On This Day in Horror History: 36 Years Ago ‘An American Werewolf in London’ Was Released

It’s hard to believe, but John Landis’ critically acclaimed werewolf pic, An American Werewolf in London is celebrating its 36^th birthday today. Even edging ever-closer to 40, the film is still widely recognized as one of the three greatest werewolf movies in existence, with The Wolf Man and The Howling being the only two similar flicks to earn such acknowledgment from fans and critics alike.

An American Werewolf in London opened in theaters to a prepared and anxious crowd. It landed in the top box office slot, and went on to gross an impressive $30 million dollars (that’s the equivalent of about $82 million when considering inflation). The steam within this monster didn’t exactly die down when the film hit home video. It is, and has been an enduring classic that still rakes in plenty of DVD and Blu-ray sales.

For the vampire lovers out there, it’s important to note that Marvel’s first Blade flick also premiered on this day, back in 1998, which makes the movie 19 years old today. Like An American Werewolf in London, Blade was also a very successful film, opening at number one in the box office and hauling in a very respectable $131 million worldwide.