John Landis’ “An American Werewolf In London” is probably one of the very very few horror comedies that actually work, and tone and execution-wise (sorry “Scream” series), the damn thing reaches near perfection. We’ve re-watched it fairly recently, and it hasn’t aged a day, still funny, dark, and wonderfully gory, with a number of standout scenes and an ending both hysterical and chilling that has kept us from ever thinking of Picadilly Circus the same way again. Naturally, it’s being remade.
We also finished re-watching “The Number 23” recently, but that was over PBR’s while telling ironic drunken jokes because that’s the breed of hipster douchebag we are. Few recent movies have gotten every single thing wrong about cinematic execution and, from start to end, the damn thing’s a near Dadaist masterpiece of terrible. To rank as Joel Schumacher’s worst film is… something special. We looked up “The Number 23” writer Fernley Phillips, and found that he, rightfully, had no post-“23” credits to his name. Until now.
Dimension Films, clearly with a sense of humor about themselves and a fair amount of spite for audiences and the original “Werewolf,” have hired Phillips to pen the remake. No other talent is attached yet (and may never be), but the Weinsteins have been hot on this title since purchasing the remake rights in June ’09, and this is the first confirmation it’s in active development. Aspiring screenwriters take note: if Fernley Phillips can do this job, any fucking retard can.