THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Like vampires, the subject of werewolves have had enough films to be a sub genre in horror. While 1941's The Wolfman can be looked at as the superior one of the bunch, there is one other film that hit the bar while also being purely entertaining. That would be An American Werewolf in London.
PLOT
This 1981 feature follows David Kessler and Jack Goodman, two American best friends who trek across the moors in Yorkshire. When they stop by a pub called 'The Slaughtered Lamb' at night, Jack points out a five pointed star on the wall, which offends the pub goers. The two ultimately decide to leave but they advised to stay on the road. They do make this mistake anyway, resulting in getting attacked by a wolf. Jack gets killed and just as David gets bit, the townsfolk save him by shooting down the beast. As a result, it turns to the form of a naked man. David wakes up in a hospital three weeks later, reminded that he lost his friend. While the authorities report that it was a lunatic that attacked him, he insists that it was a wolf but they do not believe him. As the days build up to being released from the hospital, he has nightmares of his loved ones being murdered by mutants, along with seeing himself eat a deer. He also sees the ghost of Jack who warns him that he will turn into a werewolf by the next full moon, which he chooses not to believe. Upon being released, he resides with his nurse Alex Price, who admits to being infatuated with him, resulting in them having sex. During the same day, Dr. J.S. Hirsch investigates the Slaughtered Lamb, to see if David is right of his claim. Most of the townsfolk deny of meeting him, but one pub goer warns him that David is in anger. At full moon, David does become a werewolf and kills everyone in his path, all over London. The following morning, he wakes up naked at a zoo. He does return to Alex's flat, but doesn't remember what happened all night. Dr. Hirsch, who now believes David's claim, warns Alex that David could be in danger and he should be brought in. When hearing the news of the murders, David realizes what he is and separates himself from Alex to keep her safe. Unable to get arrested, he lays low in an adult movie theatre. He speaks with the ghost of Jack, along with the people he killed. Together, they all insist that he should take his life before others get hurt. At full moon, he turns again and takes more lives at the theater. As he causes more chaos, he eventually gets himself cornered in an alleyway by the police. When Alex and Hirsch hear the news, they rush to the scene. Alex tries to calm him down by confessing she loves him. He briefly recognizes him, but the film ends with him being shot down by the police as he lunged towards her.
THOUGHTS
When I heard the title of this movie for the first time, I thought it sounded too odd to sound good. When getting around to see it in mid 2019, I was surprised on how entertaining this one was. Director/Writer John Landis may have originally visioned it as pure horror, yet the comedy fits in so well. It's amazing how both genres work so well, as this inspired other films to follow similar paths. There are multiple funny moments the characters do or say. But the biggest laugh for me was the choice of music. I'm not gonna have a straight face hearing ‘Blue Moon’ by The Marcels after seeing someone die. They keep it close to the chest playing moon related songs, in relation to werewolves turn after full moon, and that is always gonna make me laugh. Thanks to Rick Baker's incredible Oscar winning make up, the horror remains intact. From the brutal transformation, to the bloodshed that spills over London, to seeing the wolf itself, it is hard not be terrified of it all. Another big highlight here definitely goes to the cast who make it all work. David Naughton is truly great as David Kessler. You trust him because he appears to be a harmless, average guy. But after the bite, his life changes for the worse. He acts naive towards ghost Jack because he doesn't believe what will happen to him. Yet when he sees that he became the stuff of nightmares, his paranoia clearly got worse compared to his nightmares. I think the reason we feel for him is that when he realized his actions, he accepted that he can't live anymore. Although he doesn't take his own life, you respect that he seemed to take consideration when talking to Jack at the theater. The one moment that was truly the saddest besides his demise has to be when he calls his younger sister. That one got to me because of how it solidified he knew he wouldn’t survive the night. Griffin Dunne gave me such a big laugh as Jack. Seeing how calm he is as his body decaying really gets me. You should be terrified because of how he looks, but you look past it when he calmly talks to David. He is arguably an unsung hero because he is the only one that told his friend he had to do something to prevent casualties. Insisting on suicide was indeed harsh but in his point of view, it sounds more logical than begging for someone to kill you. I also enjoyed John Woodvine as Dr. Hirsch because despite being a firm man at work, he was solicitous to others and that included David. Last but not least, I got a soft spot for Jenny Agutter. She truly brought warmth with Alex because she displays her to be adventurous in her own way. She got infatuated with David because of her taste in American culture. And with the time she had with him overnight, that infatuation became love. She loved him for being good and exciting of a person. Seeing how he would distant himself from her for her safety, I think her love rose from there. When she sees him as the monstrous wolf, she says how she feels because she knew that would be her only chance, making it all the more tragic. This film will remain as timeless entertainment but despite given praise, there were still some things that bother me when re watching. First off, how the hell did Jack & David not pay attention to the road? Of course the story kicks in when they get attacked, but one simple thing messes up their fate and it's ridiculous. They choose not to show how the got off and cuts straight to the consequence, which doesn't entirely sound fair. I respect David for going back to Jack, but he really screwed himself over doing so. I know it sounds harsh but in reality, he should've kept running because there was no way he'd kill the wolf on his own. I also find irritation how no one of the authorities believe David that a wolf attacked him. Look at his scars and try to tell me a lunatic of a man is capable of the same result. It is another funny moment where he makes fun of the rock couple, but how the hell did he not get mugged? Sure he's been through a whole lot, but they don't know that. The weirdest scene for me was the kids randomly laughing at him when walking a dog. It's weird for me because their parents aren't with them. If that boy at the zoo had his mom near, I am not gonna shut up until someone tells where the parents were for those siblings. And lastly, how did that cop not react to David saying he killed people? Sure he could think it's a joke, but that claim should always be taken serious, joke or not. Getting that outta my system, I do think you'll still enjoy this movie as well as I did. In conclusion, An American Werewolf in London is easily the best of werewolf movies because it balanced the setting of being a horrifying, yet fun experience. If you dig the mythos of werewolves, this one will truly be worth your while.
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