Reviews for American Werewolf in London

American Werewolf in London

While not that scary, it was funny and kept my interest....especially the dead people ragging on him.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

A well crafted modern werewolf story. David Naughton seems a bit of a lightweight for the part but he delivers. Almost a mystery film with touches of horror. The morning awakening in the zoo was pretty cool. Worth a rental.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This isn't terrifying, but it's suspenseful as you wait for the main character to turn into a werewolf. The make up effects on his zombie friend are great. A classic worth at least renting.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

I actually saw this a month before I was supposed to back-pack across England and Europe with a friend, so you can imagine the impact it had on me. I enjoyed it at the time I saw it, but it wasn't a movie that stayed with me, the way classics will, and I have no desire to see it again. Good, but not great.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

When it first appeared I would have rated it a three. It stands the test of time, however, and I bump it to a four.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

this was a pretty freaky movie despite the fact that it starred the dr pepper guy david naughton. its worth seeing at least once.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

this was a pretty freaky movie despite the fact that it starred the dr pepper guy david naughton. its worth seeing at least once.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

When it first appeared I would have rated it a three. It stands the test of time, however, and I bump it to a four.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

I love silly movies

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This just isn't a horror film.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

One of my favorite werewolf films.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

An excellent movie about an American who takes a trip to England and gets turned into a werewolf, and the action never really seemed to stop. One of the few werewolf movies out there that is actually excellent. All the actors did an excellent job and I would even almost go as far as saying there were some Oscar worthy performances going on...EXCELLENT ! A must see if you haven't already.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

A classic for any horror buff. The effects were nice , the story line is nice also. The actors were pretty good too. 2 boys take a trip to england, they are on the outskirts of town, in the middle of nowhere, they see a pub and go in, inside they asked what the star on the wall was, and the People at the pub they went ape $hit after that and sent them out, and one of the boys David gets attacked by a warewolf and turns into a warewolf on the next full moon, and the other boy Jack gets killed, David then see's Jack later and he is of the undead until David is killed and the warewolf line is severed. Watch it, good movie

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

I am not a huge horror story fan but this is one i liked. Two Americans visit London and get attacked by a werewolf. One dies the other survives. and now to his horror he becomes a werewolf on a full moon.It is interesting to see the human reaction this character has when he realizes what is happening beyond his control. he does not want this to happen to him and has to decide how he can stop it.. there is some blood and gore in this, but what I found interesting is there was humor too. well acted pretty good movie.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

I am not even sure where to begin... The Marquis' commentary was so pointless. The entire space is used to explore the history of 3 directors which has nothing to do at all with this movies rating. The remaining aspects of the diatribe consists of a scene by scene breakdown of the movie. If people wanted to learn what the movie was about they should go to imdb.com or eslewhere. This is where the movie is rated. As for my rating I give it a solid 5. I disagree with The Shape on the acting and script. The acting in this movie was very good and so was the script. I don't know what he saw but I judge acting by an ability to gain some affinity for the character and what they are going through. The Lead(David) is tossed into a situation he at first cannot believe and upon realizing the truth is scared and confused. Those feelings easily go from screen to viewer and he was able to develop a real sympathy for his character. The other actors do a very credible job. The old man at the pub is very believeable as a paranoid person who wants everyone to leave him alone and has something to hide. The Doctor is wonderful at expressing a real sense that he cares about Davids predicament and wants to help. The leading woman, although weaker in her role still does a decent job. Davids friend Jack is very funny and offers a little humor to balance the movie very well. Some have called this movie gory and to some extent it is but I do not feel it was overly done. Complaints about the werewolf not being seen are not true... it is seen at a distance several times before the end of the movie. Short in time perhaps but even if I agreed with them I am sure on other movies they probably applaud the "hiding" of the villain for cinematic effect. The plot is very good and the movie is not boring at all. The movie as filmed was interesting and scary at times. The final sequence(where most of the gore occurs) is not over the top and extremely entertaining. I feel this is one of the best horror movies of all time and definitely the best werewolf movie. Skip over the nonsensical reviews here since they don't even delve into the movies flaws and/or positives. Why people waste space like that is beyond me. Read Thornes review if not mine. Not because I agree with him(I don't on several movies) But he(at least I guess it is a he) gives very thoughtful and helpful reviews. This is not only a must see but a must buy. A collectors item.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

