An American Werewolf in London is one of the most memorable horror comedies of the 80’s. The film’s special effects, especially those used for the transformations from human to werewolf, still compete with practical effects today. The movie is loaded with an equal balance of screams and laughs, creating some of the stranger moments in horror history. Animal House director, John Landis, brings a sense of humor to the werewolf genre, and proves that he has decent taste in what’s scary also.
The film follows two American travelers as they backpack through Britain. Along the way they find the most ominously named tavern in film existence, The Slaughtered Lamb. In the pub they meet the sketchy locals of East Proctor, who are very obviously trying to hide a werewolf. The movie is rather predictable but the way the material is presented is rather fresh and funny.
After the travelers are attacked David, the survivor, mourns the loss of his friend, Jack, by talking to his mangled ghost. David also has bizarre, often hilariously strange dreams, my favorite of which involves his family being gunned down by a troupe of Nazi werewolves. It quickly becomes clear that the dreams are a result of David turning into a werewolf.
When the full physical transformation comes it will likely floor any viewer. I still sit in awe every time I watch it. The effects are incredibly detailed, to the point where it is difficult to imagine how such a feat was accomplished over 30 years ago. Apparently syringes and latex were used to make the body parts seem to expand and contort, while a great deal of puppetry was used for other aspects of the scene. Rick Baker deserves mad kudos for leading the effects team. The physical and gradual change from human to werewolf looks more real than any since or before, and certainly beats the CGI crap they use to transform things nowadays. On top of all that, the musical choice of Blue Moon is played in the background to add some humor to an otherwise horrific scene.
The film features several stalker style attacks that are actually quite scary, the most unsettling of which involves a man being chased through a subway terminal. There is also a great deal of gore that the effects department seemed happy to show off. While it may seem sick to say, there is undoubtable a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with watching a werewolf rip someone apart and I can’t even imagine the level of fun that must go into creating such a scene.
The film’s conclusion is one of the best parts, aside from the transformation. It takes place in a porno theater and involves  the werewolf’s victims trying to talk him into committing suicide so the bloodline will end and their souls will be free. For such dark subject matter the conversation is actually consistently funny. It may elicit the awkward I’m- not- sure-if-it’s-ok-to-laugh-at-this kind of laugh, but most viewers will at least be cracking up on the inside.
An American Werewolf in London is honestly one of the best werewolf movies out there. It satisfies on so many levels, from screams, to laughs, to gore, to even pretty decent acting. It’s plot may borrow from films before it, but none of those films are as fun as this one. There is an energy behind the movie, likely created by the joy that went into making it or maybe just witty writing, that makes it one of a kind and a worthy horror experience.
A
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