AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

An American Werewolf in London Movie Review

American students Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne) and David Kessler (David Naughton from the "Be A Pepper" Dr. Pepper commercials) backpack...wait. You don't know those commercials? A youngster you must be. For those of us old enough to recall those ads, simply hearing the phrase "be a pepper" triggers the song from the deepest, darkest depths of our memory bank. For those of you not old enough to know what I'm talking about...well...here you go...

You're welcome

Back to it--the Americans are backpacking around the UK when they are attacked by a werewolf. Jack gets killed, while David begins to feel a bit...transformed. If you're reading this, there is a very good chance you have seen this movie, or at the very least, you have heard of it. A long-time personal favorite, I'm surprised that after twelve years of writing these reviews, I've never dedicated the time to taking a look at this one (though I did mention an attraction based on the film in reviewing something else). Brought to us by famed and (primarily) comedy film director John Landis, this 1981 flick indeed mixes laughs with scares, and does a wonderful job finding a balance between the two elements, something incredibly hard to pull off. The scene in the London Underground, when the werewolf emerges from the top of the frame as we see the victim trying to escape up the escalator, is one of the more terrifying things you will see in any movie, and is one of my all-time favorite shots. 

"Maybe I got a Milk-Bone"

The most recognizable scene in the movie is likely the transformation one--40 years after this movie was made, this still holds up, and is universally recognized as an iconic moment in horror history. The makeup and special effects are fantastic all throughout the movie, and is just one of many reasons Rick Baker is considered one of the greats in the makeup effects world. The story itself is fair enough--there is nothing groundbreaking on this end, but there's enough to keep you interested, especially when the lads are at The Slaughtered Lamb, hanging around the weirdo locals. That said, there is nothing offensively bad about the movie...unless you're Dr. Pepper, that is. Naughton lost his gig as their spokesman for doing nude scenes in this film. There is plenty of carnage along the way, all leading to an ending that is somewhat anticlimactic, but gloriously abrupt. Again, I assume if you're reading this, you've seen An American Werewolf in London...if by chance you haven't, do yourself a favor and buy it. 

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 8

An American Werewolf in London Movie Trailer