The film was released in 1981, but I also included it in the general folder. "Forgotten Movies from the 90s."
David Kessler (David Naughton) and John Goodman (Griffin Dunn) are American tourists who have been dragged into the British wilderness for some reason. Hiking, you see. The guys wanted to enjoy the landscapes of an old woman in England, so they wandered into a small village, where the locals are like a selection – suspicious, outwardly unpleasant and quite aggressive towards strangers. But okay, the local tourists were not beaten, but the guys did not get well in the future, because they were attacked by a certain monster, which, however, the police took for crazy.
That’s just this attack it became clear that David Kessler on the next full moon will turn into a werewolf!
The idea of making a film about a werewolf belongs to Landis himself. In 1970, while on the set of the film “Kelly’s Heroes” in Yugoslavia, where Clint Eastwood plays the main role (and Landis himself was not listed in the credits), he saw the funeral of a gypsy who was buried in a deep grave, wrapped in garlic so that he “did not rise from the dead.”
This film was released in the same year as the first part of the franchise “Howl”, also telling about werewolves (the only thing that “Howl” then had many sequels, while “American werewolf”, in fact, remained the only one in its “Universe”). And to both had a hand Oscar-winning makeup specialist Rick Baker, who took for “American werewolf in London” the first ever “Oscar”, awarded just for makeup (and since 2013 even for hairstyles). While the director of “Werewolf” John Landis was just going to shoot his movie, Joe Dante was already engaged in the filming of “Woy” and Baker joined to work with him, although he promised Landis to cooperate on his film. As a result, he worked and received his first of the seven Oscars.
But Baker himself claimed that he was slightly disappointed that he had to seriously work on the image of the werewolf during the transformation of the face, after all, the work, worth several months of effort, resulted in only seven seconds on the screen. However, the audience applauding this scene in the cinema softened the opinion of the makeup artist.
Baker approached the scene with David Kessler’s transformation into a werewolf and said in an interview that he wanted the transformation to be natural from a scientific point of view: “Both man and wolf are vertebrates and both mammals, so most of the components of their skeletons are identical to each other. I decided to approach transformation through comparative anatomy. There was no wolf skeleton in my collection, but there was a dog skeleton and they were quite similar. Comparing the skeleton of a dog with a human, you will find that many bones are similar, just the proportions are different.
The transformation of a person into a werewolf is filmed in sufficient detail and looks very disgusting. All the stuff that the makeup artist used for fake monsters, including latex leather, artificial blood and other things, is disgusting when you evaluate the scene itself, but also admirable when you evaluate the work of the makeup artist. The same can be said about the makeup for the hero Griffin Dunn, for his first appearance in the form of a deceased, to put it mildly, discouraging. All his injuries look very realistic! In principle, one look of Dunn it becomes clear that Rick Baker deserved his first Oscar.
Like many films with more than 40 years of experience, American Werewolf in London reeks of naivety and typical shooting for the time, when the characters wait for the opportunity to say their line, which sometimes causes a silent moment in the frame. The scene of the final madness in London is particularly funny. Looking at it, it becomes clear why Luc Besson has such a love to arrange mass accidents in the Taxi franchise, where none of the drivers have time to slow down in time.
FACT
1. American Werewolf in London is one of two werewolves films to win an Oscar for Best Makeup. The second film was The Wolf Man in 2010. Rick Baker also won the award!
2. David Naughton was selected for the lead role after Landis saw him in a Dr. Pepper soda commercial, but then the manufacturer terminated his contract after seeing Naughton naked in the film.
3. All songs used in the film have the word "Moon" in the title.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
Without hiding what is based on the classic "Wolf-Man" (1941), "American Werewolf in London" is saturated with those elements that, so to speak, refreshed the idea of werewolves in the early 1980s. In fact, wolf howl has nothing to do with the phases of the moon, but American horrors firmly connected them in the mass consciousness.
The British Isles again, the pentagrams again, but as the audience has become more demanding than it was forty years ago, the film is trying to scare us a lot more. The night scenes are painted in ominous blue tones, and the transformation into a werewolf is shown in much more detail. Retractable muzzle, growing hair, limbs - it is incomprehensible to the mind how all this was created without any computer graphics! Fang muzzle, which brings panic to the capital of the former empire, entered the history of world cinema, and even those who did not watch the film itself, probably came across amateur drawings of the werewolf head, which rely on this tape. Unlike Wolf Man, this film shows us a werewolf who is almost indistinguishable from a real wolf. The real highlight of the American Werewolf in London is the sounds. Until 1981, audiences probably had not heard such a ferocious growl and imposing howl. For the creation of the animal image John Landis received universal recognition. The Oscars only confirm that.
