I remember An American Werewolf in London and The Howling being the big rival werewolf films of the early '80s. Both were big, scary movies with cutting-edge special effects and reputations as equally decent films, but I think London has the edge. It just feels that the narrative is cleaner and more focused, and the combination of comedy and horror works really well.

The movie is also notable for its depiction of 1981-era England through the eyes of a couple of American students (and Yank director John Landis too, of course). It's tightly written, exploring the werewolf theme from a psychological perspective, which I liked, while also providing possibly the best rampage of all time come the ending. It definitely deserves its reputation as one of the big horror films of the 1980s.

Rick Baker's special effects are the real star here and they deservedly won the Oscar; that transformation scene is still stunning, and unequalled even with the advent of CGI (Baker's own work in the disappointing Wolfman remake didn't come close). The blood flows freely and the deaths are vicious and unpleasant, as you'd hope for given the subject matter.

The film's settings are also splendid, really bringing an age-old rural myth into the then-present day. The Piccadilly climax is brilliant stuff but the build up is equally watchable, particularly the excellent sub-plot involving John Woodvine's doctor investigating the case; Woodvine feels like a worthy successor to Cushing in this one. That's not to belittle David Naughton's fresh turn as the lead or the incredibly lovely Jenny Agutter as the object of his affection, of course.

An American Werewolf in London is just one of those films where everything comes together and gels together perfectly. I particularly like the nightmarish dream sequences which allow the director and writers free reign; the bit with the demon Nazis with machine guns is a tremendously fun moment, for instance.

David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne) are young men backpacking through the English moor region. They stop at a small pub in East Proctor where the locals are hiding a dark secret. They are attacked by a werewolf and Jack is killed. The locals rescue David after being mauled by the werewolf. The locals perpetuate a lie that a madman attacked the two guys. Nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter) treats David and they fall for each other.

It's a very simple old style horror from writer/director John Landis. The makeup looks good. The dead Jack looks are especially nasty and bloody. Griffin Dunne has a fun time as the walking dead. The transformation is done really well. It's very simple like the chase in the subway where nothing is shown other than growling. It's the age before CGI. It has a bit of humor like the cheesy porno flick. There isn't much in terms of story. Basically he gets bitten and he turns. It doesn't have to get much fancier than that.

I like John Landis and his films, and An American Werewolf in London is up there with the best of them. For me, there is so much to love about this film. There is John Landis's perfect direction, he manages to revisit the horror genre and parody it at the same which is very difficult. There is the wonderful cinematography and beautiful scenery. There is Elmer Bernstein's superbly atmospheric score. There is the funny, scary and above all brilliantly written script. There is the great special effects and some of the scariest and most effective transformation sequences I have seen in any horror movie. There is the adeptly constructed story, with never a dull moment. And there is the acting, David Naughton carries the film well, Griffin Dunne is very good and Jenny Agutter is simply perfect. All in all, brilliant film and one of the best of the genre. 10/10 Bethany Cox