Face-Off: An American Werewolf In London Vs. The Howling

November 12th 2014, 9:49am

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

It was a tight race with our final Halloween Face-Off in the pumpkin patch. Sam did have the slight edge over Pumpkinhead, but many believed that he had the advantage of the holiday on his side. He IS the ideal mascot for Halloween. And now, sadly, the season is over.

However, that doesn’t mean the scaring stops hear at AITH’s Face-Off! Today, we are taking a bite out of the werewolf genre since David Hayter’s WOLVES opens this Friday. And if we’re going to do werewolves, it seems fitting to pit two of the greatest werewolf films ever up against each other. So, load up on your silver bullets and stay out of the full moonlight because we are about to take rage hairy warfare with An American Werewolf in London Vs. The Howling!

Story

While backpacking in England, David and Jack are attacked by a wolf. Jack is killed and David is wounded. At the hospital, David meets a hot nurse and falls for her. However, the dude is now carrying a seriously lycanthropic gene and at the next full moon is soon spouting hair and fangs. David now must deal with his new hairy problem, his love for the nurse, and his visions of an undead David begging him to kill himself so that he can rest in peace. And it’s part comedy!

After going through a frightening ordeal with a stalker, news anchor Karen is sent to a relaxation colony along with her husband. However, this colony is comprised secretly of shape shifting werewolves! Once Karen’s husband gets bit, she must fight for survival before she gets turned herself. She enlists the help of her two friends and some silver bullets. When the colony catches on, the fur and fangs fly!

Gore

American Werewolf definitely brings the gore goods. Director John Landis has never shied away from showing blood. The wolf attacks are harsh and violent, and leave behind a glorious trail of viscera. The undead Jack is shown rotting away a little more each time he’s onscreen. We even get a gruesome, massive car accident sequence. And who doesn’t love it when that severed head goes bouncing off the car’s hood?

Surprisingly, the kills in Howling aren’t as overly gory as one might think. There actually aren’t even too may werewolf kills that are shown. However, thankfully, there is still a fair share of great gore on hand. The best of which, I feel, is the killer Eddie’s face after acid is thrown at him in wolf form. We also get an icky severed wolf hand that continues to move and a gushingly bit jugular.

Hottie

Miss Jenny Agutter with that accent and in that nurse’s uniform is a stunning fantasy come to life. She is just utterly gorgeous. Those eyes completely hypnotize. And the ways she cares for David while finding herself physically attracted to him makes you love her even more.

Elisabeth Brooks as the colony’s sultry femme fatale just oozes sexy. I think that any man would gladly let her eat him alive. What a way to go. She too boasts a lovely accent as well as an incredible body which she shows off in all it’s fully naked glory.

Humor

I mean, the opening shot of our two backpackers in the back of a truck with a bunch of sheep is a pretty good indication that laughs are in store. Their banter back and forth is also very funny. Mix in the culture shock with the denizens of the Slaughtered Lamb pub as well as David’s nutso experiences upon realizing that he is indeed a werewolf and you have yourself once damn impressive comedy.

Though it is more on the dark side, The Howling still manages to work in some quick laughs thanks mostly to the initial kookiness of the colony. I mean, Joe Dante really is a master of combining horror and comedy, so it should come as no surprise that the film has a few howlers. The werewolf attack that is interspersed with the wolf and lamb cartoon on television is priceless.

Transformation

In terms of werewolf transformations, Werewolf in London is considered the benchmark. And for good reason. The blanket of black hair, the contorting of flesh, the growing of teeth, it’s all so ghastly and lifelike. It’s practical F/X perfection. What sells the transformation even more is David Naughton’s performance. His writhing and screaming (It burns!) truly make you feel how excruciating the process must be.

Surprisingly, the transformations in The Howling stand up to the amazingness of London’s. This is most likely due to the fact that the F/X were handled by Rob Bottin who was the assistant to Rick Baker who did the F/X for London. It definitely looks pretty damn gnarly when someone turns into a wolf, complete with moving muscles, crazy convulsions, and sprouting ears.

An American Werewolf In London

And there you have it! An American Werewolf In London devours The Howling! I’m glad it was a somewhat close race. I mean, I’ve got a feeling that many will agree that London is the better werewolf flick, but The Howling is still outstanding horror. It should be interesting hearing what all you horror hounds think. So fire them silver bullets below! And feel free to send any future Face-Off ideas to me at [email protected].