Thank you to Universal Picture for cleaning up the print of 1981 horror classic An American Werewolf in London, and then releasing it in movie theatres over Halloween.
I haven't seen this in many years, to the point where I couldn't remember specific moments. But the film still plays as effectively as it did all those years ago.
Of course, what writer/director John Landis is unmatched in achieving is that incredibly rare blend of horror and comedy. The humorous moments are either a few scattered classic Landis moments, relying on deadpan delivery and comic timing, or natural character banter as the leads ramble and joke to de-stress themselves from potential horrific events. Perhaps because the comic banter makes the characters more realistic, and easier to empathise with, the sudden bursts of graphic violence seem that much more startling.
After not having seen it for so long it's amazing how Landis has managed to capture British culture in the early '80's; there's a real north/south divide written into the script with the uncomplicated, straight-forward country folk of the north clashing with the plummy professional types of London. There's also the British Bobby who's disinterested in making an arrest and the stiff upper lip delivery of Agutter. Talking of stiff, actress Jenny Agutter was in her beautiful prime here, and Landis knows it, lighting her in soft focus at every opportunity.
Landis isn't afraid to push things in the shocks and homour departments. The shocks are spread out evenly and still create a jump. The werewolf transformations are only rivalled by The Thing effects one year later. The animal attacks are gorey and vicious (I forgot what a frenzied affair the Picadilly Circus finale was). Plus the comedy ventures into the surreal (David talking to his zombie mates in a porn theatre) and slapstick (Paul Kember's cop sidekick). In true Landis style he even manages to naturally include some musical moments using classic tunes with 'moon' in the title...alongside Elmer Bernstein's fantastic, old fashioned score.
This is still my favotite 'straight' horror film...if there is such a thing, without the genre muddiness of science fiction and broad comedy getting into the mix. And it still contains one of the freakiest moments in horror cinema; the werewolf approaches the escalator in the London Underground. Everytime I go to use London Tube, I'm still on my guard. Bad doggie.
2 comments:
Gutted. Didn't realise this was showing on the big screen. Heard they clened up the print for a HD release though.
I may have to rewatch soon. After Dg Soldiers as well. Another wolf classic. Still great 7 years later, I wonder if it will stand the 30 yearvtest like this. Certainly no sign of a woeful sequel yet anyway :/
Can yee not get rid of that word verfication posting request young Rob
I love this movie. It’s my fave horror film and is lodged firmly in my top ten films of all time. I already own the bluray and watched it prior to this cinema screening just a couple weeks ago. But to see this bad boy on the big screen with an audience has always been one of my biggest cinema-going ambitions. And I’ve now done it. And it was amazing. I was grinning like an idiot all the way through.
As a life long horror fan - especially werewolves (love 'em) - AAWWIL was a film I closely followed every part of its production of as a kid - especially through Starburst magazine (I still have the original issue from ‘81 somewhere with AAWWIL on the cover). Unfortunately when it came out in ’81 I couldn’t see it at the cinema what with it being an X certificate and me being only eleven. I remember walking past the old Odeon as a kid and looking longingly up at the poster. So I did the next best thing. I made my mum and dad go see it and then give me a blow by blow account of the whole movie when they got back. It wasn’t until its release on home video in the early eighties that I finally got to see it for myself. And I was scared, amused, thrilled, shaken…not to mention also rather stirred by Nurse Alex. And I’ve been hooked on this film ever since. It is quite simply brilliant! It works perfectly in everything it does. The story is simple, lean and tight. It doesn’t piss about. Just twenty minutes in and poor Jack and David are having a very bad time of it on the moors. The commentary on Britain in the early eighties is spot on whether it’s the north/south divide, the NHS and its grumpy orderlies, the awful (then) three channel TV or the trashy tabloids flogging their wares that we still suffer. Landis nails the feel of the country like probably only an outsider could have done. The comedy is brilliantly funny too but never overshadows the horror, which is why Landis always maintains that AAWWIL is not a comedy film. It is a horror film that has some humorous moments…like most movies do. They just happen to be done in Landis’ inimitable style. And then there’s the FX. Amazing! Never bettered. Along with Rob Bottin’s work on The Thing the following year, Rick Baker’s stunning transformation and full-on beast work still thrills. It is the best that creature FX can deliver and which no CGI can ever replace. The films quadruped ‘hell hound’ is simply the best designed and scariest werewolf ever and one of THE best movie monsters ever. It looks like pure ferocious evil with teeth so big it can literally rip a mans head clean off. For the ’82 Oscars they had to invent a whole new category of Oscar (Special make-up FX) just for this film to win it.
The digital presentation looked gorgeous. A pin sharp and blemish free picture that made Robert Paynter’s great cinematography standout more than ever. I love the lighting on the moors and the dark shadows of Alex’s flat when Jack comes to visit. Creepy as anything. The sound was loud and clear and I even picked up on a few tiny dialogue bits and subtle music cues I hadn’t heard before. The scares don’t really get me anymore, as I know the film backwards. But they are so well done that I couldn’t help but flinch slightly when David has his fucked up ‘yellow eyes’ dream in the woods and when cheery toffs Harry & Judith get wolfed outside their friends flat. “Sean, I think there are some hooligans in the park again.” LOL
And then there is that ending. Sudden, brutal, sad. A real downer…which suddenly cuts from sobbing Nurse Alex to black screen and up tempo song over the credits. Love it. Like the rest of the film it’s straight to the point with no arsing around. Jobs done. David’s dead. No happy ever after. Story is over. Go home. Mint!
“Beware the moon!”
“And stick to the road. Oops!”
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