Quite a jolly and even witty werewolf movie, and by far the best werewolf flick of my moviegoing experience.

"An American Werewolf in London" is the work of confident and daring film maker who knows exactly what he's doing, who goes right smack up to the edge but never falls off it.

The film lacks continuity -- jumping from light comedy to sheer horror to black humor -- and succeeds at irritation.

Its secret, quite simply, is that it never becomes too self-indulgent or takes itself too seriously.