An American Werewolf in London (1981)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

John Landis

Writer:

John Landis (written by)

Release Date:

21 August 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

John Landis - the director of Animal House brings you a different kind of animal.

Plot:

Two American tourists in England are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf | England | Nightmare | Curse | Metamorphosis

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

David Naughton	...	David Kessler
Jenny Agutter	...	Nurse Alex Price
Griffin Dunne	...	Jack Goodman
John Woodvine	...	Dr. J. S. Hirsch
Lila Kaye	...	Barmaid
Joe Belcher	...	Truck Driver
David Schofield	...	Dart Player
Brian Glover	...	Chess Player
Rik Mayall	...	2nd Chess Player
Sean Baker	...	2nd Dart Player
Paddy Ryan	...	First Werewolf
Anne-Marie Davies	...	Nurse Susan Gallagher
Frank Oz	...	Mr. Collins / Miss Piggy
Don McKillop	...	Inspector Villiers
Paul Kember	...	Sergeant McManus

Also Known As:

The American Werewolf (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

97 min | Sweden:92 min (heavily cut)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (re-release) | Mono

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | UK:X (theatrical rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | USA:R (Certificate #26418) | Italy:VM18 | UK:15 (re-rating) (2009) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:16 | Peru:18 | Brazil:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

64 Coleherne Road, Earl's Court, London, England, UK

Company:

American Werewolf Inc.

Trivia:

When David calls home to speak to his family, he speaks to his sister Rachel. During the conversation, they talk about their brother Max. Max and Rachel are the names of Director John Landis' children.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the Piccadilly Circus car crashing sequences, a fawn colored car skids and sandwiches a policeman between itself and a red car. The safety barrier for the policeman (stuntman) can be seen before impact.

Quotes:

Jack: Now, I'm really sorry to be upsetting you, but I have to warn you.
David: Warn me?
Jack: We were attacked by a werewolf.
David: [putting his hands over his ears] I'm not listening to this!
Jack: On the moors, we were attacked by a lycanthrope, a werewolf. I was murdered, an unnatural death, and now I walk the earth in limbo until the werewolf's curse is lifted.
David: Shut up!
Jack: The wolf's bloodline must be severed; the last remaining werewolf must be destroyed. It's you, David.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Black Sheep (2006/I)

Soundtrack:

MOONDANCE

Great film, full of humor and thrills.

One of the best werewolf movies ever made, full of dark humor and gory thrills. As most people know, this has one of the best human/werewolf transformation scenes in cinematic history! The only other movie to show such detail is The Howling. This movie is really fun to watch, and if you are seeing it for the first time you will be shocked at some of the things you see. Great performances from the cast, and an excellent script make this a memorable experience. Unlike monster/horror movies today, this film has no computer-aided special effects. It doesn't need them, for this is a landmark film.