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If you've ever seen the original Teen Wolf, you'll realize how different this show is. Back in 1985, Michael J. Fox's Scott Howard inherited being a werewolf from his dad. And then he got super-hairy and used his new-found powers to become a basketball star (what else would he do?).

In the remake, Scott McCall gets his werewolfishness the old fashioned way: from a bite out in the woods. Then he uses the werewolf powers to get the girl, play lacrosse (Lacrosse? Seriously? Who plays lacrosse?) and have a lot of angst.

Basically, MTV's Teen Wolf isn't much like the old movie. But that doesn't mean that the new series bears no resemblance to any 1980s movies. On the contrary, it's impressive how many '80s-era cinematic odes one can detect from just the trailer.

Some examples:

• When Scott and his buddy, Stiles, head off into the woods (at night?) to check out human remains, I was forcibly reminded of the entire premise underlying 1986's Stand by Me. Stiles even looks a little like River Phoenix did back then.
• As Scott gets shoved up against lockers by the random bully, I could've sworn I heard the name "McFly," just like in Back to the Future. (It was McCall, I think, but the reference still stands.)
• The way Scott asked Alison out on a date could have been from any John Hughes/Brat Pack movie ever.
• Scott and Stiles have a definite Weird Science (1985) vibe going when dorkily discussing Scott's "curse."
• The older werewolf's insistence that he and Scott are "brothers" made me think the show was about to take the route of 1987's The Lost Boys.
  

Maybe I'm making all this up. It's entirely possible. Too many years watching too many cheesy '80s movies will do that.

But it's fun.

Oh, and if you want to forget about my absurd 1980s film references and just enjoy a little more Teen Wolf, two more clips should have you covered:



Bizarre Smashing Pumpkins cover, huh?



Are you looking forward to Teen Wolf? Do you think it borrows from '80s movies or just from Twilight and such? Let us know in the comments section!

(Image and videos courtesy of MTV)