Review of An American Werewolf in London (1981) by Al M — 11 Aug 2010
A truly brilliant self-conscious hybrid of comedy and horror that manages to be funny while still be truly creepy and atmospheric, a feat achieved by few horror comedies. From the beautiful cinematography of the British moors to the still impressive metamorphosis scene set to the tune of "Blue Moon," John Landis creates a film filled with gore and laughs.
There are numerous unforgettable scenes such as the one in the backwoods British pub, the hospital dream sequences, the metamorphosis scenes, and of course the scene where David converses with a host of zombies that he has killed in a porno theatre.
Landis's film directly evokes previous werewolf films--David feels he is like Lon Chaney, Jr. (the earlier, American version of the character from the Universal films) as opposed to Oliver Reed (the later, British version from the Hammer films) which his girlfriend mentions, yet such moments never seem heavy-handed or overly silly.
An American Werewolf in London is how horror-comedies should be made, and it fits in the panteon of greats next to gems like the original Evil Dead film and Shaun of the Dead.
This review of An American Werewolf in London (1981) was written by Al M on 11 Aug 2010.
An American Werewolf in London has generally received positive reviews.
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