Comparing different films about werewolves, you unwittingly notice some similarities. Most likely, it is American Werewolf ... that will further inspire Joe Johnston to the scene with similar mass murders in his remake of Wolf Man. The same goes for a love line that graces a familiar script. The quality of the werewolf as sexual energy could not be ignored in the 1980s. There is even a scene that takes place in a pornographic cinema. Moreover, the film there shows a non-existent, filmed as a reference to a phrase from "Space Odyssey 2001" (1968) about the meeting on Wednesday.
But the tragedy caused by despair, in “American werewolf...” is transformed into a black comedy. Anecdotes from the film, as well as the attempts of the protagonist to cover up his nudity still cause sincere explosive laughter. That's just a pity that the finale looks too sharp, without the opportunity for the audience to think again. The magical atmosphere of “Wolf-Man”, again, is replaced by irony, which in itself is not bad, but ... in general, for its decade it is a very revealing movie.
One of the best films about werewolves, or rather werewolves, who turn into wolves.
9 out of 10
Overall impression: I'll start with the visual. In 1982, the film won an Oscar for Best Makeup. And you know, even now, after a while, the picture looks really cool! And what a transformation here, you can see how accurately and in detail worked out the costume of the monster. The work was colossal, and by the way, without any computer graphics, bright images, makeup and scenery do their job. The film turned out so sinister, so atmospheric and I can safely call it one of the best among werewolves films.
Two carefree American tourists were warned that there are dashing places in old England, which are extremely dangerous to travel. But cheerful overseas guys did not heed the warnings of local residents and in the dead of night, illuminated by dead moonlight, got off the road. In the darkness, they were waiting for an indescribable nightmare, after which one of the friends was destined to become a ghost, and the other - a bloodthirsty werewolf.
And indeed, the adventure of tourists did not work out. One is a ghost, and the other is worse. He's a werewolf now. And like a guy love appeared, but soon the full moon, and we all remember what happens at a full moon, if you bit an incomprehensible beast.
If you analyze by genres, then two genres prevail in this tape: horror and comedy. The film sometimes horrifies its bloody episodes, immediately a werewolf and tears up its victims with special cruelty. But the genre of comedy slips more in actions than in conversations, and it is rather black humor, quite good. There is irony here, which envelopes the characters with their ridicule.
"American Werewolf in London" is a great horror movie worth watching. A good script, a good game and a gloomy atmosphere are fascinating. Turn it on!
'American Werewolf in London' belongs to the kind of films that catch you with a special atmosphere. From the very beginning, the viewer plunges into the gloomy foreign space of the film, watching two American tourists in bad weather wander through the fog somewhere in the English wilderness. As the plot develops, the foreign space changes: from a gloomy village, as if straight from the Middle Ages, to the streets of London, hung with glowing advertising, but the feeling of tension and the threat of a werewolf still remains. But not only the horror strikes the film, in many ways the episodes of “peaceful” life define the film, and to achieve this, in my opinion, was possible thanks to strong images of both heroes and events.
John Landis managed to create many bright images, thanks to which the picture stands out among other comedy horror films. Personally, I was particularly impressed by surreal dreams, as well as the transformation of the protagonist into a wolf. It is also worth mentioning the episode with a dead ghost, symbolizing the fatal character of the fate of the main character. The soundtrack brought a lot to the film: the song Creedence "Bad Moon Rising" successfully complemented the comedy part of the film.
Despite the fact that the film does not have a pronounced theme, it is a comedy and horror, and a thriller, and drama, (there was a place even for a beautiful love line) – the picture does not lose its core, but acquires a certain charm. The viewer can bring his interpretation of the main idea of the film, based on the given themes. In my opinion, it was this synthesis that allowed us to achieve the atmosphere for which the film is very much liked and remains watchable even in the 21st century. The American Werewolf in London definitely entered the library of my select films. I recommend everyone to devote an evening to this wonderful tape, which rightfully acquired the status of a cult.
Ah, ha. A cult picture from a cult director! There is criticism of the film. It comes from people who don't understand the whole Landis kitchen a bit. The movie is empty, overrated, overrated. It was a success, as it came out on cassettes, you did not have to choose (and all in this spirit).
