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An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Beware of the moon
Review: What can I actually, say about this film? See it and you will love it! I guess I can tell you the story, but I'm not going to tell what happens in the end. First of all, these two amrecain boys, are in England, While in England, a wareworlf attacks them and kills one of then (grossem i know!) But leaves a scar on the other boy. Because of that scar, every full moon he will turn into a WEARWOLF! (ahh!) Now the boy has to chosse to kill himself (how deppressing!) or kill lot's of people as a wearwolf. Watch it to find out.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Okay, I guess
Review: As someone raised on the classic Universal monsters I had high expectations for AWIL. Sadly, few of them were realized. AWIL does have the most powerful, eyepopping jawdropping transformation scene in the history of film. Also, the star does a competent job of portraying the anguish of his position. Aside from that, this movie is quite forgettable.

For one thing, once the transformation is complete we have a "werewolf" that looks like a carpet with big teeth. Second, there is little originality in the basic plot. The "story" is basically a countdown to an ending you can see a mile off if you have ever seen a werewolf movie before.

AWIL commits one unforgivable sin, however; it just isn't scary. Oh there is the occassional startle, but no real horror is generated anywhere. A great deal of this lies in the film's "humor." While the there were a few funny gags the bottom line is the director clearly did not understand how to make a horror movie, so he went for a dark comedy hybrid. The result is too repulsive to be funny (Hey look, that ghost has skin flaking off him, what a riot) and too inane to be scary. While it may be a nice diversion on a Friday night, AWIL is not a classic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Classic Horror Flick
Review: An American Werewolf in London is basically John Landis' take on The Wolfman. (There's even an Easter Egg preview of the Wolfman on this Special Edition disc.)
Instead of having the wolf walk on two legs Wolfman style, however, Landis hired famed makeup artist Rick Baker to design a werewolf that ran on all fours. The results are much more frightening indeed. While by today's standards the wolf may look tame, the transformation sequences and death scenes are very tense.
And Landis, who dirceted many of the National Lampoon movies, doesn't forget to add in a healthy dose of humor here and there, and it works quite well. The movie is somehow both very scary and very funny.
This special edition disc is loaded with extras, including documentaries on the making of the wolf, behind the scenes, outtakes, interviews with John Landis, and recommendations for further viewing.
It's a great horror film, shot beautifully with good makeup and creature effects. Worth seeing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Still good after all these years
Review: Saw this as a child,still enjoy it today. A cult classic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: CAPTURING THE UNCAPTURABLE: THE WEREWOLF
Review: I'll be brief. Here, captured on film is the pain of the metamorphosis of the weir creature so that you almost feel your jaws pop when his do ( if you are experiencing TMJ you may even want to look away during the transformation seen -- you've already felt what he's going through!). The detail of this scene is gruesome and realistic, as fantastic horror can be. Of all the Werewolf films, this one is the most allegorical and metaphoric, about turning into something you seem to have no control over.
That the main chracter is likable only makes you empathize with what he is going through.
I alos like how the Brittish police and the Dr. and people in general are more willing to believe or at least look for supporting evidence that the main chracter David has turned into a werewolf. You get the feling they've dealt with this sort of thing to many times to be as non-believing as their American counterparts are portrayed, which gives credence to the plot and atmosphere.
As for the Nurse taking him in being believable those were different times, when people were still more open. Just think that was little over twenty years ago. How things have changed in such a short period.
The scene with Picadilly circus was as though Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett was writing a horror film; the way people are crazily flocking to the terror for entertainment, though it most likely means their own deaths, is an irony that cannot be overstated today.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fun fun fun!
Review: Funny, frightening, exciting, and still sad, this take on the traditional werewolf story is absolutely spectacular. Outstanding. Remarkable. FUN!

This is another of those films that benefitted from special effects that were revolutionary at the time, and still remain impressive today. Among only three horror films that I can give five stars to, this film is satisfying in the way that a horror movie ought to be. Throughout it, it pays homage to the Lon Cheney werewolf scene, both in dialogue and in overall plotline.

You'll be pleased to find that even after twenty-odd years this film is still a blast.

Enjoy!

T

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The greatest werewolf movie ever made!!!
Review: This is deff. the most scariest, thrilling, werewolf movie out there. It has tonz of gore, blood, and awesome deaths. This is the first werewolf movie where you actually see the transformation between man and wolf. All the other werewolf movies show some features being transformed but then stop the camera and the guy magically grows hair and huge teeth. The acting is great and the screen shots are very well done to give the movie more thrill. The blood and scary music really keep you focused throughout the whole film. This is deff. worth buying, don't wste your time on american werewolf in Paris!! Absolutely herendous!!! The movie dosn't come close to being as good as this one. A deff. Buy in your dvd collection!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: Okay I know I wasn't suppose to laugh at, but I did, and I saw this when I was eight. Now I'm all for a good scary movie, but this isn't scary, but the movie rocked so much. I think the only werewolf film to ever give me the shivers was Wolfen. This is hysterical and you can' deny that the line where the little boy say, "Mommy some naked american man stole my balloons." wasn't funny. Just see this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Over 20 years, and it's still scary!!
Review: This movie is one of the best horror movies I've ever seen!! Makeup Artist Rick Baker is a genius who was ahead of his time. It's scary and funny at times, and you genuinely do care what happens to these characters. DVD has lots of extras to enjoy .

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stick to the roads, keep off the moors...and see this movie!
Review: "An American Werewolf in London" was director John Landis's effort to blend horror with comedy, and he was infinitely more successful at both than Steven Spielberg was with his disastrous attempt at comedy ("1941").

The film opens with a beautiful shot of what is presumably the moors of northern England, but your attention is immediately diverted by Bobby Vinton's cover of "Blue Moon" (its not just bad, it's wonderfully bad). This is immediately followed by a shot of a truck which is not only carrying sheep, it's also carrying two American students. David Kessler (Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne, who bids a cheerful "Bye, Girls" to the sheep as the two set off for a town called East Proctor).

In East Proctor, they go into a pub called "The Slaughtered Lamb" where all conversation stops as they enter. Made to feel unwelcome, they leave and shortly thereafter are attacked by a werewolf. Goodman (Dunne) is killed; Kessler (Naughton) survives.

Kessler finds himself in a London hospital where he is carred for by Nurse Price (Jenny Agutter). He has vivid nightmares and is visited in the hospital (for the first of three times) by his dead friend, Goodman. Each time Goodman appears, his body shows the effects of decomposition. His first appearance is the most comedic in nature, as he mourns the fact that the girl he lusted after found solace in the arms of another at his funeral ("Life mocks me even in death," he says). Another little gem is Goodman's plaintive question to his living friend, "You ever talk to a corpse? It's boring!"

The romance between Naughton and Agutter is a bit too contrived and not well executed, and for the rest of the movie Rick Baker's make up and special effects is the real star of the film. But that shouldn't detract at all from the enjoyment of the movie, its humor or pathos. The soundtrack is fun, too, from the aforementioned Bobby Vinton cover, to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising," and Van Morrison's "Moondance."

This is a thoroughly enjoyable, sometimes gory, sometimes funny, at all times well made film. (NOTE: The R rating this film received is thoroughly deserved for violence and some sexual content).


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