| Two American tourists, Jack
and David, are backpacking through England when they stop
for a rest at a pub in the country, the Slaughtered Lamb.
The strange people at the pub are less than welcoming, and
let the two young men venture back out on their own with the
warning to “Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors.”
Jack and David take this as normal weird behavior and take
a shortcut through the moors, only to be attacked. Jack is
killed and David awakens in a hospital with a few scratches.
Judging by the title, I’m sure you know by now: they
were attacked by a werewolf. David, since he has survived
the attack, is now a werewolf himself, and will transform
into the beast during the next full moon.
It’s a story we’ve all heard a thousand times,
right? It is especially fresh in our minds with terrible renditions
of the story such as “Blood and Chocolate” and
“the Skinwalkers”. “An American Werewolf
in London” is, in my opinion, the definitive werewolf
film. I had dismissed it previously due to the poor reception
of “An American Werewolf in Paris”. I’ve
always associated the two and thought that if “Paris”
wasn’t any good, then “London” couldn’t
be good either. Ever since I had heard that “London”
was the reason that the Academy Award for Best Makeup was
created, I’ve wanted to see it. How could a werewolf
movie possibly be this good?
The make up award is absolutely ascertained in this case.
The werewolf is amazing! If they were to make this movie now,
I’m sure most of the werewolf would be CGI. If not the
werewolf, then for sure most of the transformation. But back
in the early 80’s, this wasn’t possible. I mean,
just look at the TV in Nurse Price’s apartment! And
the metal box above David’s bed in the hospital with
all of the little switches and lights! The entire transformation
in this film is real, and it makes it that much more scary
and amazing. David’s hands grow before our eyes, his
sharp nails poking out from under his regular nails, the hair
appearing on his back, chest and feet. And then, just when
you thought that it couldn’t get any better, his face
grows too. He grows a snout, just like a wolf. It’s
really an awesome sight. The first transformation occurs about
an hour into the movie and by this time the audience is ready
for it. When it happens, it happens right before our eyes
- nothing is hidden. The werewolf is one makeup achievement
in the film; the other is Jack’s makeup. Jack has been
killed by the werewolf in the beginning, but he returns to
David throughout the film to give him advice. He’s also
dead and in “limbo” so he progressively decays.
David even refers to him as a “walking meat loaf”.
And the soundtrack also adds to the transformation scene.
During this hideous transformation, the song “Blue Moon”
is playing. The soundtrack is perfect for this film. Director/Writer
John Landis picked the songs for the film: every one of them
has the word “Moon” in the title.
“An American Werewolf In London” would be a great
film without the astonishing makeup effects. The dialogue
is brilliant and hilarious. The banter in the opening scene
with Jack and David is real and establishes a great chemistry
between the two. This is truly one of the best comedy/horror
films out there. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re
missing out on a classic that is still holding its own over
20 years later.
- Jenny Rushing |
