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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
One of the most iconic supernatural creatures is the werewolf. I freakin LOVE werewolves. I never knew why people love vampires over werewolves. Sure, vampires are immortal, have incredible abilities, and are the envy of many, but to be a werewolf would be awesome. Werewolves don’t get the respect they deserve. In some lore, werewolves are immortal, can shapeshift, but can walk in sunlight. That is good enough for me. Once again, I love werewolves, and when they are in movies, they can either be great or downright terrible.
The classic Wolf Man is a great film that marked the start of the werewolf era for me. I love the old-school feeling about it. Today’s review is on the 1981 film, An American Werewolf in London. Two of my favorite things, London and Werewolves, coming together in one film. An American Werewolf in London is one of the best werewolf films, featuring an iconic transformation scene, a memorable soundtrack, and a story that seamlessly blends comedy and horror.
Written and directed by John Landis, the film starts off with a creepy ass pale, almost blueish moon against a black sky. We are introduced to two American graduate students from New York City, David Kessler (Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Dunne), hiking across the North York Moors. Even watching the scene, my body is giving me “nope” vibes. They stop at a pub called the Slaughtered Lamb, which doesn’t seem like a welcoming place. The pair tries to make small talk when Jack notices a five-pointed star on the pub’s wall. When he asks about it, the patrons get pissed and chase the pair away. As they leave, they warn them to keep to the road and beware of the full moon. Why y’all make them leave if you knew this was going to happen? David and Jack wander off the road, and they hear strange sounds. David says something when BOOM, Jack is mauled to death by a creature. David hauls ass and leaves Jack, but decides to help. The beast attacks David and is about to kill him when the creature is shot and killed. When David looks at the beast, he sees a naked ass man lying next to him before passing out.
David wakes up in a London hospital three weeks later. When Inspector Villiers rolls up and interviews David, he claims that the locals stated an escaped lunatic attacked him and Jack, but David claims it was a rabid dog or wolf. The film goes into craziness at this point. David starts having strange ass dreams from Nazi werewolves killing his family to other dreams that seem like he was having a bad trip. One evening, David wakes up to an undead Jack, who has the appearance of his throat ripped out. Jack explains that David was bitten by a werewolf and that he is cursed to walk the earth in limbo until the wolf’s bloodline is severed, aka David must kill himself before the next full moon. David thinks he is trippin and disregards Jack’s claim.
While recovering, David is attended by the beautiful and FOINE Nurse Alex Price (Agutter). David and Alex flirt with each other every day, and feelings start to develop. David stays with Alex, and the two get it on. How can you not want to get it on with that foine woman? As the full moon draws closer, Jack appears more decayed than before and pleads with David to kill himself. David refuses, and shit goes down that night. David has a transformation of the ages. David turns into a werewolf and goes on a killing spree, the world of London hasn’t seen since Jack the Ripper.
What is great about this film is that it was one of the first, if not the first, to introduce the comedy-horror drama genre. There are a few jump scares in this film, and it relies heavily on the comedy aspects. This wasn’t your typical werewolf movie. The dreams that David has are insane and comical in a way that makes you want to watch more. When Jack appears, you know he is going to be hilarious because of the situation that he is in. Each kill that David does, the ghosts of his kills speak to him, and you can tell that they are pissed.
Let me take a second to give MAJOR props to makeup artist Rick Baker. Baker went hard in the paint for the makeup in this film. The way he designed Jack for each day is something spectacular. When Jack first appeared, he had his throat cut out, and it was freaky looking. Each time Jack appeared, his skin became more decayed and greenish. Dude looked straight up nasty. Baker’s true genius and makeup were showcased in the transformation scene. Damn, that shit was good and intense to look at. The transformation scene was so good that Baker won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup.
The music of this film was also spot on. First, a slow and soothing version of “Blue Moon” played at the beginning of the film. I don’t know what it is, but you seemed at peace at the beginning, but something about it told you that shit was going to go down. The song reappears when David undergoes his first transformation. I told you shit would go down. The song that broke through into my mind has to be Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” This song was AWESOME and played when David and Alex were getting it on in the shower. I just love the tune of this song and want to listen to it all the time.
I don’t care what anyone says, An American Werewolf in London is one of the best werewolf films around. It was a game-changer, blending two genres together in comedy and horror. This film is defined and will always be defined by the transformation scene. That scene is one of the best in the business and will rank as an all-time great. Watch this film and howl under the full moon.
