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CibbuanoAn American Werewolf in London
September 9th 2006 11:05
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Usually I don’t really dig horror films, but ‘An American Werewolf in London’ has always appealed to me because of it’s dark humour and setting. We join the protagonists, David and Jack, a pair of American backpackers, out on the moors of England. Insert a shifty bunch of local yokels, an unfriendly pub adorned with satanic symbols and a spooky English wilderness to get lost in, and hey presto! You’ve got the makings of a Werewolf.
The film rolls along with a mixture of shock horror (most of it satisfactorily gruesome) and dry, tongue-in-cheek humour. Even if you’re not a fan of horror, don’t let it put you off this film, it really is a one-of-a-kind. Featuring a soundtrack of songs with ‘Moon’ in the title, and some genuinely funny and unexpected moments, it’s no wonder that this film has earned itself a reputation as the perfect example of how to mix genres without doing a disservice to either of them.
HIGHLIGHTS: The all-important Werewolf transformation scene is impressive even by today’s standards (20 years down the track). Also look for Brick Top from the film ‘Snatch’ as a cab driver (his voice is unmistakable) and Rik Mayall as a chess-playing yokel.
TRIVIA: Won an Oscar for Best Makeup. Was followed by a sequel 15 years later, ‘An American Werewolf in Paris’.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Director John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Animal House, Trading Places, Into The Night)is a maestro of genre films. Shifting from laugh out loud funny to nail biting suspense in the blink of an eye and a deft hand.
The scene in the underground with the escalator had me under the covers as a wee lad.
"I see a bad moon a rising. I see trouble on the way. I see......."