The first time I saw actor David Naughton transform from tourist to werewolf in An American Werewolf In London was sometime in the early 90's when I purchased a grainy 'previously viewed' copy of the movie. The 1981 film, now out in Blu-ray, was capped by a generous poster over at DC's. Finally being able to see scenes, and the naked Naughton, has me wanting to take another, and closer, look.
David Walsh Naughton (born February 13, 1951) is an American actor and singer known for his starring roles in the 1981 horror film, An American Werewolf in London, and the 1980 Walt Disney comedy, Midnight Madness. He also starred in the short-lived sitcom Makin' It and sang its hit theme song "Makin' It".
An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 horror comedy film written and directed by John Landis, and starring David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne.
The film starts with two young American men, David Kessler (played by Naughton) and Jack Goodman (played by Dunne), on a backpacking holiday in England. Following an awkwardly tense visit to a village pub, the two men venture deep into the moors at night. They are attacked by a werewolf, which results in Jack's death and David being taken to a London hospital. Through apparitions of his dead
friend and disturbing dream sequences, David becomes informed that he is a werewolf and will transform at the next full moon.
Shooting took place mostly in London but also in Surrey and Wales. It was released in the United States on August 21, 1981 and grossed $30.56 million at the box office. Critics generally gave the film favorable reviews. The film won the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and an Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. The film was one of three high-profile wolf-themed horror films released in 1981, alongside The
Howling and Wolfen. Over the years, the film has accumulated a cult following and has been referred to as a cult classic.
The film was followed by a 1997 sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris, which featured a completely different cast and none of the original crew, and is distributed by Disney's Hollywood Pictures. A Hindi film Junoon was also inspired by this movie.
Empire magazine named An American Werewolf in London as the 107th greatest film of all time in September 2008.
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