It's been a while since I've decided to watch a film I haven't yet seen before, and while I'm still trying to fight it, it appears I've made a great start at doing so by finally checking out John Landis' 'An American Werewolf in London'.
Though I've seen the odd still from the film, I must say that I've never really seen clips from it, nor did I even know what it was about -- okay, I know the name suggests its basic premise, but I'm not counting that -- but I am certainly surprised. Having been a fan of some of Landis' work in the past, I had a rough idea of what to expect in terms of quality.
An American Werewolf in London has to be one of the best horror films I've seen thus far. It's a film that contains the right ingredients for it to remain fresh and lovable despite masked as a horror. There's the comedic events and dialogue, alongside the quirkiness of the characters. There's the now-visually-dated-but-excellent props and masks that show their time but add to the fun of the film.
It's beautifully crafted and holds a simple narrative that remains character driven as a result: two backpacking Americans find themselves in the English countryside and attacked on a full-moon. One wakes up in a hospital in London and slowly begins a transformation into a werewolf, followed by horrific hallucinations -- once again with a hint of comedy -- that push the narrative forward and explain to the viewer what exactly is happening to our protagonist, and what must be done to stop it.
While it may be a better choice to watch the film before or on Halloween, I'm certainly glad that I finally decided to check the film out, having been particularly surprised by what it had to offer. It was an unexpected delight that only made me want more from it.