Nope! I'll try to explain. The genius Landis is the Blues Brothers, not the American Werewolf in London, but he's cool. There are just two kinds of slackers in cinema. The first are standard slobs who make films on the back (Yuzna, Band, DeCoto, etc.). The second is the talented scoundrels.
Landis belongs to the second, and he is also a child with burning eyes. Example? You don't have to go far. Take the music. What kind of adult director would stick those songs in his horror movie? Look at the scene of turning a man into a werewolf. It's very funny (the first few seconds). Sex scene in the shower.
Getting together with zombies in a porn movie theater. There's a lot of Cinema chips. The main character chats - "There was such an old movie, there was also Bela Lugosi bit Lon Cheney!". Ah, ha, I love Landis. He watched black and white horror classics, decided to make his own movie.
How can you not love him (for all this bacchanalia)? In 1980, the film "Howl" was released. Dante shot a deep picture, so you could let down a tear. Landis is already in the middle of the film doing some acid "Werewolf from the SS." Does anyone remember Rob Zombie's short? Landis has his own "Grindhouse."
Menagerie, Solyanka in Kentucky - check out, then everything will immediately fall into place. What a drama, calm down. Black comedy with very cool makeup. Honored Oscar (no doubt about it). And you can feel a certain sympathy for the actors. The nurse reminded me of Dee Wallace Stone.
P.S.
One of Michael Jackson’s favorite movies!
8 out of 10
I think every devoted movie lover and fan of the genre of horror films, if not watched, then at least heard about the film “American werewolf in London” directed by John Landis. After all, it is “American Werewolf in London” John Landis along with “War” Joe Dante are not only the best horror films on the theme of werewolves, but also a full-fledged foundation of the genre as a whole. Even now, holding the image of some guiding lighthouse and role model, which is equal to modern filmmakers.
The plot of the picture is absolutely not intricate and perhaps even represents one solid cinematic stamp. Almost from the very first shots, we are faced with two crony friends, one of whom falls the fate of a snack, and the other - the role of a "continuer of the case" howling on the full moon werewolf. However, it was with this picture that the popularization of such a plot course began, and almost always too straightforward, simple and superficial. When as, one of the main strengths of the picture is precisely the contrast of genres.
Starting to watch this film directed by John Landis, almost to the last it turns out to be difficult to determine what the film ultimately is – a horror film and comedy. As the picture is too funny and funny for a horror film and too dark and hard for comedy. In fact, almost completely immersed in a certain self-irony and perhaps even a banter over the genre at the level of some absurdity with a very subtle sense of humor. Especially magnificently playing him against the background of the haunting immigrant werewolf souls of the victims killed by them and their magnificent dialogue in the final act of the tape.
Being primarily a comedy director, John Landis did not abandon his author's handwriting and perfectly diversified the film. Moving away from the usual understanding of the genre of horror films and creating on the screen a very interesting and indescribable atmosphere that catches with each re-view. Just like the great technical side of the picture. Especially the werewolf, which perfectly embodied on the screen cult Rick Baker. So impressive and cool that even now the Oscar-winning work of Baker is only awe. Especially considering the fact that we are facing absolutely mechanical and physical effects, rather than the image created on the CGI computer.
Actors of the main roles David Notton and Jenny Agutter not badly coped with their roles on the screen. Everyone looked very authentic and appropriate in their image. As if in real life it is exactly what it appeared on the big screen. Unless, too quickly and unconvincingly developed on the screen love line and a complete lack of chemistry between both actors.
8 out of 10
The American werewolf in London is definitely one of the best representatives of the genre of horror films about werewolves. Very bloody, cruel, atmospheric horror film on the one hand and quite ironic, filled with banter and a kind of black comedy on the other. Creating on the screen the strongest genre contrast, which can not but catch when watching. In fact, as well as the magnificent work of Rick Baker on the embodiment of the werewolf.
Yankees are always drawn to adventure, and preferably away from the place of residence. That's the nature of the Yankees. This is how it has been since ancient times in the world, if a stranger wanders into the lands of the misty Albion, expect trouble, and if England, and good old London, are the centers of world mysticism, if you believe John Constantine, then the surroundings and suburbs of the most ancient virgin are a real swamp full of evil spirits. Walking there is contraindicated, only local, gritting their teeth, and having prepared stakes somehow get along. That's why they're local. And if you are a little white-toothed traveler from American lands suddenly decides to come, mock or impose democracy, then you will have a big bummer. Old England will probably laugh at you. Her spirit, settled in the woods, is deformed into midnight wolves thirsting for blood, but only once a month. The rest of the time, life in the outback is boring. To the new, burning cold over the forest landscapes of the mother moon, to the howl among the stars and the shine of silver wool, somewhere - in the forest more often.
