Remember back in the early 1980s when special-effects makeup artists were tripping over themselves to create the next big effect? The Howling boasted a fantastic werewolf transformation scene courtesy of makeup wizard Rob Bottin. Then along came Bottin's mentor, Rick Baker, with his own spectacular effects in this popular horror comedy directed by John Landis. An American Werewolf in London is more of a makeup showcase than a truly satisfying movie, but the film is effectively moody when David Naughton discovers that a wolf attack has turned him into a bloodthirsty lycanthrope. Jenny Agutter plays his love interest (watch out, he bites!), and who can forget Griffin Dunne as Naughton's best friend, an undead corpse who progressively rots away as the plot unfolds? All things considered, it's easy to see why An American Werewolf in London became a modern horror favorite. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Rating:
Summary: Throat-Ripping, Frightful Intensity
Comment: Director John Landis steps away from directing hilarious comedies like Animal House to bring this frightful encounter. Two American travelers trek across the English mores, even though they were warned to be careful of the creatures of the night. As one of the travelers is bitten by some mysterious dog, he slowly comes to the realization that he has become a werewolf and must make the ultimate decision, whether or not to live or die, so he can save the people he loves.

The special effects in this film still stand the test of time, as no computer technology is used to digitally insert a life-like werewolf in the movie. In fact, the only time the werewolf is ever seen is for no more than 2 to 3 seconds, leaving it up to the imagination of the audience to decide how scary the werewolf may be. The make-up in this movie also stands out as the recently devoured victims remain among the living as they slowly deteriorate into the walking dead.

A first time experience for actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, both do an excellent job in conveying humor and frightful intensity throughout the film. Actress Jennifer Aguter also brings forth an amazing performance as the sensual love interest of the werewolf. If you ever feel the need to watch An American Werewolf in Paris, STOP! and go rent this one, the film is far superior and really lets your imagination run wild in no way that modern movies allow you to do anymore, plus it delivers both humor and fear in a throat-ripping blast of a movie.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: An American Werewolf in London
Comment: Another cult film with Jenny Agutter. She nurses a guy turning into a werewolf. The movie parodies itself. Moon songs are played. The best is Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival. John Fogerty of CCR wrote 20 rock classics including Proud Mary and Green River. The scene where David Naughton turns into a werewolf is disturbing. Jenny Agutter has had some weird love interest. In Walkabout, she is with an aborigine. In Logan's Run, it is a Sandman. In Othello, it is Shakespeare's black soldier. Here, it is a werewolf.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic
Comment: I sneaked in to see this at the odeon, on my own, when I was 16, and when the howling on the moors scene came on, I wished I hadn't. By the time the tube station scene came, I wanted to go home. Most horror films NEVER live up to the blurb, but this is still truly a classic, ahead of its time all the way back then, and still good today. Recommended.

Baby Cromwell, Nottingham, England

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A good werewolf movie
Comment: A very good werewolf movie. But the special effects could have been better but it had a very good story line and there is some comdey in it as well.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic film- disapointing tranfer
Comment: There is no doubt that this dark comedy horror- is a genre classic. Award winning make up fx from Rick Baker and the usual fun direction from john Landis.
The film works on many levels and remains as one of my favourite movies ever, still fun after many viewings- and the 'english rose' Jenny Agutter is pleasing on the eye.
The one thing that lets this version down is the transfer to HD-DVD
taking into consideration the age of the film (1981 i believe- or there abouts) you'd expect grain- but with todays technology and other older transfers being incredible! This is a disapointing transfer and showed up very grainy on my 1080p tv- especially the moors sections which looked worse than my DVD version!?? (how they managed this i do not know)
Great film- dissapointing transfer- if got on dvd already- save your money- you'll be let down.

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