2022 has been a wild, wacky and crazy year and for multiple reasons. You've probably seen some pretty crazy things happen this year, the film industry.
However, this year is a special year. a year (finds an alternative way to say year!) that marks the 41st anniversary of not one, not two, but THREE werewolf movies. ALL of which released in the year 1981, a year which I've dubbed "The Year of the Werewolf". What are these movies? Why are they so special? What’s the history behind these movies? (Try using film as you’re over relying on movie.) Why did they all release in the same year? All questions that are probably racing through your mind right now, and for damn good reason.
That's where I come in you see. I’m going to explain to you why they’re so special, and even give you a peek at some of the history of these movies and how they came to be. starting with the most popular of the three (and my personal favorite Horror movie ever made), An American Werewolf In London! Let’s get started shall we?
The question that's probably on your mind if you haven't seen the movie is: What is An American Werewolf In London? It's A Horror/Comedy film about two American college students who are touring through Europe and while they're strolling through the English Moors, they're attacked by a werewolf. This film was one of the earliest examples of mixing Comedy and Horror together and it is also one of the best examples of that.
A Classic in the Making
An American Werewolf In London was conceived in 1969 when director John Landis was working as a Production Assistant on a movie called Kelly's Heroes. Landis got the idea for the film one day on set when him and a fellow crew member saw a bunch of gypsies burying a corpse in the crux of a crossroad and performing a ritual so that his body wouldn't rise from the grave.
Seeing this burial and having the crew member that tagged along with Landis explain what they had just witnessed to him made the creative sparks fly in John's mind and he started thinking "well what if that body did rise from the grave? Would it be a creature? If so, what creature would it be?" and John went through every single creature imaginable before eventually landing on werewolves.
It would take 12 years for Landis to make the money needed to start production on An American Werewolf In London through profits on films like The Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House and The Blues Brothers.
Production started sometime between February and March in (of might sound better) 1981 because John Landis wanted the film to take place during cold weather and it lasted for around a month.
6 months earlier however, special effects lead Rick Baker went to work on designing and creating the very effects that would turn him into a household name, thanks in large part to the film's legendary transformation scene that is held in very high esteem and seen as not only one of the best if not THE best transformation scene ever (in cinema might sound better), it was seen as an example of how realistic practical effects can look if they're done right. (If done correctly might sound better)
Release, Reception & Legacy
The film released August 21st, 1981 in the US making $62 million dollars globally compared to it's $5.8 million dollar budget, $30 million of which came from the US. The film received generally positive reception with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a more mixed 55 out of 100 on Metacritic.
The film would find its audience on home video, being regarded as a cult classic that is continually growing in popularity year after year. (With continually growing popularity or some variant might sound better.) The film was also the very first film to win an Academy Award for Best Makeup and at the Saturn Awards in 1982, and the film was also very influential and inspired many filmmakers after its release in 1981. (This sentence could be restructured a bit)
One of the biggest examples of this influence can be found in Director Edgar Wright who directed Shaun of the Dead, a smash hit Horror/Comedy film from 2004, cited the film as a huge influence for him and the way he makes films. (This sentence could be re-worked) Another example of the films influence on the horror genre is the slew of Horror/Comedies that came after the films release in 1981 (Beetlejuice, Gremlins, Evil Dead 2, as examples), which all took inspiration from An American Werewolf In London's unique blend of Horror and Comedy elements, which to this day haven’t been bested.
My Introduction to the film and the impact it had on me
I was introduced to this film when I was 6 years old and just getting into horror movies, which was thanks to my grandmother. I went to a local rental store(when those were a thing) called Movies To Go and I saw the box art for the VHS release of it and I thought to myself "Ooh what's this?" And I saw the title, look at the pictures on the back of the box and I was intrigued by it so I rented it immediately.
When I got home that day I immediately ran to my room, put the tape in my VCR, plopped down into my chair and I was immediately hypnotized by this film. The soundtrack, the locations, the characters that are unique and interesting in their own ways, the atmosphere and the tension that is beautifully executed in every single scene, the effects blew my six year old mind, the design of the Werewolf itself terrified me and made me have nightmares for a couple of weeks after I had seen the film (no joke that actually happened) and most importantly, its impact on me. Its impact on me is like no horror movie or since. This film solidified my love for Horror as a genre, it solidified my obsession with Werewolves and the mythology of these fascinating creatures, and it also made me want to get into filmmaking at some point (which I still want to do before I die).
I'll be honest with you, if I wasn't introduced to An American Werewolf In London I probably wouldn't be as big of a fan of the Horror genre as I am today, and I'm eternally grateful to John Landis for sticking with this crazy idea he had for all those years and finally getting it onto the big screen.
Rolling the credits
In closing I just want to say that if you haven't seen this film, I highly suggest you go watch it. Because you can truly see the passion that John Landis had for this wild, crazy idea that he hatched in his late teens just jump out at you in every single scene. It's been 40 years since this film came out (which is FUCKING WILD to me) and it's still making just as big of an impact today as it did back then. If you've made it to this point, I just want to say thank you!! If you enjoyed this issue, please share it around and I hope you look forward to the next issue of The Chronicles of The Mad Cinephile!
And remember...Beware the Moon lads. Keep clear of the Moors.
If you want to see the movie, here's a link to purchase it on Amazon:
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