An American Werewolf in London
Directed by John Landis
Written by John Landis
1981/US
IMDd page
Repeat viewing/YouTube rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must Die
David: I will not be threatened by a walking meat loaf!
Comedy and horror are an uneasy mix. This works better than it has any right to.
David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne) are American college students and best friends who are spending their summer vacation in Europe. Currently they are backpacking through the English moors. It is a desolate area and they get out of the cold by entering an isolated pub called The Slaughtered Lamb. They do not receive a warm welcome from rhe curiously standoffish patrons and barkeeper. Nor do they get answers about the pentagram on the wall.
It is a moonlit night. The boys hit the trail again in the rain and promptly get lost. They then start hearing a howling that makes them very nervous. This presages a violent attack that leaves Jack dead and David wounded. The next time he is seen, David is awakening from a coma in a London hospital. Things go downhill from there. The only bright spot in David’s life is pretty nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter).
I last saw this on original release and was not wowed. This time around I liked it much much more. The makeup and effects are out of this world and the comedy melds nicely with some real horror. But my favorite part is the soundtrack, which contains many songs about the moon. Recommended.
Rick Baker won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, the first time this award was given.
