#5 – Another Horror Comedy – (98%)

I feel the need to tell you that I have not given any movie 100% although I believe three maybe deserve it the next four is just a point off and this is one of the almost perfect movies. This is ‘An American Werewolf in London’ and is a funny scary romp around London in the 80’s. Released in that wonderful decade or 1981 to be more precise. Produced by George Folsey Jr, whilst this was written and directed by John Landis and he also makes an appearance in there as well. I’ve mentioned before about ‘See You Next Wednesday’ so I won’t go on about it here, but it’s in this movie as well. This stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, and John Woodvine. There is a much longer list of names I could mention which I might a bit later, but I could easily ramble on about this movie for hours and still have room to talk some more. Scores on the doors are a 7.5 out of 10 from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 87%. Financially it was a success with a cost of $5.8m to make whilst it made $62m at the box office. Which is a success and Oscar winner I believe and spawned a sequel some 16 years later with An American Werewolf in Paris which wasn’t as bad as you might think. It isn’t as good as you would hope either, but it wasn’t awful but about middle. This is another movie with a cracking soundtrack and every song is moon related which is just awesome. I need to control myself and move onto the plot really don’t I.

Two American boys are on a touring vacation in Europe and are wandering the moors of Yorkshire when they spy a pub called the Slaughtered Lamb. Heading inside they get a frosty reception and are told to leave. As they leave, they are also advised to stick to the road, don’t go onto the moors and beware the moon. They instantly forget this when it starts to rain and wander onto the moors and away from the road. They are attacked by a wolf which kills one and leaves David wounded. He wounds are dressed, and he is taken to London where he wakes in a hospital. His dead friend Jack Goodman appears and tells him that they were attacked by a werewolf and on the next full moon he will become a werewolf and kill people. He and the doctors believe this is a result of the trauma of the event and is set for release for hospital. He hooks up with one of the nurses Alex Price and she invites him back to her place for a sleep over. (Hey, come on there could be kids’ reading). She leaves him at home to work the night shift and we will jump to him waking up in the wolf enclosure at London Zoo. There is another full moon coming tomorrow night will he get it under control by then, follow the advice of the dead telling him to commit suicide or just go with the flow and think it’s all bunkum and see what happens. I think you can guess that for yourself.

Where do I start with this movie, told it was too horrific to be a comedy and too funny to be a horror this movie bridges both and its funny and scary at the same time. It just works! Sounds like it shouldn’t but it does. Oh yes, I nearly forgot I was going to give you a longer list of cast members as a Brit myself there were some appearances in here, I should mention. First one is an American, but I cannot ignore Frank Oz appearing as a human in a movie – MUST get a mention!! Also appearing was Don McKillop, Brian Glover, Lila Kaye, David Schofield, Sydney Bromley, and an incredibly young Rik Mayall. If that wasn’t enough for you the soundtrack includes – Blue Moon by Bobby Vinton, The Marvels, and Sam Cooke, Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival, Moondance by Van Morrison, with other music composed by Elmer Bernstein. Which just adds flavour to it which to be fair makes its scarier. This was filmed in the Black Mountains in Wales and East Proctor is a tiny village outside of Builth Wells. The internal scenes of the Slaughtered Lamb were filmed at the Black Swan in Surrey about 200 yards away from where I was married. Seeing as I couldn’t go back to actual Inn, we went to the nearest establishment to that site which just so happened to be the Black Swan for our anniversary meal. Didn’t tell the wife – till we got there. Not been back with her since. I have however been back with my daughter! It was also filmed on location in Piccadilly Circus and some of the sets that were made were so realistic a delivery driver went to the café in the hope of grabbing a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea. Knowing a lot about a film doesn’t really review it does it but saying this is good just doesn’t do it justice. The special effects were ahead of its time the acting was superb and the comedy was so funny, and it sat next to horror and gore that it just shouldn’t work but it did. This is another film that is instantly quotable and there are so many lines that I use in any conversation today. There is an argument of saying this is dated and becoming grey around the edges but its set in the 80’s in the UK so that’s when its set. It has clips of 80’s British TV with the World Darts Championship and The Sun advertising on TV before its sleezy side was exposed to the world. There is a scene in a porn cinema followed by a policeman getting his head bitten off what more could you ask for. The scene in Tottenham Court Road tube station with the man lying on the escalator as the wolf moves into frame from the top of the screen. Perfection. Cut somewhere else. This is simply a great movie. You have missed out if you have ignored it in your time and its down to you to correct that little fact.

Next up is a horror movie hated by cinema goers and not in a good way.