An American Werewolf In London

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  • Andy BirkenheadAndy Birkenhead Posts: 13,450
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    "And what do you'd think they'd say ? They'd think us mmmmmmad !" :D
  • zooooooooooooozooooooooooooo Posts: 2,220
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    "And what do you'd think they'd say ? They'd think us mmmmmmad !" :D

    "It's in Gods hands now".
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 53,142
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    lol i feel like watching this tonight..maybe i will :D
  • Big Boy BarryBig Boy Barry Posts: 35,290
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    Best werewolf movie ever.
  • Ted CTed C Posts: 11,730
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    The more I think about it, it's quite extraordinary that Landis seemed to be able to tap into the eccentricities and the uniqueness of British humour.

    Sadly most American directors making movies set in England go for the obvious cliches, locations and actors. We've seen it all before...endless establishing shots of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace...taxi drivers speaking cockerney...stately homes in the country etc.

    And yet Landis avoided all of those cliches, and starts the film in Yorkshire, peopled with sinister and eccentric characters.

    And the sequences in London also managed to avoid the tired old locations and shots we have seen many times before, and when famous locations were used, they were used differently (The Piccadilly Circus mayhem scene being a very good example).

    But it's how Landis tapped into the colloquialisms, the dialogue, the eccentricies of British humour that made the film unique and entertaining.

    Plus he obviously did his homework on the casting...how many US directors would even know who Brian Glover is? Or John Woodvine, Jenny Agutter, Albert Moses, Nina Carter, David Schofield etc...but more to the point to understand their iconography, their relevance to UK cinemagoers/TV viewers.

    All in all he knew how to tap into the essence of our culture, and how to make it entertaining, tense and horrific.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 53,142
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    I didnt mean to call you meatloaf, Jack :D
  • zooooooooooooozooooooooooooo Posts: 2,220
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    Orangemaid wrote: »
    lol i feel like watching this tonight..maybe i will :D

    I don't blame you :)
  • Andy BirkenheadAndy Birkenhead Posts: 13,450
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    I love the argument between the people in the cinema discussing the different ways David could kill himself !
    Jack : "Do you mind ?? The man's a friend of mine"
    Tramp :"Well, he ain't no friend to me !!"
    :D
  • zooooooooooooozooooooooooooo Posts: 2,220
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    I love the argument between the people in the cinema discussing the different ways David could kill himself !
    Jack : "Do you mind ?? The man's a friend of mine"
    Tramp :"Well, he ain't no friend to me !!"
    :D

    "That's not Winston" :D
  • MeicYMeicY Posts: 2,585
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    Sitting down to watch it now.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 53,142
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    i'll probably watch it tomorrow nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww :D
  • Lily_MLily_M Posts: 1,328
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    This has to be the nerdiest thread on the forum.

    Which isn't a criticism. I love it! :D:D
  • Andy BirkenheadAndy Birkenhead Posts: 13,450
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    "Ere 'ere. Have you heard the one about the crashing plane ?" :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 53,142
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    keep to the road, stay off the moors
  • zooooooooooooozooooooooooooo Posts: 2,220
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    "That's enough, that's enough".
  • Johnny ClayJohnny Clay Posts: 5,315
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    More love here, I'm afraid.

    A terrific film, firmly planted in the 'fish out of water' genre of the 80s era. And underneath its irreverent leanings, a clever film in how it both stays and strays from the werewolf myth.

    IIRC, a lot of people weren't keen on the ending when it was first released - it's an odd down note to conclude with. But I thought it one of its smartest moves (the horror of the inevitable, unavoidable etc - the film reflects its subject).
  • bazzaroobazzaroo Posts: 6,848
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    So many quotable lines!

    'A naked American man stole my balloons!'
  • zooooooooooooozooooooooooooo Posts: 2,220
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    "you really scared me you shithead".
  • Ted CTed C Posts: 11,730
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    bazzaroo wrote: »
    So many quotable lines!

    'A naked American man stole my balloons!'


    One of the worst child actors ever...that kid just can't seem to stop smiling..
  • YorkshireKatYorkshireKat Posts: 690
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    THE best transformation scene ever....nothing will beat it for me. Great soundtrack to, Classic film!




    .....The sequel though....:(
  • Avi8Avi8 Posts: 3,077
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    I watched this again for the first time in years last year. I love it.

    What struck me seeing it again after a long break was how dated the 1980s look. The obvious example is using a phone box and reversing the charges. What teen these days would have a clue what that was about?
  • ASIFZEDASIFZED Posts: 1,388
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    THE best transformation scene ever....nothing will beat it for me. Great soundtrack to, Classic film!

    .....The sequel though....:(

    Great transformation though it was, it never really 'scared' me as such. The one in The Howling, which I still think is the out and out better werewolf movie, is far more unnerving and scary. Granted, there was a different vibe to the film (more darkly black humour), but The Howling wins because its werewolves walk upright.
  • IggymanIggyman Posts: 8,021
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    ASIFZED wrote: »
    Great transformation though it was, it never really 'scared' me as such. The one in The Howling, which I still think is the out and out better werewolf movie, is far more unnerving and scary. Granted, there was a different vibe to the film (more darkly black humour), but The Howling wins because its werewolves walk upright.

    I thought that The Howling was a dreadful film - everything about it was bad, from the acting and script to the special f/x.

    American Werewolf is 1000x better. :D
  • YorkshireKatYorkshireKat Posts: 690
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    ASIFZED wrote: »
    Great transformation though it was, it never really 'scared' me as such. The one in The Howling, which I still think is the out and out better werewolf movie, is far more unnerving and scary. Granted, there was a different vibe to the film (more darkly black humour), but The Howling wins because its werewolves walk upright.

    Agreed! the transformation in the Howling was also very good my only gripe with that one though was he goes through all that fantastic change scene and THEN the woman calmly decides having had a good stare to dispatch him with a bit of acid. :D was a bit to much "Oh you done then? take THAT!" for me. :p
  • PopRocketPopRocket Posts: 587
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    THE best transformation scene ever....nothing will beat it for me. Great soundtrack to, Classic film!




    .....The sequel though....:(

    I actually liked the sequel :o
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