Our heroes, young, energetic guys, make vacations and trips to different countries, it is unknown what made David and Jack make the starting point of the English route it is the English Chigirya, full of wild peasants with frightened eyes. But one can definitely say, only that this journey literally tore to shreds the worlds of our star-striped travelers. A journey with a taste of blood and nightmare, Believe the symbols on the walls and the views of the sedentary, my friends, this one-way trip, and rebirth for others, doomed to become different in wolf’s clothing.
I had to see only, now appropriate concept conditional, remake, about errands in Paris. The original of the 81st, enveloped by an attractively recreated atmosphere of classic horror, the holy time of man-made special effects rules the ball. It is wonderful to look at the tavern with villagers, and at the stupid policemen, and at the hero who perceives his rebirth, rather with an American innocence. This is the same England looming in the background, with icy rains, small cabs, forest hills, pubs in the hinterland, mandatory tweed clothes, and classical prudence. It is that absorbing America that meets her with a gaze, in the form of the protagonist, a distracted kind traveler, a realist who quickly realizes the essence of the problem, and therefore not without humor. And when you last had to, it's covered in hair. To spend the night with strange neighbors? Landis obviously did not want to show the story of the werewolf, as it is supposed, so he stuffed the film with curious sketches in the form of partly comedic situations, inevitably slipping or resulting, one way or another related to the ongoing transformation of the hero in the guise or outside it. Like the Thames, the course of the plot takes these sketches further and further to the dramatic ending. Situational humor is getting darker and more impenetrable. No hope for the future, so to speak. The attraction, where the hero of the night is on his domestic roller coaster, on an unfamiliar terrain that suddenly ceased to be a paradise and is full of monsters and ghosts. Beware.
Without exaggeration, the cult classic, qualitatively and tastefully, originality is enough to breathe new life into the image of a werewolf, as it seems to me that he exhausted himself even then in the 80s. John Landis built a house brick by brick, adding where necessary to the solution of humor, and where necessary shed blood, but not according to the standard canons, but without departing from them. And the main story as well. All in the best tradition of Tobe Hooper, but with a much larger share of the vast mainstream. It does not affect the atmosphere of this story. Magnificent pitch, transformative humor, flavored with fresh blood dripping from fangs. Entourage with a taste of Guinness, fog, and wolf appetite.
This film has an interesting genre - horror in combination with comedy, which makes this film unique, since such a genre is not common due to the fact that not every director can make it really scary and funny at the same time.
American Werewolf in London reminded me of Evil Dead, which is also a cult movie. Comparing them, I can say with confidence that “Evil Dead 2” he did not surpass. Again, the latter has more comedy than horror, but nonetheless.
People who don’t appreciate this movie because it’s not scary don’t realize that there was a slightly different view of horror at the time. Now a film is considered scary if there are as many sharp frames and sudden volleys of sounds as possible, and at that time the horrors were frightened by the atmosphere. Perhaps during the viewing, people did not squeal as on the Astral, but, nevertheless, the same night could not sleep.
Continuing the theme of humor, I would like to say that some characters and their actions, or rather one hero and his actions, which should have seemed ridiculous, are absolutely not. Some police assistant does not add extra humorous accent, but only spoils the impression of the script. The moments I really enjoyed were David meeting his dead friend Jack. These moments are full of jokes and funny remarks, but at the same time make us feel frightening tension.
I didn’t care about the love line, although time was given to it quite a bit.
Playing actors is quite ordinary and not outstanding. The main character is constantly in a good mood, even after learning that his best friend is dead.
Overall, the film is slightly above average. It is worth watching if you are already sick of modern horror movies, or you love the movies of the last century, or you are interested in the topic of werewolves, or you just want to relax in the evening.
People Who Don't Know They're Dead: How Do They Approach Unsuspecting Passersby and What Do They Do About It?
Seven years before Sting’s Englishman went to New York, two enthusiastic Americans decided to try out sex tourism in the capital of Great Britain. What happened? Ask Captain Obvious to read the title.
Director John Landis is remembered by the viewer rather for the most spectacular video clips of Michael Jackson, “Twilight Zone” or “Brothers Blues”, “Werewolf...” stands aside, but not hidden in the dark. With the light hand of film critic Roger Ebert, the picture received the status of “familiar, but incomprehensible”, causing a considerable buffoon among the crew. And Mr. Landis only giggled into a fist: “But the iconic.”
