John Landis’ (Animal House, Coming to America) passion project An American Werewolf in London is a comedy/horror hybrid known for its graphic, drawn out werewolf transformation scene. It also is known for shooting practical effects artist Rick Baker into stardom. In fact, Baker won the first ever Oscar for Best Makeup with his contribution to the film. Those things aside, I was a little let down with the overall package.
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Danny Boyle’s (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) 2002 British zombie horror 28 Days Later is a benchmark in the history of the genre. I remember seeing this for the first time over a decade ago. Even at a young age I noticed how it stood out from the other schlock and set the base standard for what modern zombie-themed productions (like The Walking Dead) are today. It is what I would call Boyle’s most important and impressive film to date. It was released at a pivotal point in The Manster’s life, that’s for sure. Many would consider this, along with the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, to be what made The Manster who he is today!
It was nice to see some well-known actors on-screen for a change. I say this because most horror films cast relatively unknowns to make the viewers less comfortable and maybe make them forget they are watching a movie (also to keep a tight budget). Johnny Depp and Heather Graham (Boogie Nights, The Hangover) star in From Hell, the story of a clairvoyant London detective searching for Jack The Ripper. The movie was based on the 1989 graphic novel by Alan Moore.
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