Movie review of American Werewolf in London

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Horrorphile - March 2007

An American Werewolf in London

March 15th 2007 02:14

American Werewolf alternative poster art

The first in my essential viewing series; An American Werewolf in London (1981) directed by John Landis is considered by many to be the best lycanthrope movie ever made. Only a couple others come close in the challenge (I’ll deal with those in good time), but American Werewolf's howl is long and hard.

So what are the elements that make this movie work so well? Well, in all honesty, it’s a flawed masterpiece, but sometimes it’s those rough cut diamonds that glint more fiercely in the mind than those which appear to be flawless. Another werewolf movie was released in 1981; Joe Dante’s The Howling. It too is a comedy, a black one, but it has a hairy elbow nevertheless (there was also another flick, Wolfen, but that was played as a drama).

The connection between these two cinema lupines is more than just a howl and the full moon. While John Landis was in pre-production with his special effects make up wizard Rick Baker working hard to a tight schedule, Joe Dante went into pre-production on The Howling and managed to lure Baker’s 21-year-old protégé Rob Bottin away into a key position on The Howling.

On The Howling Bottin used many of the technical procedures he’d learnt from Baker as well as pioneering some of his own. But what pissed Landis off the most was due to American Werewolf's delayed schedule The Howling was released first, even though it had begun production months after the Landis picture.

The main difference between both films (both are excellent in their own way) is that the main transformation in American Werewolf occurs in full light, while The Howling's occurs in half light and shadow. Some will argue the shadowy change is more atmospheric and scarier, but it is undeniable the American Werewolf transformation is the more astonishing.

Landis wrote the screenplay in 1969 aged 19, when it finally got the green light executives pushed to have Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi in the lead roles. Thank God Landis refused, the film would have been an entirely different kind of comedy and I’m sure wouldn’t stand the test of time nearly as well.

Jack (Griffin Dunne) and David (David Naughton) on the moors

David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are two American tourists enjoying the countryside of Yorkshire, England. However, one full moon night, after being warned by the locals at the Slaughtered Lamb pub to stay on the road, they drift off onto the moors and are savagely attacked by a werewolf. David is lacerated, but Jack is mauled to death. The werewolf is shot dead by the locals and changes back into human form.

David befriends Alex (Jenny Agutter), a pretty nurse, and promptly moves in with her, while his curious and suspicious doctor (John Woodvine) starts sniffing around like a detective. But this is not before David starts having visitations from the ghost of his dead friend Jack, looking decidedly worse for wear with every appearance (decay is such an eyesore). Jack warns David that at the next full moon he too will become a werewolf, and that to break the curse he must kill himself.

And so David battles with the inner demons until the full moon is upon him. And that hairy beast within takes control.

Despite some uneven moments in the movie’s pacing, and some of the jokes falling a trifle flat, Landis injects many moments of brilliance which shine like the fat harvest moon on a dark cold night. The opening scenes leading up to the attack are unmatched in horror in terms of character development, atmosphere, tension, suspense and shock.

Of course there’s the transformation sequence which will continue to be discussed for decades to come I’m sure. Rick Baker’s extraordinary make up technique combined with Landis’s use of juxtaposed music (a serene version of "Blue Moon") and the use of editing (at one point cutting away to a transfixed toy Mickey Mouse watching the horrific change as if to timidly say “Um … I told you so …”)

scariest use of the British Underground ever!

The movie’s pace picks up momentum as David’s beast is on the loose, with a particularly frightening sequence where the werewolf stalks a man in the underground. Landis is astute enough not to show too much of the werewolf, although in the movie’s last quarter he trips up, and over-exposes the beast (it doesn’t look scary at all, more like a dog on super-steroids). But that’s ultimately a lesser quibble.The ending is unusually moving thanks to Jenny AGutter's performance.

It has to be done. Below is a dual excerpt showcasing the film’s hairy comedic edge and exceptional horror effects (please note this clip is not of the work safe kind):

There are other highly memorable scenes including an hilarious morning after sequence where David wakes up in the wolf enclosure at the zoo, as well as a couple of sensational nightmare sequences, involving a forest and David’s family; the less said about the better. Also of note are Landis’s in-jokes and the actor bit-parts (the porno theatre playing See You Next Wednesday, The Muppet Show violence, a young Rik Mayall as a chess player in the pub, Frank Oz as a diplomat, and even Landis himself as a car crash victim).

Rick Mayall (left) has a giggle with the local publicans

Curiously in an interview made in 1982 Landis mentions how he cut a gruesome and scary scene where a trio of tramps are savaged (in the released version they are killed off-screen) because at a preview the audience were so freaked out Landis felt they missed crucial plot points that immediately followed. In hindsight Landis realized his mistake. So where’s the director’s cut then, huh?