Indeed, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the fashion for all evil spirits went back, so it was only in 1981 that the blue screen was projected in theaters by Joe Dante’s Howl, Michael Wadley’s Wolves, and then presented to the audience and the American Werewolf. And the picture would have collected revered her by the state plan popcorn and Coke, if Landis did not open the doors to his friends with a cry: "Zahada, Daraga, guest will be!". In general, the abundance of cameos, in those days caused by their appearance trembling delight, can only be compared with the abundance of unscrupulous rock and roll and swamp pop on the scenes of “tin”, which gave a special flavor.
Actually, that very iconic and turned out thanks to the timely decision of the director: to mix the genre of horror and humor. The reception even in the eighties is not the newest, but it worked. In addition, to everyone’s joy, Landis, against the background of the same type of Movies, gave him beautiful eroticism, blood, music and horror stories. I must admit that the moment of turning into a werewolf was impressive: the viewer, a minute ago laughed at another joke, is already squeezed into a chair and feels the agony of David (the main character). And only the last pervert . . . the intrigue (or the village’s first “herbalist”) could have come up with a mix of the Muppet Show and the invasion of foreign monsters more like the mutated Mr. Breecher from The Snake Valley Conjuring (oh, if you knew how this Polish film broke my childhood psyche...) In general, “Werewolf...” is the rare case when the rattleswept mixture gave an excellent result.
What does every patriotic American dream of on British soil? Raise a star-striped streak in Trafalgar Square and say, “We are not slaves!” We're not slaves! Not for nothing, David, eager for his own arrest, chanting savorfully: "Queen Elizabeth is a man!" Prince Charles is a fag! Winston Churchill was a complete s***! Shakespeare is French! (it is not hard to guess, the last statement sounded the most offensive). And where does a disgruntled werewolf go from his fate? Which way to run? Where to find comfort? The Piccadilly Porn Movie Theatre is fine. You probably also go to the daytime sessions of “adult films” in order to speculate about the fate of the world, delve into yourself, just think about the futility of being. After all, get advice from a deceased friend:
- Have you ever spoken to a corpse? Boring! I'm so lonely, buddy. Kill yourself. M?
- It's easy for you to say you're already dead.
- No, we're there and not there. Stuck in limbo until the werewolf curse is lifted. Kill yourself.
And with what excitement all the victims of the night hunt together chose for David ways of leaving life! Some staff managers should learn such teambuilding.
- Sleeping pills.
- The gun.
Great idea, I know where to get it.
- A gun is good. Put it on your head and pull the trigger.
- And if you stick it down your throat, you won't miss.
- Knife.
- Electric shock.
- Car accident.
- You can throw yourself under the train.
- Drowning.
- Thank you, you're so caring,' sighs David and eyewitnesses the screen with the "hot" movie. What do you do when the minute of arrival is near? . .
Why, then, did Ebert "misunderstand" the film? It was not enough for the director to twist the overdrive regulator to the maximum and let himself out of the framework of conditional decency. Troops hanging among the living, and naked charms planted, but distributed them too evenly, the apogee did not happen. However, one black guy was still inspired by the film and asked to make a Thriller for him with the participation of “great and terrible”. Vincent Price. But that, as they say, is a completely different story...
Two American students David and Jack (Naton and Dunn) travel as "savages" in England. In a deserted place near the strange tavern “Killed sheep” they are attacked by a monster in the guise of a huge wolf. Jack dies of severe wounds, and David gets away with scratches. When David wakes up in the hospital, he quickly starts building eyes for local nurse Alex (Agather). Soon, however, he is haunted by the ghost of a ripped Jack, who says that on the next full moon, David himself will turn into a monster. The only way to prevent this is to commit suicide.
Of course, American Werewolf in London cannot be considered innovative in any of its purely artistic forms. This is not the first film about werewolves in the history of cinema, nor is it the first “comedy horror” and even for John Landis this is not the first experience in the genre of “horror films”, although his “Banana Monster” of the 73rd year and went unnoticed by the general public. But in terms of the received awards and the level of audience love, the picture “American Werewolf in London” will give a head start to many of its competitors: the best horror film according to the Saturn award, the Oscar for best makeup (for the first time in history awarded on a competitive basis), the 34th place among the best “horror films” according to the figures of the genre and an honorable presence in the list of Stanley Kubrick’s favorite films. Do you agree, intriguing?
