, Topaz mentally sedates Philip and removes the
remnants of ALGON'S mind. JACK says he's going to go back up alone and
try to stop TABOO from finishing the incantation to transfer PHILLIP'S
mind completely into ALGON and fully recuperating ALGON. Jack almost
gets to Taboo's place when the sun goes down and JACK changes to wolfen
form and crashes the car. WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT continues on towards TABOOS
place on foot, with JACK'S intent still echoing in his feral brain.
WEREWOLF-BY NIGHTS gets there just as a simulacrum of Topaz that
Taboo has conjured up exchanges ALGON & Philip's minds as ALGON
starts changing objects in the room into gold for his father. WEREWOLF-
BY-NIGHT fights Taboo's cat-people henchmen, killing them both. ALGON
swings at the werewolf and touches a giant BUDDAH statue turning it to
gold but it's wooden platform crumbles and topples over crushing TABOO. ALGON
is frozen in shock as Werewolf-by-night/Jack knocks Algon into a
blazing caldron where he's burned-up.
Back at the Russell home jack finds Philip's mind is whole and back in his
body. Phillip then tells JACK a long overdue story. Philip is the brother of
Jack's father, GREGORY RUSSOFF. He had introduced Jack's mother
LAURA to Gregory, BARON RUSSOFF, and they married while he, Philip,
changed his name to RUSSELL and moved to the states.
When Gregory had become the werewolf and was killed, LAURA came to
America and wed Philip. Philip's subsequent troubles with the COMMITTEE
stemmed not from blackmail against him, but against Laura, regarding the
Baron. When Philip didn't pay they had a hitman rig LAURA'S car to crash.
JACK & PHILIP reconcile, JACK, with LISSA and PHILIP are a happy
family once again along with TOPAZ as the love of his life.
This movie's got it all, WEREWOLVES & a WITCH, a CONJUROR & CAT-PEOPLE
a HANGMAN & a HUNTER-KILLER, a MAD-MONK & a MINOTAUR and a MEDUSA &
MONSTROUS MUTATIONS.....That's WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT!
ETHAN HAWKE looks exactly like the illustration here of JACK RUSSELL
and would be perfectly creepy to play WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT. He just
feels like JACK RUSSELL/RUSSOFF to me.
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT (JACK RUSSELL): ETHAN HAWKE
ETHAN can play the naive teenage JACK “AND” the older JACK easily.
JACK RUSSELL/JACOB RUSSOFF: ETHAN HAWKE
CAMILLA BELLE is a very pretty and exotic-looking actress who would
perfectly fit the beautiful exotic sorceress, TOPAZ.
TOPAZ: CAMILLA BELLE
PAUL epitomizes to me the reporter who tries to help JACK with his
wolfish problem and he looks like this illustration.
BUCK COWAN: PAUL ADELSTEIN
KALEY just has that LUPINE look to her to play JACK'S younger sis!
LISSA RUSSELL: KALEY CUOCO
CHISTOPHER can play the complicated step-dad, PHILLIP, very well.
PHILLIP RUSSELL: CHRISTOPHER McDONALD
ANNETTE would simply be great here as JACK'S mother.
LAURA RUSSELL: ANNETTE O'TOOLE
Orlando has the persona to play this poor every day guy cursed with
Lycanthropy, who becomes JACK'S friend.
RAYMOND COKER: ORLANDO JONES
NESTOR has a vast range, perfect for playing FATHER JOQUEZ that tries to
help JACK, and THE MAD MONK who possesses him and tries to kill
JACK/WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT.
FATHER RAMON JOQUEZ/MAD MONK AELFRIC: NESTOR CARBONELL
CARY ELWES has that creepy quality to play HACKETT with a ring that changes
him into a werewolf but with the ability to still think clearly, like a man.
LT. LOU HACKETT: CARY ELWES
BRYANT plays a slightly strange cop in the creepy “STEPHEN KING'S
'HAVEN'”, on the SYFY channel.
LT. VICTOR NORTHRUP: LUCAS BRYANT
BRUCE plays a lot of evil and crazy old men. He would perform this part
extremely well.
MILES BLACKGAR: BRUCE DAVISON
Marlene is a beautiful young redheaded woman cursed with a horrible
mutation and it would take a pretty actress to play her, I think CASSIDY
FREEMAN would own this small, creepy, intricate yet integral role.
MARLENE BLACKGAR: CASSIDY FREEMAN
STRUG was one of BLACKGAR'S failed genetic experiments, big and
powerful but extremely mentally diminished.
Brian Steele is good at playing freaks and monsters (see DOOM and a TON
of other movies...the list is simply staggering). In fact he's called the
KING OF THE MONSTERS.
STRUG: BRIAN STEELE
This guy is a big bad scary fellow perfect to play the big mean hunter,
JOSHUA KANE, “doggedly” tracking down WEREWOLF BY NIGHT...
“TO KILL HIM & BAG A WEREWOLF!”
JOSHUA KANE: BRIAN THOMPSON
VILLAINS:
ALFRED MOLINA is just about absolute perfection for the dark sorcerer
TABOO.
TABOO: ALFRED MOLINA
SENDHILL is the only one I can see playing this INDO-AMERICAN, BLACK TIGER-MAN character, that I specially created as a shapeshifting MAN-CAT adversary for JACK, TABOO'S main henchman. (What, nobody wants to see
CATS & CANINES fighting???--lol) Well, I want some CAT-PEOPLE in WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT.
TY DARVESH: SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY
GABRIELLE UNION was in FLASHFORWARD and would be the ideal
African WHITE-LION-WOMAN mate for SHENDHILL'S, TY DARVISH,
MAN-TIGER, who together both attack WEREWOLF BY NIGHT for
TABOO.
SHAKARI: GABRIELLE UNION
STEVE AUSTIN was born to play HANGMAN. lol
HANGMAN (HARLAN KRUEGER): STEVE AUSTIN
I kind of think this goes without saying for the GIANT MINOTAUR-LIKE
MINOR DEMON that THE MAD MONK/FATHER JOQUEZ conjured-up to destroy
WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT/JACK.
DRAGONUS: NATHAN JONES + CGI
Derek looks like he could play TABOO'S monstrous son with very little make-
up. lol
ALGON: DEREK MEARS