An American Werewolf in London is an hirsute taste. Even I don’t normally gravitate to such uneven, dare I say goofy, fare, but the movie commands a certain horror je ne sais quoi. The whole movie plays with the yankee vs. pom cultures and the modern sensibilities vs. ancient superstitions superbly and to re-iterate; the nightmarish imagery and suspense and surrounding mise-en-scene is second to none.

* images on this page are courtesy of www.phatasmagoria.nl

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Comments

17 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

March 15th 2007 02:59

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

Good film
Good review
Blue moon.....

Comment by JohnDoe

March 15th 2007 03:03

Film & TV on DVD

The greatest horror/comedy ever made. Expertly blends laughs with frights and delivers a tragic story with emotion and surprising compassion.

tastly morsel that extra scene, I hope we one day get to see it.

Comment by Cibbuano

March 15th 2007 03:15

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

I'd love to track this one down...

Comment by Lilla

March 15th 2007 05:17

Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald

Bryn,

Uncharacteristically, I loved this film, only because I thought it was a comedy I suppose? I actually thought he looked good as a warewoolf ...It wasn't until towards the end that I realised is was partly horror... that didn't trouble me, as much as the sadness of the ending itself... *boo hoo*

I liked your review, it bought back some great memories ...

Lilla ...

Comment by Bryn

March 15th 2007 05:29

Horrorphile

Ahhh, my boys, my boys ....
Damo, are those hairs I see osprouting from your palm?

JD,
Yes, I'd forgotten how relevant it is as a tragedy. Jenny's distress at film's end and then Landis's juxtaposed music (once again) is truly outstanding in its emotional punch.

Cibby,
I have it. You shall watch.

Comment by Bryn

March 15th 2007 05:33

Horrorphile

Lilla,
(how'd your comment slip in there ... ? LOL)
I was referring to the werewolf you see at the end running through the streets, kinda silly looking don't you think? So you only felt the horror at the end?? How curious. As an adolescent when I first saw this, the scene on the moors near the beginning sacred the crap out of me and my mates .... It still frightens ... the low growl circling David and Jack .... Jack screaming as the werewolf tears at his throat while David runs for his life ....
But definitely the sadness of the film's end ... I can't think of anyone else playing Alex but Jenny Agutter ....
Whoa betide the bastards who remake this .... 'cos it will happen one day ....

Comment by Tracy

March 15th 2007 11:21

Movies and Life

Hi Bryn

Great review, it brought back a few memories...every time I'm at Museum or St James station I think of the film...eeek..luckily when I was back in London my exposure to those tunnels meant that I got used to them and didn't think of it that often,phew.

Comment by MelissaA

March 15th 2007 22:30

Fun Facts

Considering it's from the early 80's, I've always thought it stood out from it's contenders well enough.

Comment by Bryn

March 16th 2007 00:40

Horrorphile

Tracy,
yeah, those London subways .... so deep and claustrophobic! Cheers for the props!

Melissa,
Yes indeed, John Landis made a thoroughly entertaining horror, in every respect! Ahead of its time even. I'm glad you agree.

Comment by KylieW

March 16th 2007 02:29

Celebrity Obsession

Bryn,

Great review of a bloody good film. I haven't watched it in years. It's a great comedy horror, but the ending is so sad and helps it rise above other movies of that genre. I'm going to have to watch it again now.

Kylie

Comment by Bryn

March 16th 2007 02:45

Horrorphile

Hi Kylie,
yeah, we've all been remarking on how sad the ending it ... I'd actually forgotten how sad it is ... Poor Alex (Jenny), poor David (David) ... and of course, poor Jack (Griffin).
It stands up incredibly well to today's wannabees

Comment by Hellvis

March 18th 2007 00:52

Earache Hotel

Hey Bryn,

I bought this recently. Great film and great review. The characters are really well drawn and I love the music ("Bad Moon Rising"!!!).

I like Jack's reappearances and ongoing decay. I especially like the scene in the theatre where all of David's victims try and help Jack convince him to kill himself. Darkly funny stuff.

What about American Werewolf in Paris? Any good?

Comment by Bryn

March 19th 2007 05:06

Horrorphile

Cheers Hellvis, good to see you ...
Don't bother with the Paris one ... it's terrible! Different filmmakers alltogether

Comment by Anonymous

March 26th 2007 20:39

Due to my feelings about Finney, I've always preferred Wolfen. But the transformation scene absolutely astounded me at the time I watched it in the late 80s - early 90s. I also appreciated Dunne's dead pan performance.

-lilith

Comment by Bryn

March 27th 2007 06:30

Horrorphile

I've always had a fondness for Mr Dunne. Especially his work in After Hours. I did like Wolfen. Haven't seen it in years though ....

Comment by Cibbuano

January 3rd 2008 21:22

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

Ah, I finally watched this last week - and then I watched it again the next day.

Great recommendation, Bryn! I loved it all all the way!

Here's my review!

Comment by Bryn

January 5th 2008 01:01

Horrorphile

Hey Cibby,
Happy new year!
So glad that you enjoyed the movie. Yeah, it's a bonafide classic!

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