Come on, let's leave all this fireworks awards and confessions on the pages of history. What about the movie itself? In my opinion, this is a pretty sweet and pleasant picture, which, however, I can not call a masterpiece of world cinema. Despite the fact that formally “American Werewolf in London” is a “comedy horror” neither about homeric laughter nor about chilling horror, of course, there is no question. But at the same time, the symbiosis of conditionally funny and conditionally terrible turned out to be surprisingly subtle and interesting, which primarily indicates the presence of a sense of proportion and taste in John Landis. From the “horror” in this picture there is an excellent, atmospheric beginning with an incident on peatlands, as well as a perfectly filmed process of transforming the main character into a fierce wolf. And for the “comedy” was responsible, first of all, cool dialogues between David and Jack, and mostly held after the death of the second of them.
"American Werewolf in London" is an easy, non-binding movie, which can certainly interest both fans of the genre of "comedy horror" and those who just like to watch different films.
Due to the fact that the American werewolf to get on VHS in the 90s was not difficult, the film became a cult in the ranks of schoolchildren, still cheerfully punching on the puddle with a stick, making a strong impression on the child's consciousness. It was one of the first horror films for me, and maybe the first, so I couldn’t escape the myth-creating influence of the imagination.
Everything would have ended so well with the movie if I hadn’t been stung in the ass to watch it. Unfortunately, I misrepresented it for myself, realizing that the film is losing on all fronts.
Like horror, he clings to his main audience - the youth and is prone to all the cheap clichés of the 80s. As a comedy, that's my subjective opinion, but I never found John Landis funny or witty. Either I'm so stupid or his humor is flat. The romantic component is about nothing, although Agutter is +. Separate images and scenes in the film are very good (the tie-up, the transformation), but they do not want to assemble into one full-fledged picture and the monster of Frankenstein comes out, with pinches, a splitter and a ridiculous ending.
I felt cheated, and once again I realized that my favorite childhood movies can not be reviewed. Unless it's a series of Evil Dead, of course.
A year later, John Carpenter’s The Thing comes out, and that’s it.
Who has not cursed American tourists, who has not cursed them? In the case of David and Jake, the Zeitgast-cut optimists, the world's irritation finally materialized - into a werewolf from the British outback. Jake is torn to shreds and David wakes up in a London hospital with scars but no appetite. A little later, he is visited by the shreds of a dead friend and ask David for an urgent suicide, because, they say, he is no longer a man - he is an animal.
Until they ceased to be believed seriously, werewolves were the main and perhaps the most elegant argument in favor of the idea that homo homini still lupus est, and the neighbor sometimes does not like, but eats. Centuries passed with a brave march, primitive fear infamously capitulated to common sense, Latin died, however, without resting, and werewolves degraded to swings in shirts and secondary characters of Lukyanenko - but international wisdom remained. It remained and still hangs dangerously low over the universe with a sword of Damocles, as if he did not assure us through the mouth of the spirit of Che Guevara Pelevin that, friends, capitalism is in the yard, and for a long time there in the proverb there is not about the wolf, and man has disappeared somewhere. No, both are with us; both are.
John Landis' "American Werewolf in London" is routinely praised for its grandiosely monstrous makeup, for the unobtrusive banter over equally nasty ape American tourism and elephantic British arrogance, for how admirably contrasts with the deterministic simplicity of the overcast finale an extremely major song on the credits. Leaving aside all these reasons for well-deserved and long since thundered applause, we will argue with the last and most important classical belief about the film: American Werewolf in London is the first comedy horror film. It's not a movie where it's scary and heh-hah. This is a lycanthropic horror without lycanthropy and without horror: the title character himself crawls into the frame only a couple of times, and from periodically coming scabs of the dead, he pulls stories from the crypt. This is a comedy without laughter and without smiles: it is from every cheerful humorous remark, as well as from the monopenisual cheerfulness of the film in general, that it gives off a lead, almost poetic sadness.
This is — let’s still say this inappropriately formidable word — tragedy; the ball is governed by reflection. A battle between conscience and animal instinct, a battle between love for others and self. Man is indeed a wolf to man—man against, wolf against, living against, dead against, but life and death are for, and they are stronger. It's nobody's fault, nothing can be done. All that remains is, like Landis, to sing, dance, and laugh; to cry, as another film, which is essentially about the same thing, is to cry alone.
