#207. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

 

 

Prior Viewings: 2

 

There aren't a ton of horror-comedies that manage to succeed as both horror and comedy, but American Werewolf is one of the few that walks that difficult line nearly perfectly. And I think that's because John Landis never really allows the genres to get in the way of each other. As much the scares tend to come with playful nods to werewolf tropes (lycantropes?), they're also played straight enough that none of the intended intensity is lost.

 

But it's not just the balance of tones that makes this movie great. It's also the murky, fog-shrouded atmospheres, the simple-yet-effective locations (I'm a sucker for a spooky subway station scene), the fantastic music choices (why include just one version of "Blue Moon" when you can have three?), and, of course, those killer makeup effects. We're all aware that the transformation scene is iconic, but I'm also a huge fan of Jack's rotting flesh - particularly that little piece of skin that dangles from his neck.

 

Plus, there's something kind of lax and awkward about the movie that I find mildly endearing. Even if it makes the result a bit imperfect (some of the timing choices, like the ending, still don't fully work for me), it keeps things from getting too smug or clever for its own good, which ensures that the homage/contemporary equilibrium is just as sturdy as the horror/comedy one.

 

Grade: A

 

#80. Animal House (1978)

 

 

Prior Viewings: 1

 

The only time I had previously watched this movie was about fifteen years ago, back when I was in high school. And I fucking hated it. Like, I was never all that crazy about sophomoric teen comedies to begin with, but I found this one especially unfunny, mean-spirited, visually hideous, needlessly overlong, and a complete waste of its cast, namely Donald Sutherland. The viewing experience was honestly so negative that it genuinely caused me to question the collective taste of every man (particularly of my father's generation, including my own father) who viewed it as the apex of comedy.

 

Now that I've given it a second chance, though, I still largely feel that way (sorry, dad), but I can also understand the intention a lot more. This is a movie that wants to be ugly, dirty, and mean. It's basically a monument to bad taste. And, to that end, it's obviously successful. Beyond that, John Belushi's antics were actually somewhat amusing to me this time around, and there's a lot more creativity and energy on display than I remembered, all of which helped.

 

Give it a few more years, and I might fully come around to this one. But, for now, my feelings are mostly down the middle. And if there's one constant, it's that I still think there should've been more Sutherland.

 

Grade: B