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Why An American Werewolf in London (1981) was considered ''horrendous''
“What makes this film horrifying is that it takes place in everyday London,” said director John Landis.
To many, fear is often found in the unfamiliar. Recognition equates to safety in the mind; a home is welcoming because it is familiar, and a stranger becomes less strange when they turn into a friend.
A man turning into a wolf-like monster is certainly unfamiliar, though the lore seems to surround every society. The idea of a werewolf has existed for hundreds of years, and while the creature’s actual existence is disputed, the mere idea strikes fear into the hearts of many.
Director John Landis tapped into this fear when he created An American Werewolf in London (1981). “I warn you, it will be horrendous, and I can only promise it will be something never seen before on the screen,” Landis said during an interview with Leicester Mercury. “The werewolf is the only man-into-beast monster that exists in every culture of mankind."
However, Landis was also able to frighten audiences with the very settings that had taught them to feel safe.
“What makes this film horrifying is that it takes place in everyday London,” said Landis. “Imagine you are strolling in Leicester Square with your boyfriend. It’s brightly lit, there are crowds of people around, and across the road you see a tall figure in a black coat with a white face and bright-red lips. What is your reaction? You carry on walking. The fact that it could really be Dracula or a blood-sucking vampire is furthest from your mind. Then he comes across the road and pulls you down in the gutter, his teeth at your throat. In that moment, you look up and know. My film is about that moment in the gutter. It deals with things that we are taught not to accept.”
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