There aren’t really many good werewolves movies. Without taking into account the old film of George Wagner with pioneers in the horror genre (Bela Lugosi, Lon Cheney Jr., etc.), I would note the film by Michael Nichols “The Wolf (1994)” with Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer and the earlier film by John Landis “American Werewolf in London (1981)”.
Two young Americans decided to travel. The first place the boys decided to go was England. And then one night, as they slowly wandered through the desert and dark wastelands, they were attacked by something like a huge wolf. One friend was savagely torn apart, and the other's life was saved. But now he has the curse of a werewolf.
From the first frames, what is happening is shrouded in some mystery. We see amazing expanses (in the style of "Baskerville Dogs"), blank fields, plains, surrounding a place called East Proctor, where the heroes enter the tavern there. American John Landis managed to delightfully show on the screen the British outback with its characteristic spirit. Local residents, secretive and sullen with strangers, a tavern (with a frightening name) and its internal stylization under the good old England, in general, the director has everything turned out “hurrah”!
At the beginning, the atmosphere of anxiety, mysticism and mystery just goes off the scale. The scene before and after the werewolf attack is saturated with classic English tales about evil spirits. But then, with the movement of the action to modern London (80s), this environment is lost over time and acquires (often for new horror) an unpleasant urban hue. Although the appeal of the sinister story does not end there. In many ways, the horror and nightmare of what is happening is due to makeup. It is impossible not to bow to Rick Baker, who has done an amazing job, awarded two awards at once - "Oscar" and "Saturn". The episode with the appeal to the werewolf song "Blue moon" Bobby Vinton came out extremely natural and very memorable.
The whole film, in addition to the night hunt of a werewolf in the light of the moon, is pretty full of comedic moments, sometimes not quite suitable. On the other hand, without them, the tape would be too gloomy. However, the pretentious, perhaps even sarcastic name for this genre - "American werewolf in London" is quite consistent with its content.
Terrifying, but not devoid of black humor, the work of John Landis deserves to be considered one of the best films about werewolves.
For some reason, among fans of horror films (or rather, old horror films) it is customary to compare the picture of John Landis with Joe Dante’s “War”. Perhaps the fact is that both paintings came out around the same time and are based on myths about werewolves. If I compare them, Landis's film, I think, in many respects, leaves a picture of Joe Dante far behind. First, Landis has a better plot and characters. Secondly, his werewolf is more like a real one (for makeup, the picture was awarded at one time a deserved Oscar).
However, Landis's film is miserably inferior to "Woy" in the atmosphere. The fact is that “American Werewolf in London” is largely a parody picture, in which it is easy to see the banter over the British and their culture, and most importantly, the banter over the stories about werewolves (even the film “The Wolf Man”, of course, of the old sample). The film has a lot of laughter, jokes, funny situations. The question is: what is a werewolf here - is it frightening? Well, how to say, there is in “American werewolf...” werewolf, but to scare him – no, it’s not about him.
It is difficult to get along in one comedy movie (albeit subtle) and horror: any horror film with a fair amount of humor always outweighs comedy - and "American Werewolf..." is not an exception to the rule. I cannot consider Landis’s film as a horror film – this is such a funny, albeit sometimes to tears sad, story about how tourists from other countries should not go into unfamiliar even for its residents areas of the country. The film is not at all shocking in our time, but it is pleasantly impressive.
If you want something more from a horror movie (are horrors?) about werewolves, then you have a direct road to Joe Dante’s “Woy” – the atmosphere of an unexplored terrible mystery and blind horror lurking around the corner, guarantees you an intense viewing in our days that have seen the views.
The verdict. A funny story about how bad it is to be a werewolf and what to do about it if you suddenly become one.
8 out of 10
For me, John Landis is a comedy director. I’ve watched a lot of his movies, and his comedies are, frankly, incomparable. But, in addition to his usual genre, Landis also shot horror films, although not much. Especially popular is his horror film American Werewolf in London (1981).
The plot revolves around the American tourist David, who together with his friend Jack came to England. Once they were in a quiet but creepy village, where they were not welcomed by the locals. So two American friends decided not to stop here, but to move on. But the further they went, the faster it became dark and scary, especially howling. In the fog, Jack is attacked by a werewolf who immediately kills him. A frightened David goes on the run, but the werewolf reaches him. True, the mythical predator managed only to mark the guy as he was shot by the residents of the town who caught up with the guys. Accordingly, the wounded David was taken to a London hospital, and the case was blamed on a maniac, in which then turned werewolf. Everything would be fine, but David has visions in which his late friend Jack claims that now David has become a werewolf.
