So, John Landis (writer, director) & Rick Baker (makeup) started working on this film in the 70s - Landis told Baker he had an idea for a werewolf film, & suggested that he go ahead & design, 'modern', werewolf makeup. So, Baker did, but Landis didn't get a chance to actually make the film for a while, & in the meantime, Baker was hired to do makeup for another werewolf film, 'The Howling', so he went ahead & used the makeup he'd designed for American Werewolf for The Howling. So, he had to completely redesign it all again once Landis called & said, 'you ready to work on this werewolf with me? I'm finally able to get it done.' Also - take note that all of the songs in this film reference the moon. And a final bit of trivia, it was seeing this film that inspired Michael Jackson to ask Landis to direct the video for his song, 'Thriller'.
The first werewolf movie that really let you watch the transition. I miss practical effects. When he watches his hand as it's growing you can practically FEEL it.
I almost wasn't going to watch this reaction until I noticed Jenny Agutter in the still! Then I decided that this might not be a bad film after all. She has played in "Logan's Run" and "Walkabout". She still acts and was in a "New Tricks" episode a few years ago. She is currently in something called "The Railway Children Return". She was still a child when the original "Railway Children" ran on TV. And you are correct, John Woodvine (Dr. J. S. Hirsch) did play on a Dr, Who episode in the 1970s.
Jenny Agutter's line at the end, as Alex, "I love you, David", and then the Werewolf's fierce eyes softened, as if It somehow, on an instinctive level, understood.. Touching... And then, It's feral nature took over, and It attempted to leap at Alex, very tragic and sad
When I was a kid, HBO had this, Fright Night, and House in constant rotation. They still make a great 80's horror triple feature. Werewolves, vampires, ghosts. All your basic food groups.
PS: One thing I love about this film is Jenny Agutter as Nurse Alex! Because they're so adorable together, and she's so cool, we overlook about 10,000 red flags and plot holes! That's the REAL special effect of the movie! Lol! Her sobbing at the end is so genuine.....and then slamming into the doo-wop version of "Blue Moon".....what an ending! PSS: Griffin Dunne, who played Jack, next starred in one of the great movies of the 80s, Martin Scorsese's "After Hours". Definitely one for your list! Amazing cast, crazy movie.
In the radio-play, the villagers knew one of their own was the werewolf. They holed up themselves, allowing visitors to become victims, but were terrified that someone would talk and expose their accessory-to-murder complicity. At the end of that radio-play, the villagers come into London armed with the proper 'silver bullets' and kill David.
This is one of my favorite horror movies. Funny and scary. I enjoy Jenny Agutter in anythibg she does. I was a big fan of her role in Logan's Run, too. I don't know how David Naughton didn't have more lead roles in bigger films.
Other Jenny Agutter movies worth seeing "Walkabout" and "Equus". Plus the BBC TV series "Call The Midwife" which I'm sure you would love A group of nuns are midwives in 1950s London serving mostly the poor in post War Britain
I tried to watch Call the Midwife, but I still have minor ptsd from being a sister and I don’t like children, so it just made me miserable watching it. I can see the appeal for others, though.
I was about 6 years old when this came out. I saw it for the first time when I was either 8 or 9. That dream sequence where David is lying in the hospital bed and Alex walks up to him. Then he quickly opens his yellowish eyes and bears his discolored fangs. Man, that scene stayed with me for years. I didn't have nightmares though. I was easily able to hide what I saw from my parents. By the time I was around 12, my mother would pay for all my horror film rentals. I rented a lot of them. I guess my mother just gave in. I don't know why.
I must've been about 11 or 12 when I saw this and I still think about the Underground scenes whenever I visit London some 40+ years later. If you haven't see it, look out for the 'Inappropriate' movie in John Landis' 'Trading Places' too ! The stunt driver for the bus crash was none other that the legendary Vic Armstrong. 1981 was a good year for him as he was also the Number One stand in for Harrison Ford in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. His career really took off from here. You mentioned the music but did you notice how many referenced the moon in the title or lyrics ? And a quick shout out for the legendary British Comic, the late, great Rik Mayall who was one of the chess players in the pub. RIP Rik
Still love this film after 41 years. It made me laugh so much back in the day and every time I hear CCR's 'Bad Moon Rising'..... Decomposing Jack !!! ... And I had a huge crush on Jenny Agutter. The ground breaking transformation scene was truly awesome back in 1981 and still holds up today. Excellent film by John Landis. Great review Alexa.
A: Rick Baker- makeup- is THE MAN. As a makeup artist myself, he is one of the legends of the field for good reason. Using materials in new and innovative ways to create the transformation effects, he simply re-defined what a werewolf could look like. B: I also love the parasol book series. Very well-written, funny, clever. I wish there were more of them.
