Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > An American Werewolf in London (1981)
An American Werewolf in London
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

An American Werewolf in London (1981) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 55 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   19,979 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 103% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Landis
Writer:
John Landis (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for An American Werewolf in London on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 August 1981 (USA) more
Tagline:
John Landis - the director of Animal House brings you a different kind of animal. more
Plot:
Two American tourists in England are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(45 articles)
‘Wolfman’ Reshoots Equals New Creature Design
 (From Screen Rant. 10 July 2009, 12:19 PM, PDT)

Fangoria Week in Review 7/05/2009
 (From Fangoria. 5 July 2009, 12:04 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
One of my favorite films more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

David Naughton ... David Kessler

Jenny Agutter ... Nurse Alex Price

Griffin Dunne ... Jack Goodman
John Woodvine ... Dr. J. S. Hirsch
Lila Kaye ... Barmaid
Joe Belcher ... Truck Driver
David Schofield ... Dart Player
Brian Glover ... Chess Player
Rik Mayall ... 2nd Chess Player
Sean Baker ... 2nd Dart Player
Paddy Ryan ... First Werewolf
Anne-Marie Davies ... Nurse Susan Gallagher

Frank Oz ... Mr. Collins / Miss Piggy
Don McKillop ... Inspector Villiers
Paul Kember ... Sergeant McManus
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The American Werewolf (Philippines: English title)
more
Runtime:
97 min | Sweden:92 min (heavily cut)
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS (re-release) | Mono
Certification:
Singapore:R21 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | UK:X (theatrical rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | USA:R (Certificate #26418) | Italy:VM18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:16 | Peru:18 | Brazil:18 | Iceland:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
John Woodvine was cast at short notice after the first two choices left the project. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When the werewolf is seen approaching the escalator in the Tottenham Court Road underground station, a foot of one of the crew pushing the werewolf along is clearly visible at the end of the shot. more
Quotes:
David: [to himself] I'm going completely crazy. more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "Spaced: Chaos (#1.5)" (1999) more
Soundtrack:
BLUE MOON more

FAQ

What's with the naked dead guy?
more
48 out of 53 people found the following comment useful:-
One of my favorite films, 29 January 2005
10/10
Author: Brandt Sponseller from New York City

While backpacking through Europe, two friends, David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne), find themselves out on England's moors, despite advice to avoid them. When a wild animal attacks them, one of them dies, and the other just might be turning into a monster.

Director John Landis' "pet project"--he had to sit on the script for 10 years before he had enough clout from other films for this one to be greenlighted--is an excellent, seamless melding of comedy and horror, with a surprising amount of brutality and one of the most wonderfully dark, abrupt conclusions ever made.

John Irving once said that he loves to put comedy and tragedy in close conjunction because each can make the other more effective. That's just the effect that the combination has in An American Werewolf In London. Both the comedy and the horror in the film are fully committed to, unlike many attempts to merge the two. If "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is ever true, this is an example. The comic bits wouldn't be nearly as delightful if they didn't supervene on the disturbing, and the horror wouldn't have near the impact if they didn't arrive in the context where you half-expect the next moment to be just as lighthearted and amusing. Both the initial "animal attack" and the apocalyptic ending are perfect examples of this.

Aside from that exquisite unusualness, An American Werewolf In London has many other superb characteristics. The cast is perfect. Naughton, who also starred in the seriously underrated Desire, The Vampire (aka I, Desire) (1982), carries the film with ease. The cinematography is excellent. The shots of the countryside (actually filmed in Wales) are actually both beautiful and very eerie at the same time. The make-up effects are awesome, and the transformation effects are unsurpassed. The music, which is primarily a number of different "moon" related pop songs, is also perfect, partially because of the bizarre contrasts in mood that the music creates, which echoes the comedy/tragedy juxtaposition. Unlike many other films, every scene in this one is a something I'd like to spend years exploring. The settings, the characters, the scenarios are all so fascinating.

This film is a 10 out of 10 even with one hand tied behind its back. If you enjoy it, and you're open minded about newer horror film styles, the "sequel", An American Werewolf in Paris, is also worth a watch.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
My thoughts on the proposed remake bdunlap-2
Ahah, Twilight ripped off a scene of AWIL! xavier_red
Who's Watching This Tonight? (UK only) christinedonnelly143
Remake - what will it have that the original was missing? fortean2
Best werewolf howl... ever? Vaux1916
sean@furstfilms.com - email Sean Furst, fight the remake bullet-tooth-tony
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
City of Shoulders and Noses The Howling An American Werewolf in Paris Hot Fuzz Grindhouse
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.