11 October 2024
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
97 min.
Directed by John Landis.
With David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Lila Kaye.
An American Werewolf in London is one of the few instances in which a horror film's sharp comedy does not interfere with its story...or its ability to generate sheer terror.

In the dark of night, NYU student-tourists Dunne and Naughton find themselves backpacking through the English moors, get hopelessly lost, and are brutally attacked by a strange wolf creature.

Poor Naughton is the only survivor, but soon he begins to suspect he's doomed to become a lycanthrope at the first sight of a full moon.

Featuring superb Oscar winning make-up effects by Rick Baker and a joyously fun soundtrack, the real spine of American is its bittersweet storyline excellently carried out by sympathetic leads Naughton and Agutter. With a stupefyingly great climax!

Released the same year as two other "wolf" films (The Howling and Wolfen).

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