MOTM March 2010: An American Werewolf In London

[FireStar]

While wandering the English moors on vacation, college yanks David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happen upon a quaint pub with a mysterious patronage who warn them not to leave the road when walking after dark. Irreverent of such advice as characters in horror films always are, the two decide to find a short cut....David wakes up in the hospital with a nasty bite wound to his shoulder; the freshly deceased, and rapidly decomposing, Jack arrives soon after to deliver the grim news that, unless he commits suicide, David will become a werewolf when the moon is full. David dismisses the encounter as a hallucination, but all indicators point to lycanthrope; evenings of barking and bloodletting follow closely behind. The werewolf, resembling a cross between a bear and a wolverine, appears frighteningly real, and, given the fantastic premise, the gore is most convincing (although surprisingly and refreshingly scant). The hospital dream sequences are creative, and the scenes in which the werewolf runs rampant through downtown London are particularly good. In all, An American Werewolf in London is an original, atmospheric film that manages both to scare and amuse.

This is a true classic for any werewolf fan, with one of the best live action lwerewolf transformations ever done this one is definetly worth a look or if you've already seen it, another look.

[abraxas]

One of the biggest complaints that reviewers gave about this movie was that it couldn't decide whether it was a horror movie or a comedy, I guess they just didn't get it.

Its one of the all time greatest horror movies, with the best old school transformation scene, which to this day beats any CGI transformation that has been done.

I still remember that scene of the werewolf attack and how it scared the hell out of me when I first saw it all those years ago.

[GL]

We usually do these types of threads as polls in this section, but don't worry too much about it.

I'm pretty torn on the movie itself. Much like The Howling, most of the comedy trotted out in this one just isn't funny to me (to me, being funny is throwing off sitcom-styled one-liners or the inclusion of slapstick, making references to directors of past werewolf movies or having a corpse continually show up in the oddest places aren't in the least bit funny) and overall it seems that people tend to place it high up are because they don't want to go against the grain of it's reputation, and since I'm not in the least bit concerned, I'll come out and say so. In terms of just about any form of special effect utilized in the film, The Howling has it beat hands down. The wolf is better-looking, more vicious and the transformation is better. It looks cooler and doesn't have the disadvantage of turning into something completely goofy-looking in the process, and with the behavior it exhibits there, the werewolf is much cooler overall.

On the otherhand, the kills are certainly bloody, it's not exactly a boring film (I'd trim it by about five minutes here and there, as it's not the kind of movie that should be this long, but it's still a really fast-moving film) and the opening attack is quite brutal and intense, plus the suspense of the location are really good. The rampage in the finale is fun, but I'd rather it've been longer as it kinda ends abruptly, but it's still quite good.

I'd call it a 3.

[Jen]

Mar 5, 2010 10:46:55 GMT -5 GL said:

overall it seems that people tend to place it high up are because they don't want to go against the grain of it's reputation

Not me, I place it high because I absolutely love this film, from beginning to end. Its one of the very few films to give me a couple of really good scares and make me laugh. That mix of horror comedy is really hard to get right. I still find the dream sequence creepy as hell. I also genuinely like the characters, and I think the effects are excellent. I much prefer this one to The Howling, this is my favorite werewolf film and really, one of my favorite films of all time. Of course, there is a lot of nostalgia attached to this one as well for me (one of the very few horror films that both my father and I love and could watch together).

Gets a 5 from me.

[CT]

Nice Choice Firestar.

5/5 from me. Liked just about every part although I agree with GL that the ending was a bit abrupt. And I find the somewhat subtle comedy behind the horror to be a pleasant blend. I last owned this on VHS so this will probably be a Blu Ray purchase for me soon if the price is right since I've heard the transfer isn't the greatest.

[GL]

I guess I just don't get the humor with these two films. I have specific tastes as to what I find funny, which was mentioned above, and while it's a little easier for me to do so with this one, I just don't find the jokes funny at all, if they were considered to be jokes.

[CT]

To me it has a subtle humor and a funny absurdity (but without campiness) in many scenes and those are things that made me chuckle. I wouldn't really call them jokes or gags. Humor can often be written in between the lines. And thats not to say there aren't some jokes and funny lines in there, there are. I just found the best humor in it elsewhere. The Alamo joke in the pub for instance, is a fairly lame joke. Just found it funny in the context of the scene, situation and characters present.

[HNT]

It gets a three from me. I think the humor works, it is the scares that fall pretty short. Whatever else you might have to say about it, though, it has an absolutely iconic transformation scene by which every single film that came after (CGI or standard make-up effects) is still measured almost 30 years later. That says something

[GL]

Since the beast in The Howling is better-looking, I'd say that transformation is better. The dog-beast here doesn't look in the slightest bit any good at all, and then here it really looks fake and rubbery. That was a huge turn-off for me, and then when it came time to reveal the final design, I think Howling has it over this one indefinitely.

[abraxas]

I wouldn't go that far, but a few shots fall a little short, but the part in the subway when they first show the creature was one of the coolest shots of any werewolf movie.

[FireStar]

Yeah when your looking down the escalator at it and it just kind of strolls into frame, what I love about that shot is the fact that its from so far away that you can't really see it clearly which leaves some of the mystery of what it exactly looks like for later.

[GL]

When I come to think of werewolves, I still come to picture the things from The Howling. Those to me are werewolves in the best sense, this looks more like a rabid dog or a genetically altered one in it's final design, and is more of a werewolf in name only. Appearance counts for me, and this one doesn't look good at all, so I say the transformation doesn't work.

[abraxas]

Its just a different type of Werewolf, an actual creature, rather then a man-beast, most of the best Werewolf movies have very original looks for their creatures, don't think its a matter of whats better, each work in their own way.

[HNT]

Mar 10, 2010 13:43:52 GMT -5 @abraxas said:

most of the best Werewolf movies have very original looks for their creatures, don't think its a matter of whats better, each work in their own way.

True Dat! Although I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that I far prefer The Howling to this film overall.

[Jen]

Mar 10, 2010 13:43:52 GMT -5 @abraxas said:

most of the best Werewolf movies have very original looks for their creatures, don't think its a matter of whats better, each work in their own way.

I agree, I think it depends on the film. It would be kind of boring if every werewolf movie used the exact same look for their monster.