I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with The Queen, doin’ the Werewolves of London. – Warren Zevon
In 1970, John Landis worked as a production assistant on the Clint Eastwood film, “Kelly’s Heroes.” He up with an idea after coming across a group of Romani people performing a ritual on a guy being buried so he wouldn’t rise from the grave. Fascinated with horror flicks like “The Wolf Man,” John wrote a draft titled, “An American Werewolf in London.” He didn’t get a nearby studio to greenlit his draft.
John went on to become an established director including “National Lampoon’s Animal House” & “The Blues Brothers.” Thanks to critical and commercial success of the films, John presented his first draft to Universal Pictures. At first they were skeptical movie goers would feel alienated if this is intended as a straight up horror or comedy. Universal suggested Dan Ackroyd & John Belushi as the main stars. Mr. Landis declined in favor of casting newcomers. After a year of making his pet project, the film was distributed worldwide.
Released in 1981, (same year Escape from New York came out) it received mixed reviews from critics and a financial success. Rick Baker ultimately won an Oscar for “Best Makeup.” Overtime, An American Werewolf in London gained a cult following. A few filmmakers mentioned the film as one of their favorites.
- Edgar Wright
- Jordan Peele
- Joe Dante
- Corbin Hardy
- Guillermo Del Toro
- Eli Roth
- Gareth Edwards
- James Wan
Anyway, it’s Halloween Month. I intend to watch and review horror movies throughout October. One more thing, Aaron Taylor-Johnson will star in Robert Eggers’ “Werewulf.” It’ll be released on Christmas Day. A week after “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS.
Lifted & Cursed Aspects
Lifted: David Naughton & Griffin Dunne both did a good job for their respective performances.
John Landis did a decent job directing. He also wrote the script.
Elmer Bernstein (The Great Escape, Airplane, Ghostbusters) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Rick Baker (The Nutty Professor, Men In Black 1-3) applied Prosthetic Makeup and Practical Effects. Most notably, David’s transformation sequence and Jack’s decaying appearance. Mr. Baker earns Bonus Points for his groundbreaking makeup and effects. The dude inspired Guillermo Del Toro.
Funny Moments gave me a chuckle.
Death Scenes are brutal.
Cinematography’s shot in stable condition.
David’s interactions with Jack and love interest, Alex serves as the main highlight.
Pacing felt natural. I was hooked right from the get-go.
John’s recurring phrase, See You Next Wednesday is a fictional movie. His trademark is a reference to a quote from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Although I often complain about the lack of a monster’s screen time, this one’s intended for David who has a limited amount of time before the full moon. He has recurring nightmares, a healthy appearance, animals react to him etc,
Frank Oz (Yoda, Miss Piggy) makes a brief appearance.
Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” is used in one scene.
Fun Facts
- Michael Jackson was a fan of the film. He handpicked Mr. Landis to direct the music video, “Thriller.”
- The film’s title is a play-on-word of “An American in Paris” & “Werewolf of London.”
- During a nightmare scene, The Muppets appear on TV.
- Rick Baker’s the first person in Oscar history to win “Best Makeup.” The category was officially established in 1982.
- John confirmed An American Werewolf in London is his best work.
Random Thoughts
- Bobby Vinton’s cover of “Blue Moon” plays during the Opening Credits. I would assume Bethesda took inspiration for a similar Opening Scene in “Fallout: New Vegas” with Frank Sinatra’s version.
- David’s conversation with Jack’s spirit may have been an inspiration for Batman’s hallucinations of Joker in “Batman: Arkham Knight.”
Cursed: One problem, the final scene felt anticlimactic. Lacks emotional and physical stakes. Followed by an abrupt ending. I expected an awesome battle. The ending felt like a wet fart.
The Final Verdict: A-
Not a flawless masterpiece, An American Werewolf in London still holds as one of the best (if not the best) horror comedies. I gotta give Rick Baker credit for influencing filmmakers including Edgar Wright, Guillermo Del Toro & James Wan. They made their own unique films. If you haven’t seen this ‘80s werewolf classic, it’s a must-see for horror fans.
