Hairy 'Wolfgirl' yearns for normalcy

"The Elephant Man" is revisited with the new made-for-cable film "Wolfgirl" (8 p.m. Tuesday on USA). Although "Wolfgirl" doesn't emit Lynchian vibes, the material is familiar.
   Tara (Victoria Sanchez), 17, is a lifelong sideshow spectacle. As an unfortunate victim of a rare skin disease associated with excessive hair growth all over the body, Tara has always been an outcast amongst her peers. Fostered since infancy by sideshow ringmaster Harley Dune (Tim Curry), her social life has consisted of Athena the 600-pound woman, Buster the crab man, and Cristoph/Christine the hermaphrodite.
   Her wild performance of Wolfgirl is one of the most popular acts, but what Tara truly yearns for is popularity amongst her peers and a normal teen-age life. She has that opportunity when she meets Ryan, the awkward son of a chemical engineer who has access to an untested formula that is the anti-Rogaine - it removes hair from the body.
   Hairy role
   Newcomer Sanchez carries the hairy role competently, and with the assistance of audio-enhanced growls, she's authentically scary at times. The serum eventually Nairs her character's hair, but then it turns her into a violent beast, and Sanchez enjoyed playing the wide spectrum of emotions.
   "It was fascinating," Sanchez said in a recent interview. "I've also been interested with oddities and freaks since a very young age. Whenever I would fall on a documentary or magazine article or books about people with deformations or conditions, I was very curious to know how they lived or what they were like."
   Curry, who plays the ringmaster, said the freaky characters - his own included - also drew him to the project.
   "It was such an odd, engaging story, and (my) character is kind of enigmatic," Curry said. "You don't know where he came from or why he's running this freak show. It's a company of misfits, and he looks after them sort of gingerly. I was sort of drawn to his compassion."
   Curry's right when he explains his character Harley Dune's actions as compassionate. That alone sets Dune apart from most of the other celluloid-captured freak show ringmasters, who are usually crooked and careless.
   Rejected by society
   "For whatever reason, he's clearly drawn to these people," Curry said. "Surely these are people who have felt rejected by society, and he takes care of them and shields them from the grim realities of the world, and I liked that."
   Most of the film was shot in Romania, and the crew worked night and day. Curry called it "fascinating" and "terribly sad" because of the country's economic climate, and Sanchez had it even harder as the lead.
   "It was really interesting, but I wasn't able to go sightseeing very much," said Sanchez, who said she only got three hours of sleep per night. "We were working every day but Sunday."
   Sanchez remembers one sightseeing trip to Transylvania, where she and the rest of the cast visited castles - coincidental since Curry is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a scientist from the galaxy Transylvania, in 1975's campy classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."
  
   Other highlights on this week include:
   Sunday
   6 p.m. on ABC: The Emperor's New Groove An animated teen emperor (voice of David Spade) pays for his self-centered attitude by being turned into a llama. (What to make of Spade's "Just Shoot Me" colleague Wendie Malick also being in the voice cast?)
   7 p.m. on Showtime: What Girls Learn A difficult adjustment for two young sisters begins when their mother falls in love. This new made-for-cable family movie stars Elizabeth Perkins, Scott Bakula, Tamara Hope and Alison Pill.
   8 p.m. on CBS: Surviving Gilligan's Island Key events in the series are revisited from the point of view of three of its stars - Bob Denver (Gilligan), Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) and Russell Johnson (the Professor) - who all appear as themselves.
   8 p.m. on PBS: American Masters Tonight's episode, "F. Scott Fitzgerald: Winter Dreams," profiles the author through interviews, archival materials and excerpts from his writings. Fitzgerald (1896-1940) is credited with bringing to literature a "uniquely American voice."
   Monday
   8 p.m. on the History Channel: Modern Marvels: The House People lived in houses long before the "modern" era, of course, but without many of the comforts and conveniences that we now take for granted. This program, hosted by Ron Hazeltom, looks at modern construction methods and their benefits.
   8 p.m. on TV Land: I Love Lucy It was 50 years ago today that "I Love Lucy" debuted on CBS, with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The rest is history, and with that first episode, TV Land begins a weeklong marathon. Check out the original "animated elements" that have been missing from the syndicated reruns.
   Tuesday
   8 p.m. on the WB: Smallville Imagine the surprise of teen Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as his superpowers start to develop. Also starring in this new series are Kristin Kreuk as girl-next-door Lana Lang and Michael Rosenbaum as local entrepreneur Lex Luthor.
   Wednesday
   7 p.m. on Starz: The Little Vampire At a time of year when vampires, or at least their movies, seem to be everywhere, here's one with a twist: A 9-year-old boy (Jonathan Lipnicki) tries to free a family of vampires from their curse. (Rated PG.)
   8 p.m. on PBS: Mark Russell Comedy Special The events of Sept. 11 put topical humor in a sort of limbo, with many performers in doubt as to what was appropriate. Russell, the singing satirist whose targets are often political leaders, is certainly one who will be sharing that dilemma.
   Thursday
   7 p.m. on the WB: Popstars 2 Last year's show created the successful musical group Eden's Crush. Now a new season is beginning, and tonight we'll see young hopefuls lined up to audition for a new group that will include both men and women.
   7 p.m. on A&E: Biography Close-Up Going behind the scenes at "Sesame Street," this program looks at how an episode of the PBS children's series is created, starting with a writers' meeting. Includes interviews with cast members and the "Muppeteers" who bring Elmo, Oscar, Big Bird and their friends to life.
   8 p.m. on PBS: Frontline Overlooked in recent weeks because of the terrorist attacks, relations between the United States and China remain highly problematic. Tonight's program focuses on the "simmering question" of Taiwan.
   Friday
   7 p.m. on Showtime: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 Sound familiar? A mysterious legend attracts the curious, who soon find themselves in big trouble. This 2000 sequel to the amazingly successful low-budget Blair Witch Project stars Jeffrey Donovan and Kim Director.
   9 p.m. on Animal Planet: Hollywood Unleashed The stars have pets, too, and judging by this new series, the animals are in charge just as often as they are in the homes of those who aren't rich and famous.
   Saturday
   6 p.m. on USA: Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula Ready for HalloweenTelevision is. This cable movie from last year stars Rudolf Martin.
   8 p.m. on HBO: The Legend of Bagger Vance A troubled World War I veteran (Matt Damon) tries to regain his golf prowess with the help of a a mysterious caddy (Will Smith). This 2000 movie, directed by Robert Redford, also stars Charlize Theron.
   10 p.m. on PBS: Austin City Limits Folk-rock veteran Richard Thompson performs, along with Eliza Gilkyson, an emerging singer-songwriter from Austin.
  
  

---

  © 2000 Corpus Christi Caller Times, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.