An American Werewolf in London

Rating:
Summary: Where Wolf?¿¿There Wolf!
Review: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is, by any account, a classic horror film. One of the most difficult achievements in cinema is to combine frightening with funny. This movie succeeds wonderfully because its protagonist, played by David Naughton, is such a likeable character. Unlike the morosely depressing Lon Chaney Jr. and other previous werewolves, David plays the type of guy who could have easily been your college roommate or the guy who works in your local bookstore. As a result, when his character takes a sinister turn, the results are even more frightening. The special effects, considered exceptional in 1981, hold up very well (and are probably superior) against today's over-digitalized efforts.

The supporting cast adds to the texture of the film, injecting humor, but always (paradoxically) for dramatic effect. Griffin Dunne is marvelous as David's former hiking body turned increasingly decomposed corpse. The writing is crisp and the direction fast-paced. Although the film may be a bit too violent for younger children, it is a lot of fun for teens and adults alike.

Rating:
Summary: David Naughton is the werewolf. Great 1950's music.
Review: Absolutly the best werewolf film ever made. It's scary and made as a comedy too. It gave me the chills in the movie theatre. Goose bumps all over my arms. David Naughton (Dr. Pepper commercials, "Makin' It" tv series and song) is perfect in the lead role. Griffin Dunne plays David's friend. Jenny Agutter (Logan's Run [1976]) plays David's nurse and soon to be his lover. Lila Kaye plays the barmaid. The special effects in this film were new at the time. No computer imaging (CGI effects) in this one because it had not been invented yet. Not for children to see. This film includes male frontal nudity, female nudity, pornographic scenes and audio, and very bloody and gory effects. You will scream and laugh too. Great 1950's and 1960's music. Filmed on location in Wales and London, England. The entire rated "R" version must be seen in its complete form. Beware of edited television prints. The VHS version runs 97 minutes.

Rating:
Summary: Medicore DVD release
Review: The movie is great (4 stars), the extra stuff not.

- documentary: ok, but not too exciting. It more advertises the movie than giving a behind the scene look. A couple of interesting facts, but that's pretty much it.
- 2 interviews: good, but short (15min + 10min). This is the best feature on the DVD. (without these interviews my rating would have been 1 star)
- 3 behind the scenes technical effects: boring, for 10 min we see how to make an armcast.
- 4 commentry: this is the worst commentry, I've ever listened to. Firstly, there is not much talking. Over long stretches, one of the actors may announce the name of an actor we haven't seen beforehand, without giving any further info. And this happens every 5 minutes. Now and than (every 15 min) there is an about 3-4 sentence long communication between both actors, but mostly it's not very interesting. 1/3 of the whole dialog both actors discuss how hot the main actress was. A complete waste of time listening to this...
- 5 extra footage: without sound, and can be given a miss.
- 6 5.1 digital surround sound: Don't expect much difference from the stereo recording.

From a 21st anniverary edition I'd really expect more. If you can find a cheaper non-special release, get that instead. You won't miss any of the bonus features.

Rating:
Summary: An American Werewolf in London: An instant classic.
Review: The first time that I saw An American Werewolf in London I was about 9 years old and scared out of my mind. Needless to say that I didn't finish seeing the whole film. I recently viewed the movie again now that I'm older and I have to say that it is one of the best werewolf movies I have ever seen. Humerous and gorey, but not to a nausiating point, this film kept me in suspense and I really thought that David Naughtan pulled of the confused American fecade brilliantly. The transformation seen was very believable and earned make-up guru Rick Baker a much deserved Oscar.

The story of two young american men out for a stroll on the moors of England during a full moon was brilliantly orchestrated by John Landis, and the plot was very smooth and not too unpredictable. Griffin Dunne makes a wonderful corpse in the movie after he comes back from the dead to warn Naughtan about his little secret. With a great mix of comedy, horror and superior special effects, An American Werewolf in London is a great way to spend your halloween. Anyone who sees this movie is sure to fall in love with lycanthropes all over again. Also, I think this calls for more sequals.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to find a great werewolf movie . . .
Review: But this is about as good as it gets. The location shots are well chosen, and the 'Americans abroad' angle is kind of funny. Jenny Agutter, from Logan's Run, plays a naughty British nurse. David Naughton is excellent in the lead. The werewolf he becomes is really stylish--the kind you might find in a medieval woodcut or a Victorian penny dreadful. What made this movie cutting-edge back in the 80's tarnishes it a bit now: there's a heavy emphasis on makeup effects, and bloody special effects. Actually, I think old-school effects look way better than the superficiality of modern digital effects, but in this film the effects just seem to be overused. Some of the car crashes and mayhem near the end seem especially gratuitous. In the slasher 80's, this probably didn't phase anybody, but it stands out now. Overall though, it's a great movie. The 'Slaughtered Lamb' pub scenes are kind of classic, the tension is interlaced with sex and humor, and the wolf looks impressively cool. As for the DVD extras, you will find it hard to escape the apparent vanity of John Landis, but there are a couple appreciable extras for the hardcore fan, especially those interested in Rick Baker's effects.

