Rating of
3.5/4
"An American Werewolf In London" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 02/23/12
When two American students are attacked on the Yorkshire moors, one is killed but the other survives to be haunted by horrifying dreams and fears he may be turning into a werewolf. American Werewolf enjoys the reputation as one of the great horror comedies, but anyone expecting a slew of cheap gags in the vein of Scary Movie will get a little more than they bargained for. When Kubrick made Dr Strangelove he basically made a cold war thriller but with a subtle shift in emphasis he created a comedy legend; the same is true of this film. Take away the soundtrack and the scenes involving David's cheerfully rotting victims and you could easily mistake it for a straight horror film; the Yorkshire locations, isolated villagers and gentleman doctor's lone investigation are all very Hammer studios. But given an irreverant twist the gruesome horror becomes very funny; the bizarre and surreal situations he finds himself in, including finding himself naked in a zoo and watching a porno with a corpse combined with one of the greatest soundtracks ever compiled makes for some classic comedy. The metamorphosis effects have also stood up surprisingly well and David Naughton makes a great everyman to be caught up in these outrageous events. It may end a little too abruptly but it contains many classic scenes and still makes me laugh out loud every time.