The movie itself is enjoyable to watch. The writers took the basic werewolf tales of past and created an expanded and innovative storyline. Though it's considered a horror classic, the movie des not really provide any real thrills (except looking at the great and hideous make up desgin of the dead people). The effects and costumes are great for the time period the film was made (Jonathan Landos - the same man who helped create Michael Jackson's thriller). IF you've never seen this movie before, it's definitely worth checking out.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

Over-rated and lame. This movie bored me.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

Classic transformation scene...

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

Love this movie. Good production values. Makes you really believe a werewolf is loose. Even has some very funny comedic tongue in cheek moments.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This is a good example of what was wrong with most horror movies of the era. Too much emphasis was on special effects and violence and not enough on just making a good movie.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

What a great horror film! My favorite kind of horror is the kind that isn't afraid to have a laugh. This one has many laughs that in return, magnify the horror. Two friends from America are attacked by a werewolf and you like these two guys! David and Jack seem like nice, funny guys! Two guys I wouldn't mind hanging out with. Anyway, You don't want either of them to get hurt. Not to give away too much plot, both of the men's lives change drastically after this encounter and things will never be the same again. Horror and comedy blend to make this a very enjoyable and unique film experience. For those of you who might judge this movie before seeing based on the horrid sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris, rest assured this is a completly different film. Paris is more of a fairy tale, while London is a more realistic (as far as fictional werewolf horror films go) take on the whole situation and London relise on REAL special effects, as in were actually there and not added in later by a couple of guys with computer. Amrican Werewolf in London is a classic and highly under rated for such a sharply written and original werewolf film. Never before or since have I seen such a good werewolf movie. Take a look and I garuntee zero disapointment. It is easy for me to garuntee,see, because I don't make it a money back one and anyways you don't know where I live soooo you're going to have to deal if you have no sense of humor and don't really like horror films. I must say I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOTION PICTURE!

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London, perhaps the best-known werewolf movie of modern times, was one of the first 80s-style horror movies to attempt to move beyond the genre. It is fiercely original, a cultural comedy (it parts off shots on both Americans and Brits), a crazy romance, and a somewhat contrived tragedy (unlike An American Werewolf in Paris, there is no happy ending to this tale).Admittedly, An American Werewolf in London faces the same problems horror flicks have always faced: bad gore and worse acting. However, it deserves credit for being able to overcome the script and directorial problems that normally plague such films. The wolf itself is not revealed in action until shortly before the end. One scene in particular, where the wolf chases a man in the underground, brings to mind pleasant memories of such movies as Jaws, Alien, Aliens, and Alien 3.An American Werewolf in London is one of those rare horror movies that make you put faith in the genre. In retrospect, however, its presence allowed the green lighting of several very bad horror movies down the line (not to mention the deplorable Teen Wolf), and thus Werewolf should be taken with a grain of salt. It's inspiring… but look what it inspired.Still, An American Werewolf in London is a horror classic. It's ten times better than its follow-up, An American Werewolf in Paris, and about fifty times better than any of the horror hollywood is doling out nowadays. JUST ONE SHAPES OPINION

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

An absolutely cheesy movie. It had the potential to be a very interesting horror movie except for two things, the mechanical werewolf and the fact that we don't see the wolf until almost at the end of the movie. The wolf was so completely robotic in it's movements that I laughed throughout the rest of the movie after I saw the wolf. Up until the showing of the wolf, I was pretty much asleep during the rest of the movie.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf In London isn't any different from any other werewolf movie you will see this year. It is in fact a very romantic film also, a bit corny at times, but well worth the rent.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

Admittedly, it has its funny parts, but I think that doesn't make it a worse film. On the contrary, the comic scenes make the effect of the horror ones even stronger. The scenes in Scotland are pretty scary. And even now, more than 10 years after I first watched the film, I can't walk down the stairs to Tottenham Court Road tube station in London (where they shot part of the film I believe) without involuntarily looking behind me, and feeling kind of tense. Very good film

