Tag line : Beware the Moon

Two American students, David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are backpacking round the Yorkshire moors, when they stumble across a traditional Olde English Pub, affectionately named "The Slaughtered Lamb".

Unfortunately, the locals don't appear too receptive to outsiders, so having chugged down their beverages the two decide to press on. But with darkness falling, they ignore advice to stick to the main road and decide to take a short cut across the moors (never a wise move in a horror film).

When the two are attacked by a strange wolf like creature, only David manages to survive. Awaking to find himself in a London hospital, with no real idea of what's happened, he is befriended by a sympathetic nurse named Alex (Jenny Agutter) who agrees to put him up at her flat until he can make other arrangements.

But his doctor (Played by British actor John Woodvine) is somewhat unsure about the story the locals gave about his injuries, particularly after checking out the village for himself and them denying any knowledge of the incident. Could he really be marked by a werewolf? If werewolves are mythical, why does David keep seeing apparitions of his dead friend Jack warning him what will happen? What is the strange wolf-like creature preying on unsuspecting folk in the London suburbs, and why did David wake up naked in the wolf enclosure at London zoo?

Directed by John Landis, with fantastic special effects by Rick Baker (with none of that CGI stuff that's overused today)  and an excellent supporting cast, which includes Brian Glover  and the aforementioned Jenny Agutter and John Woodvine,  this is an excellent darkly humoured horror film, which is a damnsite better than the many that have followed since.

Overall Marks : 6/10.

Other Information.

• Alternate tag lines "From the director of Animal House -- a different kind of animal", "A masterpiece of terror" "The Monster Movie".

• The films budget was $10,000,000.

• The person playing Mr Collins from the American Embassy was Frank Oz, better known as the voice of "Miss Piggy" in the "Muppets" (oh yes, and the guy who performed Yoda in the "Star Wars" films).

• Special effects technician Rick Baker had been working on "The Howling" with Rob Bottin, but had to leave that film to work on this as he'd already promised John Landis to do the effects if and when he got the go ahead.

• The victim in the Tube station was played by Michael Carter, who went on to play the role of Jabba The Hutt's henchman "Bib Fortuna" in the "Return of the Jedi".

• The scenes set on the Yorkshire Moors where actually filmed in Wales.

• The person sat playing chess with Brian Glover's character in the Slaughtered Lamb was a young Rik Mayall, who's best known for his roles in comedy series "The Young Ones" and "Bottom".

• The studio wanted John Landis to cast Dan Akroydd and John Belushi, from his previous film "Blues Brothers", in the roles of David and Jack. Fortunately, the director refused.

• The idea for David's re-occurring nightmares were inspired by the film "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" by Luis Bunuel.

• The BBC recorded a radio play of the film in 1997, with Brian Glover, Jenny Agutter and John Woodvine reprising their earlier roles, but with differant voice-over actors for David and Jack. This was broadcast in short snippets on BBC radio 1 on Halloween 1997 and was later released on audio cassette.

• Director John Landis had a brief role during the scene where the wolf is on the rampage in Piccadilly Circus. He played the guy who gets smashed through a bank window by a crashing car.

• Rick Baker based the finished design of the wolf mask on his pet dog Bosko.

• The scenes set in the Tube station were largely filmed at the disused station at Aldwych, a popular setting for many films including "Patriot Games". Additional shots, where he disembarks the train and uses the escalator, were filmed at Tottenham Court Road station.

• Owing to problems with the British acting Unions about the casting of the film, John Landis almost switched production to France and renaming it "American Werewolf in Paris". This was what formed the idea for the 1997 sequel.

Cast and Crew.

Buy the UK DVD (spec ed).

Buy the US DVD (spec ed).

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