Rating:
Summary: "I Will not be threatened by a walking meat loaf!"
Review: This movie is by far the best werewolf movie i have ever seen, Screw an american werewolf in paris. Its all about this one, This werewolf movie is number one! I cant help but tremble with fear at the part were david and jack are walking in the woods then david slips jack comes over and helps david up this was the part in the movie that scared the living daylights out of me i was watching this movie by myself one night when i was alone at home and i thought it wasnt going to be scary a friend of mine said it was really scary so i bought it on dvd and watched it on Dolby Digital 5.1 surrond sound thats what made the movie so realistic. well anyways, all of a sudden a werewolf appears out of nowhere and leaps at jack, tackles jack to the ground and begins ripping jacks chest open that part of the movie will haunt you forever. That scene in the movie was so realistic that u can actually here jacks flesh ripping. Whenever i hear that it just sends chills down my back sheesh. Even thinking about it gives me chills. anywayz i wasnt scared throughout the movie because the movie was funny thats what i like about movies like these. I thought it was stupid though at the end when david gets shot and killed then they play this really lame song when they are showing the credits that was stupid. And the beggininng of the movie when they played the blue moon song i seriously thought that was a stupid song for a opening werewolf movie. The opening scene for an american werewolf in paris was much much better. And The music rocked. well anyways very good movie and i highly reccomend it.

Rating:
Summary: Even a man who's pure of Heart and says his prayes by Night
Review: ...May turn into a snarling, drooling, hungry hell-hound that boogies down to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" while tearing up yuppies in Kensington and uptight bankers in the London Underground---all when the wolvesbane blooms and the Moon is shining bright, of course. .............. Landis's "American Werewolf" is for my money the greatest werewolf movie ever made, and coincidentally marks Landis's directorial high-water mark.

"American Werewolf in London" wastes no time sharpening up its claws, slicking back its hair, and heading out for a gory good night on the town---Merry Olde London Towne, to be exact. .............

"An American Werewolf in London" has long been regarded as a comedic horror film, and it's not hard to see why. The title is campy and glib, the film itself has a cocky and sarcastic air about it, and the dialogue between the increasingly Lupine David and his ghastly revenant friend Jack is wickedly, blackly funny.

But "American Werewolf in London" is not a funny movie; it is far more of a classic evocation of the black, wild terror you feel when you find that the hungry, uncontrollable beast that stalks the night and slakes its thirst with the blood of innocents---is you. Landis, who had a fine touch for the comedic, sarcastic flair, uses funny barbs and witty dialogue to heighten the terror, the mounting horror, of David's awful, lonely plight.

Make no mistake about it, this is a terrifying movie, one of the scariest I have ever seen. Landis has created a work of sheer, diabolic genius, channeling the stuff of pure nightmare.......................

Underneath the gaudy veneer of modernism Landis has mastered all of the classic techniques of lycanthropic legend: the windswept and haunted moors, the chilly streets of London, the darkened mews and haunts of Knightsbridge, the candle-lit claustrophobia of The Slaughtered Lamb---all of the sets are deliciously atmospheric and serve to accent the film's growing sense of unease. Landis is a master with some truly stunning shots here, particularly David's dream sequences shot from the perspecting of a beast loping through a dark, foggy forest.

The acting here is also top-knotch, rounded off by some fine English character actors, including John Woodvine as a London doctor (Woodvine played the fascistic Marshal in a 1979 Doctor Who episode "The Armageddon Factor") and the late great Brian Glover, who plays a grumpy chess player and "Slaughtered Lamb" denizen. Elmer Bernstein's haunting, brooding score is also a nice touch, swelling when you need it to, circumspect when you don't.

Naturally, Rick Baker's special effects are outstanding............. The effects are so shocking, so gruesome, and so organic that the film (especially on the crisp Special Edition transfer) looks like it could have been made yesterday.

But when all is said and done, the real credit for this masterwork comes back to Landis: here is the work of a director in the prime of his career, finely balancing comedy with terror, and willing to take a chance. Those inured to its shocks from having watched the film hundreds of times may not realize what an insidious, subversive little piece of grue this is, but think about it: Landis zigged where a lesser director would have zagged, and the result is the stuff of nightmare. Where did those squealing Nazi pig-soldiers come from, anyway? I don't know, but thanks to Landis they have been regular guests in more of my nightmares than I can remember.