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

In any discussion of film directors who, at a relatively young age became famous overnight, thereafter commanding top dollar and their choice of any A-list project they desired, three names reliably come up: Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin and John Landis. All three directed films that outperformed anyone's expectations. Spielberg, of course, did "Jaws", Friedkin helmed "The Exorcist", and John Landis fashioned a monster hit with the slob comedy "Animal House". Of the three, only Spielberg has retained the power he gained so early on. Friedkin consistently chose inferior projects and lost a great deal of money, and John Landis, after the "Twilight Zone" movie disaster, following which he was tried for recklessly causing the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two young children while filming a scene involving a helicopter and explosions in 1982 (He was acquitted), has seen his fortunes steadily dwindle, as well. He still works, but he is neither as popular or as powerful as he once was. In 1981, three years after his triumph with "Animal House", Landis almost scored a hit with this violent horror/comedy. A lot of critics liked the film, but it didn't find the audience "Animal House" had. The plot concerns David and Jack (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne), two students backpacking through the English countryside. They are attacked on the moors by what appears to be a very large wolf, though when it is shot by villagers, the bullet-riddled corpse is that of a naked man. Jack is dead, his throat torn out (In very graphic close-up); David is bitten but not badly hurt. After he is released from the hospital into the care of a young nurse (Jenny Agutter), who agrees to let him stay at her apartment until he can return to the states, he begins to have realistic nightmares in which he is transformed into some sort of animal. After one such dream, he wakes up, naked, in a cage at the zoo which houses wolves. He has been turning into a werewolf and prowling London, killing. On top of this, Jack, still very dead, comes back to inform David that none of the werewolf's victims can rest until it's bloodline is ended. In other words, David has to die before any of them can. As serious (By horror film standards, anyway) as all of this sounds, it is Landis's undeniable achievement that it plays out with humor almost equal to it's horror. When Jack returns from the dead the first time, it's bad enough. His throat is hanging open in bloody flaps. When he returns subsequently, we see that whatever the nature of the curse that keeps him animated, it does not extend to preservation. He is rotting. He is rotting so graphically and realistically that you can almost smell it. The fact that Landis can have this gray, overripe corpse hold up a small Mickey Mouse statuette it picks up from a table and say in a high, squeaky, cheery voice:"Hi, David!", and cause us to laugh is a credit to his talent. When David's own bloody, mangled victims accost him in a porno theater, trying en masse to talk him into suicide and happily offering suggestions as to just how he accomplish the deed, it is at once disconcerting and hilarious. The special effects are graphic and very good. Particularly good is the scene in which we actually see David transform. It is realistic, and particularly impressive when you remember that it was done in the days before digital effects. The resultant werewolf, when it is finally revealed in it's entirety later in the film, is impressive. Landis rejected the traditional humanoid creature in favor of one that more closely resembles a real wolf. It walks on four legs, yet it it far larger than any wolf, and there is the hint of something human about the face and the musculature. The movie is very bloody at times. Throats are ripped open, limbs and heads torn off. But if you happen to be in the mood for a decent horror film, and like your laughs on the nasty side, check this one out.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

The movie speaks for itself. Realistic and scary. Most people I know have not seen it. In my opinion, the effects back then on this movie were good. I think the plot as a whole was good. Five all the way baby!!!

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

Good plot. Very scary. Excellent special effects. Good acting as well.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

Very funny. Griffin Dunn is damn good.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

I liked this film and I'm actually kind of surprised to see it here. I mean I guess it's a horror film but I always thought of it as being kinda funny..is it even listed in the horror section in video stores? A couple of scary parts but all in all a kind of funny, goofy, b eighties film.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This movie was alright. It was entertaining and not as corny than some horror flicks, however it was clearly a teenager oriented film. I did not find it particularly scary, thus the low rating. It could have been much better, though it did hold itself well enough to be relatively entertaining.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This show was funny, scary, and had great music. I don't know how Naughton and Downe have not acted much since this was made.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This was a horrible movie. The casting was not impressive. The special effects were more humorous than anything else, and the plot was not anything. At least they could have added deep drama...we're not idiots!

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

I was a teenage werewolf,...

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

American Werewolf in London

This movie was really worth watching

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

An American Werewolf in London

Read Full Review