Two American college students are on a walking tour of Britain and are attacked by a werewolf. One is killed, the other is mauled. The werewolf is killed but reverts to its human form, and the local townspeople are unwilling to acknowledge its existence. The surviving student begins to have nightmares of hunting on four feet at first but then finds that his friend and other recent victims appear to him, demanding that he commit suicide to release them from their curse, being trapped between worlds because of their unnatural deaths.
An American Werewolf
In London
Rick Baker won the first of his seven Academy Awards for the revolutionary special effects make up for American Werewolf in London.
A video of Rick baker himself discussing how he accomplished the transformation stage. It was really interesting to listen to how the practical effects were done.
A great 1980's film that demonstrates the amazing work from Rick Baker. Great practical effects that demonstrate the stages of the human features transforming into a werewolf. A few close up images above, demonstrating the transformation stage of the werewolf becoming exposed.
A great inspiration to study, and a great film to relate to my work. Not only did they use practical effects, but they managed to discover clever ways of being able to transform a human into an animal without the use of CGI, which I found quite interesting to see, because it just goes to show that it can be done, and from an audience point of view, I always find it really uncomfortable to watch because it appears realistic, which is the benefit from using such amazing practical effects.
David Walsh Naughton is an American actor and singer known for his starring roles in the 1981 horror film, An American Werewolf in London. The practical effects of the transformation stage is made to appear realistic, and also painful. The transition between the two are remarkably clever. Rick Baker explains in