Today I welcome freelance journalist, coworker, friend, and fellow librarian, Anna, to talk about their favorite horror movie from growing up, An American Werewolf in London (1981). In discussing this werewolf/zombie/ghost sad horror romantic comedy, Anna & I discuss the infamous dream sequences, our love of practical effects, the “rules” of being a werewolf, 70s fashion, and having empathy for the monster. You won’t catch us “hill-walking” in the Yorkshire moors at night, especially not during a full moon, but maybe catch us doing the Thriller dance in a cemetery.
And listeners from across the pond: please forgive our terrible British accents. We love you!
00:00-17:16- Intro / How Anna Got Into Horror / How They First Saw An American Werewolf in London / Our Opinions on Werewolf Movies
17:16-53:00- Brief Synopsis / Dreams / Werewolf Rules / The Brits v. Americans / Genre Hybridity
53:00-01:14:00- Effects & Thriller Music Video / Double Feature Ideas / Outro
Please note, timestamps are estimates.
References:
* Horror Queers Podcast- An American Werewolf in London episode (mentioned by Anna)
* How “American Werewolf in London” Transformed Horror Comedy- Joshua Rothkopf, August 19th 2016, Rolling Stone
* In Black & White by Jan Mark (kids book mentioned by Chloe)
* Jenny Agutter Interview with David Childs (1981)
* John Landis reveals his original plan for An American Werewolf in London sequel- Gary Collison, December 3rd 2017, Flickering Myth
* Michael Jackson’s The Making of Thriller
* Rick Baker’s Makeup Behind-the-Scenes clip
* “Thriller” Music Video- Michael Jackson
Find Us:
Follow Anna’s Letterboxd and Bluesky.
Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.
Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.
The sound and music used in this episode is from An American Werewolf in London (1981) trailer and film, used for educational purposes. I could’ve added SO many clips— each line is classic and hilarious— but it’s better to watch the movie and experience for yourself!
Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!
