An American Werewolf in London (1981)    Universal/Horror-Comedy    RT: 97 minutes    Rated R (language, graphic violence and gore, male full frontal nudity, strong sexual content)    Director: John Landis    Screenplay: John Landis    Music: Elmer Bernstein    Cinematography: Robert Paynter    Release date: August 21, 1981 (US)    Cast: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Lila Kaye, Brain Glover, David Schofield, Rik Mayall, Don McKillop, Paul Kember, Frank Oz, Anne-Marie Davies, Albert Moses, Geoffrey Burridge, Brenda Cavendish, Sydney Bromley, Frank Singuineau, Will Leighton, Michael Carter.    Box Office: $30.5M (US)/$61.9M (World)

Rating: ****

 In this movie-loving gorehound’s not-so-humble opinion, An American Werewolf in London is the ultimate werewolf movie! Written and directed by John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers), it’s as deliciously gory as it is riotously funny. It’s not easy to pull off an effective horror-comedy; that is, one that succeeds on both levels. Landis totally nails it here.

 I probably wouldn’t have been allowed to see An American Werewolf in London if my father was home the day my favorite cousin drove down for a visit. We were originally going to see Superman II, but since we both already saw it, we decided to see the horror-comedy instead. As a 13YO just being allowed to see R-rated movies for the first time, I jumped at the chance to see a gory horror flick without the fear of Dad forcing me to leave midway through because he didn’t think it was appropriate. Not that he would have ventured anywhere near An American Werewolf in London anyway. I loved it! I thought it was GREAT. Still do.

 Two American college students, David Kessler (Naughton, Hot Dog… The Movie) and Jack Goodman (Dunne, After Hours), are backpacking through northern England. In a small village on the Yorkshire moors, they stop at a pub called “The Slaughtered Lamb” where they’re greeted coldly by the patrons and barmaid (Kaye, Nuns on the Run). When they ask about a five-pointed star painted on the wall, they’re told to leave but warned to stay off the moors. Naturally, that’s exactly where they go. Within minutes, they’re attacked by a large vicious animal. Jack is killed (in very gruesome fashion), but David survives and winds up in a London hospital. The official story is he was attacked by an escaped lunatic. He can’t get anybody to believe it was a wolf. Then his “undead” friend Jack shows up in his hospital room informing him that he will turn into a werewolf at the next full moon. That’s the downside of surviving a werewolf attack.

 At this point, I could go into detail about what happens next, but is it really necessary? By now, most people have already seen An American Werewolf in London and know that David turns into a werewolf. And if you’ve never seen the movie, the title is a dead- or should I say undead?- giveaway. Once he does, the movie really kicks into “COOL!” overdrive starting with the transformation scene. Rick Baker’s amazing effects scored him the first ever Academy Award for Best Makeup. It’s still the best werewolf transformation scene I’ve ever seen. It’s heads and tails above the lazy CGI transformations in the dreadful 1997 sequel An American Werewolf in Paris and the more-recent Twilight movies. The gore effects are also superb. It has enough blood to please even the most demanding gorehound. The finale in Piccadilly Circus is awesome. So much mayhem, so many killings…. SWEET! It’s preceded by a nice bit in a porno theater involving David’s undead victims. Rotting reanimated corpses never looked so good nor have they been funnier. Great job, Rick!

 Landis injects plenty of humor into the gory proceedings with some great one-liners. At one point, David refers to Jack as a “walking meatloaf”. I always crack up when the boy at the zoo says, “A naked American man stole my balloons” in reference to David appropriating his helium-filled souvenirs upon waking up naked in the wolf cage. The choice of songs- “Bad Moon Rising” (CCR), “Moondance” (Van Morrison) and three versions of “Blue Moon”- on the soundtrack is hilarious as well.  I’m a little disappointed he didn’t use Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” as well. How perfect would that be?

 I always liked Naughton. I’ve been a fan since his short-lived 1979 sitcom Makin’ It. He’s awesome in An American Werewolf in London. He makes a great Everyman. Dunne gets the best lines as his deceased but not gone best friend. Jenny Agutter (Walkabout) is positively charming as Alex, David’s nurse and love interest. Frank Oz (The Muppet Show) has a funny cameo as an American Embassy official. Look for The Young Ones’ Rik Mayall in the pub scene.

 Landis hits it out of the park with An American Werewolf in London. It never fails to impress me no matter how many times I rewatch it. It’s perfect on every level. It’s a real howl.