An American Werewolf in London - Will's Review

2 young American backpackers are attacked in the Yorkshire dales, one of them (Jack) is killed; the other (David) is badly injured and sent to hospital in London. The Dales' Locals cover up the truth behind the savage attack, claiming it was a madman; but when David comes too, the spirit of Jack is on hand to tell him the truth; they were attacked by a werewolf, and only the distraction of the wolf's "bloodline" can rescue his victims from purgatory.

David, naturally, questions his own sanity, rather than simply accepting the visions as fact... But the full moon is in its way.

The centrepiece of the movie, of course, is Rick Baker's definitive, and Oscar winning, transformation sequence; a sequence which was to change the face of horror for the next decade.

The importance, and indeed quality, of the transformation cannot be overstated; even if the rest of the movie were awful, it would still be essential viewing for any horror fan simply because of that one scene.

Thankfully, the rest of the movie is far from awful!

A sharp script which deftly balances comedy and horror, a near perfect cast, and a director and effects wizard at the top of their game, An American Werewolf In London is a true classic.

There's really not much else to say, exact that if you haven't seen it yet, it's past time you did!