If you're anywhere near the Los Angeles area this Saturday, you may be interested in checking out "An Evening with the Makers of An American Werewolf in London," a special event that features a screening of the film and a number of guests, including John Landis and Rick Baker:
"The moon seemed perennially full on screen in the 1980s, a decade that saw more than its share of classic—and not-so-classic—werewolf movies including Wolfen (1981), The Howling petrology (1981-1989), The Company of Wolves (1984), Silver Bullet (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985), to name a few. Towering above them all is writer-director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1981). A defining film of the era,American Werewolf proved wildly successful thanks to Landis’ deft balance of comedy and horror, while Rick Baker’s Academy Award–winning makeup effects set the bar for technical mastery. The film’s influence can be felt in the work of next generation filmmakers such as Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) but its impact extends well beyond movies.
The Archive is thrilled to present this seminal title, An American Werewolf in London, on 35mm with Landis, Baker, producer George Folsey Jr. and costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis inperson. As an added bonus, with the consent of The Estate of Michael Jackson, the Archive will also present on 35mm, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the short film which reunited Landis and his creative team from American Werewolf to contribute to another landmark, genre-bending work that helped transform the art of the music video forever.
IN PERSON: John Landis, Rick Baker, George Folsey Jr., Deborah Nadoolman Landis.
Note: The screening will be preceded by a 6:30 p.m. signing of the book, “Hollywood Costume,” by Deborah Nadoolman Landis.
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
1981
Universal Pictures. PROD: George Folsey Jr. DIR/SCR: John Landis. CINE: Robert Paynter. ART DIRECTOR: Leslie Dilley. COSTUME DESIGNER: Deborah Nadoolman. SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS DESIGNER AND CREATOR: Rick Baker. EDIT: Malcolm Campbell. CAST: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, David Schofield.
“Beware the moon, lads.” From an eerie country pub, across the foggy moors and straight into the heart of London’s Piccadilly Circus, director John Landis’ wised-up, suped-up grisly romp through lycanthrope lore remains one of the best, if not the best, werewolf movies of all time. For every jaw-dropping monster effect, courtesy of Rick Baker, there’s an equally memorable, character-driven line—“I didn't mean to call you a meatloaf, Jack!”— as an American backpacker (James Naughton) falls prey to the beast’s curse.
35mm, color, 97 min.
Preceded by:
“MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER”
1983
PROD: George Folsey Jr., Michael Jackson, John Landis. DIR: J. Landis. CINE: Robert Paynter. ART DIRECTOR: Charles Hughes. COSTUME DESIGNER: Deborah Nadoolman, Kelly Kimball. CHOREOGRAPHER: Michael Jackson, Michael Peters. SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS DESIGNER AND CREATOR: Rick Baker. EDIT: Malcolm Campbell, George Folsey Jr. CAST: Michael Jackson, Ola Ray, Vincent Price.
Awarded in 1989 the MTV Video Vanguard Award for being “The Greatest Video in the History of the World,” the short film for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” remains the undisputed champ for its fusion of pure pop and cinematic joy. This short film is the first (and only) music video ever to be inducted by the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, a select collection of films of “enduring importance to American culture.”
35mm, color, 13 min.
VENUE: The Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood Village, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024 (corner of Wilshire & Westwood Blvds., courtyard level of the Hammer Museum). <http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/
TICKETS: Advance tickets are available for $10 at <http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/
Tickets are also available at the Billy Wilder Theater box office starting one hour before showtime: $9, general admission; FREE to all UCLA students with valid ID; $8, other students, seniors and UCLA Alumni Association members with ID.
PARKING: At the Billy Wilder Theater for a $3 flat rate on weekdays after 6 p.m. and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Enter from Westwood Blvd., just north of Wilshire.
INFO: www.cinema.ucla.edu / 310-206-FILM (-3456)"
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