So glad to see you react to this. Your interests and this film were tailor made for each other. You get it, and it gets you. I saw this right between high school and college - and, in its time, the genre and tonal shifts were unique, which made it extra terrifying, since we couldn’t prepare for what was coming next.
Great opening scene foreshadow of David and Jack riding in the back of a truck of sheep on their way to probably be slaughtered. I love the abrupt ending too as it cuts to the credits and yet another "moon" themed song.
The name of the porno movie, See you next Wednesday, is an inside joke that John Landis puts in most of his films since his first film Schlock. I had noticed it in this movie as well as The Blues Brothers and in Trading Places when they were first on video. Every time I would rewatch the movies it kept kind of ringing a bell in my head till I finally figured it out. It is usually advertising a movie of some form. It also shows up in the extended music video of Thriller because John Landis was the director and also used the same special effects artists to create the transformation of Michael Jackson into a werewolf. If you haven't really watched the long version of the Thriller video it would be a fun Halloween video to react to. Even if you have seen it before it would still be interesting to compare after having seen American Werewolf in London.
TRIVIA: When Writer-Director John Landis was scouting locations, the theater he chose in Piccadilly ran cartoons. When he returned to shoot the film it was a porno theater. The porn film scene was shot for the film by Landis, due to Directors Guild reasons and to avoid an X rating (which is why he didn't use a real porn film). The title of the porn film, See you Next Wednesday, is a running gag with Landis and appears in many of his films.
"Take your backpack off...it can be a shield." YES! I fell in love with you when you made that statement. I have always thought that watching this movie. If I ever face a zombie apocalypse (or werewolf) I want you by my side!
"A naked American man stole my balloons." 😂 You can't take this movie seriously. 😂 Fun Fact: Mr. Collins is the one and only Frank Oz. Not only is he an actor and director, but is also the voice actor. Best known as the voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Yoda. Director Cameo Fact: John Landis appears briefly near the end of the film. He is the bearded man who gets hit by a car and thrown through the plate glass window in Piccadilly Circus. Practical Make-up Fact: Rick Baker (the winner of the very first Academy Award for Best Make-up that was created the year this movie came out) claimed to have been disappointed by the amount of time spent shooting the face changing shot for the transformation after having spent months working on the mechanism. John Landis only required one take lasting about seven seconds. Baker felt he had wasted his time until seeing the film with an audience that applauded during that one seven second shot.
When you talked about the outsider trope in some movies it made me think of a movie called Race with the Devil from 1975. It stars Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker as two couples taking an RV trip from San Antonio to Colorado but run into dire trouble when they witness a ritual sacrifice and are seen. After that they're on the run and hunted. They are scared and constantly nervous about who to trust. It's simple, well done and lots of fun with a great ending.
Alexa, them cutting to black and the credits just as she saw him as a dead human was like a joke, like Surprise, here are the credits, and the song, Blue Moon by the Marcells is one of my favorite songs, they are an acapella group and i like it when one of them Screams their part of the song, like Aieeee
I saw this on HBO when I was seven years old. While I am nostalgic for that sort of thing, in retrospect my parents and I sort of agree that I was allowed to watch way too much stuff in those young years. The dark humor throughout it does balance out the scariness. Your reactions and observations are a lot of fun.
A recommendation for you 'paperhouse' 1988 movie. See what you think. American werewolf scared the wits out of me when I saw it in the 80's as a teen. Great reaction as always, Alexa.
The only werewolf film I have liked is the Wolf Man with Lon Chaney Jr. The tone of this one is attempting to balance horror and comedy and it doesn't completely work for me. Also this film was the first to receive the Oscar for Best Hair/Makeup.
This is the best Werewolf movie ever. The Howling is a werewolf movie that comes close to this movie. I am watching the Howling sequels and so far they suck. Ginger Snaps is a good lady lead werewolf movie which stars the actress that played young Beverly from the IT miniseries. Sliver Bullet is a good Werewolf movie based on a Stephen King book, Cycle of the Werewolf. Wolf is a good movie starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfiefer. Of course the original Wolfman is a classic. I like the remake as well even though it got some mixed reception from audiences. It was good, just not as good as the original.
I think you might enjoy The Loved One (1965), based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh. A very funny black comedy about British expatriates and the funeral industry in Hollywood.
The city gent hurtling through the underground. With the werewolf in pursuit, put me off travelling by Tube forever. This is one of those horror films that makes you laugh one minute and yet leap out of your seat in terror the next! Trafalgar Square became a no go zone. Try Salems Lot, Alexa, if you haven't already seen it. Another is the film, The Haunting Of Hill House?? (Or Hell House?) By Shirley Jackson. One more: The Curse Of The Werewolf, starring Peter Cushing. Just three great horror movies to sample.
I might have misinterpreted, but you seemed a bit confused by The Muppets on TV in the movie. The original 5 seasons of The Muppets Show was co-funded and co-produced by ATV (co-funded Thunderbirds), and filmed at ATV's Elstree Studios in the UK There was usually an extra sketch in the UK show (possibly because we have fewer adverts).
