American Werewolf In London

[Anahki]

Originally Posted by Dr. Otto

As I've grown older, I've gradually found the movie less appealing. Its weird tone never clicked with me, and I'm increasingly put off by the pessimistic attitude of the characters. (Notice how nobody even suggests the possibility of a cure for David?) I'm not asking for horror films to be "Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer," but come on; even Bram Stoker had the heroes destroy Dracula in the end.

Well, in my case I've precisely followed the opposite path as I grew older, and I became to appreciate the details of the movie and not just the FX or the plain broad story, but also the irony and the mirror that reflects the fantasy or horror movies into the reality. In fact, one of the strongest points for this movie is precisely the fact that even being an american movie, the result is hard and crude. No catharsis, no happy ending... precisely one of the best things of the 80's horror movies were the "cliché endings" with the monster re appearing on screen after the supposedly happy ending.
To name the opposite example, one of the weakest point of An American Werewolf in Paris was the semi happy ending. And isn't it a worse curse when you cannot get rid of it? Think of it, becoming a bloody beast during the full moon is bad, but having the hope for the cure and finding out that there is no cure in the end... it would be devastating. It is the perfect combination of physical and psychological horror, and connecting to similar werewolf movies, it could be the excuse to justify that a human werewolf would commit suicide or deal with his/her condition and become... evil.
If you want another similar example about what I am trying to communicate, just have a look at the Martyrs movies, the french and the american version, and then tell me which of them was more unsettling .

[Dr. Otto]

EDIT: I've re-evaluated my initial thoughts on the movie, and I think my biggest personal problem with AWiL is its lack of pathos. Ultimately this film is meant to be a tragedy (comedy and horror elements aside), and evoking the emotion of pathos is crucial in any tragedy. I never really felt genuine pity or sorrow for David. Maybe it's because he wasn't really to blame for getting cursed in the first place, or maybe it was something about David Naughton's performance, or the way John Landis chose to characterize him. Regardless, I admire AWiL for its special effects, but not so much for its protagonist.

[queenofprussia2006]

fatalistic

It's a product of the times

-1973 The oil embargo sends gasoline prices skyrocketing,no more big V8 powered cars

-1975 Ho Chi Minh beats the living bleep out of Uncle Sam
in Vietnam

1970's the Appolo program ends and theres no easy start to the Space Shuttle,delayed as I recall

Jimmy Carter era American helicopters and crews fail miserably to rescue folk in Somalia

1977 Americans get theirs in Iran

1980 a murderous crazy American uses John Lennon for target practice

So a American gobbling up offended Londoners seems fair game

[popperock]

Originally Posted by Dr. Otto

EDIT: I've re-evaluated my initial thoughts on the movie, and I think my biggest personal problem with AWiL is its lack of pathos. Ultimately this film is meant to be a tragedy (comedy and horror elements aside), and evoking the emotion of pathos is crucial in any tragedy. I never really felt genuine pity or sorrow for David. Maybe it's because he wasn't really to blame for getting cursed in the first place, or maybe it was something about David Naughton's performance, or the way John Landis chose to characterize him. Regardless, I admire AWiL for its special effects, but not so much for its protagonist.

Not to get too off topic, but that's kind of common in a lot of Landis's early films. Delta House are essentially a bunch of degenerate lowlifes who are the heroes simply because the Omegas and the Dean are worse people than them. Jake and Elwood Blues are, at times, almost passive observers in their own film, which is more focused on all of the zany shit happening around them than any real characterization. Rex Kramer, Danger Seeker screams the n-word to a bunch of black people and runs away, and Big Jim Slade steals a dude's lady just because he suffered from premature ejaculation.