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An American Werewolf In London: The Alpha Male of Werewolf Films

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“The wolf’s bloodline must be severed; the last remaining werewolf must be destroyed. It’s you David” Whenever I think about American Werewolf the exchange between David and Jack is always what comes to mind. Two best friends having a nice conversation, except the fact that Jack is now a member of the undead and David is unwittingly changing into a werewolf.

From The Howling to Dog Soldiers, there are plenty of decent werewolves flicks out there to choose from. The one film that receives praises higher than any other werewolf flick, however, is none other than, An American Werewolf In London. Let’s look at just why this movie is so beloved, and why it stands out as the Alpha Male in the pack of werewolf films.

Creative Take On Werewolf Lore

It’s no secret that there are plenty of werewolf films out there to sink your teeth into, so what makes An American Werewolf In London so special? One move that worked out incredibly well for the project was the interesting and creative take on the werewolf lore. The standard transformation under a full moon is present, but the writers also took a few creative liberties to help their work stand out from the competition.

Image Credit: An American Werewolf In London

The biggest example of this being Jack’s ghost as well as the ghosts of David’s other victims throughout the run-time. With each victim, David takes under the full moon, that person’s soul is trapped on Earth for as long as the werewolf that killed them still lives. Doomed for eternity to slowly rot and decay away.

Part of what makes the spirits work so well is that they ultimately add to the comedic aspects of the film. When An American Werewolf In London isn’t trying to tear your throat out, it can be pretty damn funny at times. The ghosts were an interesting idea to add to the script and in the end, absolutely paid off and only helped to better the film and deliver the necessary exposition without boring the viewers.

Image Credit: An American Werewolf In London

Absolutely Stunning Transformation Scene

For a movie that was released almost forty years ago, the special effects used are stunning and still hold up to this day. The makeup effects, as well as the camera work all, give the viewer an uncomfortable front row seat to view David’s agonizing transformation. There have been several on-screen werewolf transformations but none carry the weight that American Werewolf showcases.

The practical effects used still put many CGI moments to shame, even by today’s standards. And not to mention the emotionally bleak ending to the overall film, showcasing that even with the comedic aspects An American Werewolf In London is still a dark horror movie.

An American Werewolf In London is and will continue to be a horror classic. It blends horror and comedy almost seamlessly and still is able to achieve an utterly bleak ending. There may be too many werewolf films to list off, but for myself, An American Werewolf In London is the alpha male of werewolf films.

 

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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