HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC # 9 "An American Werewolf in London"
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From time to time I love to see horror movies etc... It's always scary even though I know that it's fake. One of the better movies in its genre is "An American Werewolf in London".
"An American Werewolf in London" is a comedy/horror film released in 1981, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter. This movie won the 1981 "Saturn Award" for Best Horror Film. Although there are several straightforward horror elements to the plot, it is also knowingly funny and ironic, an example of a tongue-in-cheek humor. The film was one of three high-profile werewolf films released in 1981, alongside "The Howling" and "Wolfen", in fact "The Howling" was the first movie where they showed the transformation from man into werewolf. Over the years, the film has accumulated a cult following and has been referred to as a cult classic by some fans.
The film was followed by a 1997 semi-sequel, "An American Werewolf in Paris", which featured a completely different cast.
"An American Werewolf in London" is a comedy/horror film released in 1981, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter. This movie won the 1981 "Saturn Award" for Best Horror Film. Although there are several straightforward horror elements to the plot, it is also knowingly funny and ironic, an example of a tongue-in-cheek humor. The film was one of three high-profile werewolf films released in 1981, alongside "The Howling" and "Wolfen", in fact "The Howling" was the first movie where they showed the transformation from man into werewolf. Over the years, the film has accumulated a cult following and has been referred to as a cult classic by some fans.
The film was followed by a 1997 semi-sequel, "An American Werewolf in Paris", which featured a completely different cast.
Intersting facts to know:
The credits congratulate Prince Charles and Diana Spencer for their wedding and contain the disclaimer "Any resemblance to any persons living, dead, or undead is coincidental"; a similar slogan appears during the ending credits of Michael Jackson's "Thriller", another horror-based movie directed by Landis.
At the end of the credits is a promo card for "Universal Studios" urging viewers to "Ask for Babs". This is a reference to Landis' 1978 film "National Lampoon's Animal House" where the credits list the future occupations of the students, including Babs, who became a tour guide at "Universal Studios". This same card appears in Landis' other films. Until the release of "Animal House" on VHS, asking for Babs at "Universal Studios" actually got people in for free.
The film was produced by "Lycanthrope Productions", a lycanthrope being a person with the power to turn themself into a wolf.
The film's ironically upbeat songs all refer in some way to the moon: Van Morrison's "Moondance", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and particularly "Blue Moon", which plays during the opening credits (Bobby Vinton's slow and soothing version), the film's signature agonizing wolf transformation (as a soft, bittersweet ballad by Sam Cooke) and over the end credits (The Marcels' doo-wop version, lying uneasily over the film's ending). Landis failed to get permission to use Cat Stevens's "Moonshadow" and Bob Dylan's "Moonshiner", both artists feeling the film to be inappropriate. It was stated on the DVD commentary by David Naughton and Griffin Dunne that they were not sure why Landis could not get the rights to Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" — a song that was most appropriate for the film (perhaps Landis dismissed the song on the grounds that it didn't have the word "moon" in the title).
Landis' signature in-joke can be seen when the werewolf runs riot in Piccadilly Circus, where the porn cinema is playing "See You Next Wednesday", (a line also used in Michael Jackson's Thriller video done by Landis) and a poster for the fictitious film can also be seen in the tube station where Gerald Bringsley is attacked by the werewolf. Anyway, I'm still amazed every time I see the transformation from man into werewolf, don't you?
The credits congratulate Prince Charles and Diana Spencer for their wedding and contain the disclaimer "Any resemblance to any persons living, dead, or undead is coincidental"; a similar slogan appears during the ending credits of Michael Jackson's "Thriller", another horror-based movie directed by Landis.
At the end of the credits is a promo card for "Universal Studios" urging viewers to "Ask for Babs". This is a reference to Landis' 1978 film "National Lampoon's Animal House" where the credits list the future occupations of the students, including Babs, who became a tour guide at "Universal Studios". This same card appears in Landis' other films. Until the release of "Animal House" on VHS, asking for Babs at "Universal Studios" actually got people in for free.
The film was produced by "Lycanthrope Productions", a lycanthrope being a person with the power to turn themself into a wolf.
The film's ironically upbeat songs all refer in some way to the moon: Van Morrison's "Moondance", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and particularly "Blue Moon", which plays during the opening credits (Bobby Vinton's slow and soothing version), the film's signature agonizing wolf transformation (as a soft, bittersweet ballad by Sam Cooke) and over the end credits (The Marcels' doo-wop version, lying uneasily over the film's ending). Landis failed to get permission to use Cat Stevens's "Moonshadow" and Bob Dylan's "Moonshiner", both artists feeling the film to be inappropriate. It was stated on the DVD commentary by David Naughton and Griffin Dunne that they were not sure why Landis could not get the rights to Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" — a song that was most appropriate for the film (perhaps Landis dismissed the song on the grounds that it didn't have the word "moon" in the title).
Landis' signature in-joke can be seen when the werewolf runs riot in Piccadilly Circus, where the porn cinema is playing "See You Next Wednesday", (a line also used in Michael Jackson's Thriller video done by Landis) and a poster for the fictitious film can also be seen in the tube station where Gerald Bringsley is attacked by the werewolf. Anyway, I'm still amazed every time I see the transformation from man into werewolf, don't you?
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posted by Patrick at Wednesday, August 08, 2007
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