“Beware the moon, lads.”
Welcome to Harbour Highlights, a series of cult and classic films, all handpicked by the staff of Harbour Lights. And what better cult classic to screen on the eve of Halloween that Dom’s pick of An American Werewolf in London?
Following the success of The Blues Brothers, writer-director John Landis dug out a script he’d written back in 1969 but had been dismissed as being too scary for a comedy and too funny for a horror. His tale – of two American backpackers best by a curse when one is bitten by a werewolf and begins to transform at the next full moon – went on to become a huge hit by being that perfect blend: a horror-comedy where the horror is terrifying and the comedy is hilarious, with the tones never clashing against each other.
Featuring a cast including David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter, and winner of the first Academy Award for Best Makeup due to Rick Baker’s werewolf work (in particular the iconic transformation sequence) An American Werewolf in London left a huge legacy and remains a scarily good time – the perfect pre-Halloween cinema experience!