Dreamy, surreal, hysterical and terrifying, modern and classical at once, "An American Werewolf in London" is the greatest werewolf film of all time, and a fitting meditation on the Beast Within.

Rating:
Summary: A superior blend of horror and comedy
Review: It's been awhile since I last saw 'American Werewolf': I forgot just how good it was. It was part of that early 80's Hollywood attempt to bring the werewolf flick some new life. But as it turned out, it was the only one worth seeing. In fact, to this day, it's still the only one worth seeing (I won't even mention the Mike Nichols/Jack Nicholson collaboration, "Wolf" or the farce, "American Werewolf in Paris"). Anyway, late in the summer of 1981 came John Landis' An American Werewolf in London. In terms of storyline, there's nothing new or surprising about An American Werewolf in London. What makes this film different is its successful marriage of comedy and straight up horror (something Peter Jackson did very well with the criminally underrated "The Frighteners"). Two American friends (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne) are walking the English moors, when a werewolf attacks them. The locals come and kill the beast, but not before Naughton is bitten and Dunne is killed. Later, while Naughton is being treated for his wounds, Dunne comes back in ghost form, warning Naughton that he will turn into a werewolf. Not taking heed to his warning, Naughton tries to go about an ordinary life in London. Eventually, he turns into a werewolf and starts roaming the streets of London, killing British citizens. To this day, the transformation sequence is one of the finest FX achievements ever made (Rick Baker grabbing an Oscar for it). Yep, there's gore - and plenty of it, making An American Werewolf in London a dubious source of entertainment for the squeamish). Because almost all werewolf flicks suck, one is almost tempted to disbelief one's eyes when a good one comes along. Over the years, An American Werewolf in London has become a cult classic and developed a reputation as a superior horror comedy. It has more than earned its badge.

Rating:
Summary: Bad Moon Rising
Review: I'd read that the impetus for AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON started in the former Yugoslovia in 1969. A young John Landis was working on KELLEY'S HEROES and saw a burial at the fork in a road straight out of an old Transylvania movie.
He wrote his werewolf movie, but it went nowhere until Landis hit it big with ANIMAL HOUSE and THE BLUES BROTHERS. He then took out his werewolf script called (as the story goes) AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN PARIS, a take off on the Gene Kelly musical, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. When the French didn't cooperate with locations, the setting was changed to London.
That's what I'd read.

One of the things that makes this film so special--other than the lean writing and the (at that time) eye-popping special effects--is how it manages to be both funny and scary.
How often do you find that?
I met John Landis at a film festival recently and he's very modest about his films. He shrugs off ANIMAL HOUSE and WEREWOLF, sometimes referring to them as "my dumb little movies." I'm just Joe Schmo Fan but I hope he someday realizes how great those films are. Hollywood is STILL trying to make lightning strike again like it did with ANIMAL HOUSE and how many horror movies can you count that strike such the exquisite balance of AMERICAN WEREWOLF? (If you bring up the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD movies, then you've already lost the argument).

As far as the extras on the DVD, I was disappointed by the actors' commentary. Too many dead spaces. As much as Landis loves to talk about movies, I'm still wondering why he doesn't do commentaries for ANIMAL HOUSE and AMERICAN WEREWOLF.
He did an excellent commentary for KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE with Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Brothers.

What young American boy, especially the space cadet nerd, didn't have a crush on Jenny Agutter after LOGAN'S RUN and AMERICAN WEREWOLF?

(One last little note: the film also makes great use of London locales. Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the London Underground, etc.).

Rating:
Summary: "Little Ol' Lady Got Mutilated Late Last Night..."
Review: 2 american backpackers trek across the moors, unaware of the horror awaiting them. One of them (played by Griffin Dunne) is killed by a hideous beast. His friend is only wounded, escaping with his life. Unbeknownst to him, he's been mauled by a werewolf. In the hospital, he starts having terrible nightmares of senseless violence. He gets together with his nurse (check out the lovemaking scene, done to the tune of Moondance) and everything seems fine. That is until he begins turning into a lycanthropic monster himself in a terrific transformation sequence that shows the bone-bending, muscle-tearing agony of the change in a way never done up to that time! In his human form, he keeps running into his long-dead pal, now moldering before his eyes, with pieces falling off and everything. He's back from the grave and as funny as he is creepy! AAWIL is full of humor and scares. Lots of blood. Some nudity. Watch it as part of a triple feature with Dog Soldiers & The Howling. Highly recommended...