Day 24: An American Werewolf in London

24. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Dir: John Landis
Cast: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter

The year was 1981 and writer/director John Landis had already made a name for himself with such cult comedies as Animal House and The Blues Brothers but no one could of anticipated that his next project would not only be funny but pretty scary too. stemming from a script Landis wrote in 1968, An American Werewolf in London told the story of two American backpackers hiking through Europe who after encountering a large mysterious animal in the Yorkshire Moors, fall to equally troublesome fates.

Never before had the genres of comedy and horror been so perfectly blended than in this off-the-wall monster movie and ultimately made it's mark on the horror genre. Starring the likable pairing of television/commercial actor David Naughton and the upcoming talent Griffin Dunne, who would go on to star in such films as; After Hours and Who's That Girl. An American Werewolf in London brought a sharp comic writing style to the horror genre combined with spooky settings and some of the best gore and makeup effects of it's time, perfected by the legendary Rick Baker, previously known for his work on Star Wars.

What makes this werewolf flick work so well is it's respect for both genres. This isn't a parody of horror movies nor is it an all out comedy. This gives the film a completely original tone and si enjoyable on many levels. Another aspect that really sets the mood here, is the soundtrack. Using three versions of "Blue Moon", Van Morrison's "Moondance", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" these songs all prove for memorable moments in the movie, not to mention that the score was done by legendary composer Elmer Bernstein.



There really hadn't been too many great werewolf movies since 1941's The Wolf Man but this film took the sub-genre to new levels. A very layered film that may even take multiple viewings to notice all the different jokes and details hidden within the picture. It established John Landis as a horror director, who would go on to direct such freaky projects including a segment in The Twilight Zone Movie, Innocent Blood and Michael Jackson's Thriller music video and it's good for people who love to laugh.. and cringe.

Fright Fact: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were so impressed by Rick Baker's elaborate makeup that in 1981 they created a new award for "Outstanding Achievement in Makeup".

Horror Highlight: The Transformation scene