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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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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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