The film itself is quite interesting, despite the fact that sometimes the atmosphere of fear disappears. I won’t say it scared me, but I wasn’t bored while watching. Here, I would say, John Landis turned out to be a pretty average horror movie, but certainly smart. Especially here it is nice to see the good performance of actors, among whom, oddly enough, I did not find any famous. I also liked the soundtrack.
Result: Interesting and pleasant, but still average movie. Of course, I recommend to fans of the director’s work and also fans of non-standard horror films. I don’t think it’s John Landis’ best movie, but it’s certainly not the worst.
When you watch this movie, it is sometimes difficult to determine what exactly you are watching: a terrible comedy or a funny horror movie. If in “Zombie named Sean” most of the film is still outright banter, then here most of the plot is characterized by everything – as well as a real and good horror film. But it's so humorous, it's so funny, it's so ironic, it's so witty, it gives you double pleasure. Two in one: and the classic horror star looked and laughed. I enjoyed it and saved time. The fact that John Landis more still specialized in the genre of comedy and the year before that he shot his famous film “Brothers – Blues”, with the help of which he earned money for the shooting of “Werewolf”, the script of which he wrote at the age of 19, but at that time none of the producers wanted to risk their money and trust them to an unknown boy.
This film is still considered one of the best werewolves films. And I think that's the truth. Even shot 16 years later, the film “American Werewolf in Paris” according to the script of the same John Landis, but without any humor and in full seriousness did not have much success. While the rental of “American Werewolf in London” for a year in America alone brought more than $ 30 million, against the film’s 10 million budget. In addition, Michael Jackson liked the film so much that he invited John Landis to shoot a video for the song “Thriller”, based on the plot of “Werewolf”. The success of the clip was just as deafening, it is still considered the best clip of all time. Which also served as a great advertisement for the film. Even now, when crazy special effects will not surprise anyone, amaze the makeup of the characters - zombies and the process of turning a person into a werewolf right before your eyes, detailed and detailed shown on the screen so that it is not scary, namely exciting. In 1981, for the first time in the ceremony “Oscar” was first introduced the nomination “For the best makeup”, owed its appearance to this film. And the first "Oscar" in this category, received, a year later, of course, Rick Baker, for the makeup of a werewolf, making which he took a sample of his favorite dog.
In principle, the plot is simple and uncomplicated. Two friends – a student hitchhiking during the holidays travel to Europe and in England fall into the pub “Killed Lamb” of a village, whose residents with a poorly concealed fear tell each other bearded jokes and hurry to get rid of strangers, leaving them out. “Fear the moon and don’t get out of the way” is the only advice and guidance to departing friends. After that, a dispute broke out in the pub on the topic of going to save friends from a werewolf - a wolf, or fig with them, but the locals will be more targeted. Which perfectly reminded me of the ever-memorable detachments of the people's squad, also deciding whether to go to them on a call, or will resolve itself. At this time, the wolf attacked friends, bit one to death and managed to bite the other, after which he was shot by village heroes who decided to go on call. He woke up three weeks later in the hospital and learned that a friend had died. He was like new. But there is no appetite and nightmares strange at night. And his friend Jack suddenly appeared in reality, urging him to commit suicide before the full moon. Otherwise, he will become a werewolf and kill people. And his victims will not be able to find comfort and are forced to wander in our world, gradually decaying (bravo again to the make-up!), as long as the last werewolf lives. I mean, he's David Koestler. David doesn't want to believe it, but he shouldn't. At the right time, he turns into a wolf and goes hunting, increasing the number of victims. In the morning he woke up in the zoo, completely naked and remembering nothing.
Now he is haunted by a whole crowd of people he has eaten, all vying to advise him to kill himself quickly, introducing the most diverse and effective ways of doing this. - You're all kind! You don’t care if you’re already dead.
So David answers them, summing up this meeting, held in a movie theater. Over which Landis here mocked a lot, as well as over television, making quite funny notes in the shots, which without this quite humor would be really scary.
There is a love line in the movie, of course. The love of David and the nurse he moves in to live with after the hospital. But even love cannot defeat the curse of a werewolf. Only death can do that.
In general, for those who like to laugh and get scared, I recommend this film.
Very funny sounds dashing rock-n-roll on the final credits of this horror. Actually, the soundtrack is very, very good. And in the title of all the songs there is the word "moon".
9 out of 10