BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 29: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981)

John Landis is best known for his classic comedy masterpieces ANIMAL HOUSE, BLUES BROTHERS, TRADING PLACES, and many more. He's responsible too for giving the Zucker Brothers their start with KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE. He is, without a doubt, a comedy master. Would it surprise anyone to know that John Landis is also responsible for one of the greatest horror films ever made? He directed segments of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983) and a vampire film titled INNOCENT BLOOD (1992). But the horror contribution he's most notable for is...

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

Landis' approach to the werewolf film is quite different than the classics that came before it. But even so, he is reverent to films that paved the way. In fact, the classic werewolf movies exist in his film just as they do in the real world. The central characters make references to both Lon Chaney Jr.'s THE WOLF MAN (1941) and Oliver Reed's THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961). Even the title is a reference to the very first werewolf film WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935). It's like a checklist of all the seminal werewolf films to have come before. Is it any wonder that An American Werewolf In London also became a seminal film of the genre?

THE PLOT

David and Jack are backpacking across Europe. One cold rainy night they stop at a tavern in the middle of nowhere named The Slaughtered Lamb. Inside they see a number of superstitious symbols. The locals turn them away with a word of warning; stick to the road and beware the moon. With no choice left to them Jack and David head out into the night. Off road while wandering across the moors they are attacked by a wolf. Jack is mauled to death and David is hospitalized with claw marks and bite wounds. While in the hospital David begins experiencing strange dreams, dreams of running through the woods like a wild animal. Then Jack's spirit appears to David with a message; "During the next full moon you'll become a werewolf!"

THE GOOD

Reverence through Invention. John Landis clearly loves the classic monster movies. Throughout the film Landis reminds the audience of the classic movies again and again. While his take on the werewolf myth may differ quite a bit from the classic films he integrates classic lore with new mythology. The sign of the pentagram, a key element in The Wolf Man, is present along with the transference of the curse through a bite or gash. From there he begins introducing new elements expanding the mythology. The audience is given a view of lycanthropy from the werewolf's perspective, something rarely seen in film. We see the psychological and spiritual effects of the curse upon the bearer and the degradation of their humanity.

The Transformation. The standout piece of the film is without a doubt the werewolf metamorphosis. While the movie is solid from top to bottom, it's safe to say that the movie wouldn't be half as powerful as it is without the transformation sequence. Many werewolf films, if not all, live and die by their transformation scenes. Rick Baker's effects are legendary. No sight is spared. The film is from the point of view of the werewolf. As such we receive an intimate look at the change, the shifting bone structure, the hair growth, and stretching of the flesh. Just as Lon Chaney Jr.'s change was striking in 1941 so too is David Naughton's. Not only that but we are treated to a different kind of werewolf altogether, not a man in a costume.

Comedy Blend. Perhaps the most unexpected strength of this film is its comedy. I said earlier that John Landis is a master of laughter. Here he brilliantly integrates his mastery of comedy while maintaining the integrity of the horror film. You'll spend as much time smiling and laughing as you do cringing and screaming. And yet the purity of the horror experience is sustained. Perhaps it is this wonderful balance of elements that renders An American Werewolf In London one of the most entertaining and enjoyable films ever made. It's a rare quality in film, but yet it is a quality Marvel Studios has taken note of and strives for in each of their films too.

THE BAD

The Werewolf. The werewolf in this film is a four-legged beast rather than an upright half man half wolf creature. As such the monster is brought to life using what appears to be puppetry. The effect is quite potent in most of the movie thanks largely to a frightening design. Yet we are never given a full view of the werewolf. And some of the shots we're shown, quick glimpses here and there in the Piccadilly Circus sequence, look a little static and awkward. Like Spielberg's use of the shark in Jaws, Landis likely realized the limitations of the creature. This is probably the reason why the werewolf is rarely shown in the film save for a few quick cutaways.

All in all this isn't so much a fault of the film but rather the filmmakers utilizing what they had to the best of their abilities. It's just a shame that after such an amazing transformation scene we're barely allowed to see the werewolf.

THE VERDICT

John Landis, the comedy mastermind, re-purposed his talents to create perhaps the greatest werewolf movie of them all and one of the most entertaining horror movies ever made. He placed his own stamp upon werewolves, expanding the mythology while staying reverent to the classic werewolf films that came before. His blend of comedy and horror work seamlessly together and even enhance one another. And the werewolf transformation is unforgettable, beyond anything modern day CGI effects can create. An American Werewolf In London is quite simply one of the greatest modern horror films ever made.

Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10

Leaves a lasting impression. Above Repute.

Nude-O-Meter: 3 out of 10