I don't quite follow your comments, sorry! I am well aware that a Muppet TV show exists, it just seemed odd to see in the UK and I was figuring out it was a dream sequence set back in America. And yes, you are correct, that is Frank Oz in that early scene, as I pointed out in the video :) he was involved with the Muppets.
@@alexachipman Sorry Alexa. I'll try and be clearer (I was very tired after a long busy week 🙂). Jim Henson couldn't get funding for The Muppet TV show in the US, but he got funding from a UK TV station (ATV - who also funded Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds). So, it was shown first in the UK and then a little later, in syndication, in the US. So he was just watching it on TV (no dreaming involved 🙂). Part of the deal was that the show was also filmed in the UK, this continued when they started having hugely famous guest stars. Also, the episodes contained an extra "UK" song or skit, that the US didn't get. This might have been because we have less advertising and so they had extra time to fill in the UK. Looking forward to seeing what other "delights" are waiting in the Scary Sesson run.
I hear you about today's inflation, but she's talking about 80s inflation where interest rates were 14%! I was actually lucky to have parents who put some money away at the time because that paid for my college later on
Well I am not an economist, so I don’t really pay attention to interest rates, but I can tell you it takes $55 to fill my gas tank now and all pricing around here has DOUBLED.
Yeah, the Hammer horror trope of the unfriendly pub definitely inspired the screenwriter and/or director John Landis, who likely contributed many of the humorous elements, as he’s known more for directing irreverent comedies, e.g., “the Blues Brothers,” “Animal House,” and “Trading Places.” Indeed, the ending was rushed and the overall pacing was erratic. The Big Transformation was great, but I think this movie’s reputation hangs too heavily on that. It’s good, but not great. (Frankly, Landis' "Thriller" video for Michael Jackson was better in many ways.) A great one from this early ’80s werewolf cycle is “The Howling,” which is scarier and also has humor, but it’s more subtle, e.g., satirizing ‘70s cults and new age self-improvement trends, e.g., est et al., which were descendants of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s counterculture era. The star of this film, David Naughton, is notable in the context of when the film was made. Growing up in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, this guy was everywhere, most notably in Dr Pepper TV ads, singing and dancing through the gritty streets of New York like an old MGM musical (check them out on RU-vid). Then he starred in a very short-lived sitcom called “Making It,” for which he sang the theme song---a show featuring a bunch of up-and-coming actors like Naughton. I think he also put out an album, then came this film. He was one of the pop culture juggernauts of that era. As for Halloween, any time after Labor Day is spooky time----and no Christmas stuff until Nov. 1! And stay off the moors!
When he became a werewolf how did he open the door to go outside 🤔. Now if he wanted to get arrested he should have punched the cop that would have done it
Night of the Living Dorks 2004 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978 Let the Right One In, 2008 HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) DUEL (1971) FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) Nosferatu (1922) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Friday the 13th (1980) Scream (1996) Halloween (1978) The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
Alexa , there aren't many movies about halloween, but there were the horror movies called Halloween, never watch Fun Size, it was unbearable, alot of people watch horror for some reason. when i was little, Halloween was thousands of years old and was about portals opening up to another world/dimension? and creatures from that world were coming through, so we had to disguise ourselves as not to be taken. the only movie i can think of besides Masters of the Universe (1987) that has portals where creatures come out, they do in Masters, is the Mortal Kombat movies from the 1990s, watch both if you can.
What a great - and interesting reaction to one of my favorite horror films. From the very beginning you were tuned into the HUMOR of this movie....and I'm here for it!!!! There's not another horror movie like it! You summed up all the elements that make it great (including the music, sound design and obviously the make up), but there's one thing I'll add: the "trippy", surreal element of the movie. I've loved it since I saw it the year it came out. Suggestions? 1982's "Creepshow", written (and co-starring!) Stephen King! Again: fantastic mix of comedy and genuine horror. Those two are my fave horror movies of the 80s. LOVE "Rosemary's Baby", but I'll bet you've seen that one. Love "The Stepford Wives" but I'll bet you've seen that one. Older ones? "Eyes Without A Face" (1960), "Island Of Lost Souls" (1932 - fantastic), "Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde" (1931 version - also great), "The Bad Seed", "The Devil And Daniel Webster" (not strictly horror, but has elements of it), "The Golem" (silent film)......there are so many!
@@alexachipman The actor you're on about is John Woodvine who I first saw in a series here in Britain called New Scotland Yard please too say he's still alive
@@alexachipman British character actors have always been the greatest in the world, so much better than American ones, and most of the time a lot better than the actual stars of the film or TV show
A cult classic, Creedence Clearwater Revival certainly made some cash out of it🙂. Everytime anyone who's seen this movie catches Bad Moon Rising on the radio.....
