An American Werewolf in London

(1981) dir John Landis w/David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne [97 min, 35mm]

Owing equal debt to Hammer Horror and gory American exploitation, John Landis’ brilliant depiction of the werewolf story runs pretty much the same way as the others – an innocent man attacked by a creature in the night becomes a beast himself and struggles to escape his fate. The addition of a healthy dose of black humor and the absolutely stunning make-up work by Rick Baker elevate this to the level of a classic.