Episode 111: Anthony Waller’s An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

Rotten Tomato Score: 7%

The howling you hear isn’t from the monster—it’s from fans watching a beloved classic get saddled with a clumsy sequel. We dive into An American Werewolf in Paris and sort the few effective frights from an avalanche of awkward humor, rubbery CGI, and logic that faceplants off the Eiffel Tower. We set the scene with a spoiler warning and a tart “Sinister Sip,” then get honest about why a meager 7 percent score feels fair: the chemistry is flat, the jokes miss, and the tone wanders between frat gags and faux-goth moodiness.

We compare what made the London original sing—sharp timing, grounded performances, and practical effects that respected the shadows—against Paris’s bright lights and louder is better approach. That contrast becomes a lesson in horror-comedy craft: reveal less to scare more, let the music accent the mood instead of drowning it, and trust character choices to build tension rather than forcing chaos with car pileups and nightclub gross-outs. Still, we call out the sequences that almost redeem it: a strobe-lit attack that hides the seams, a flickering flashlight stalk through tunnels, and a few practical blood beats that feel tactile, if brief.

Along the way, we share production notes and trivia: early CGI experiments that haven’t aged well, lion-inspired creature design, a scrapped werewolf-baby ending, and Julie Delpy’s candid reason for signing on. We also untangle head-scratchers like Eiffel Tower physics, non-silver bullets, and accent roulette. By the time we score watchability, the verdict is unanimous and blunt. If you’re revisiting werewolves, start with An American Werewolf in London or even Silver Bullet. If you’re here for the trainwreck, we’ve mapped the wreckage so you don’t have to.

Sinister Sips

American in Paris
From: A Year of Cocktails

Recipe:

• 1.5 oz Vodka

• 1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur

• 1/2 oz Lime Juice

• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

1. Add ice and all of the ingredients to a shaker tin

2. Shake for 10 - 15 minutes

3. Strain into a chilled martini glass

Plot Summary:

An American man unwittingly gets involved with French werewolves who have developed a serum allowing them to transform at will. (Taken from IMDb)

Watchability Scale

Sam 1 Mike 1 Chad 1

We gave the film a 1 on the Watchability Scale.

Links

Rotten Tomatoes Page

IMDb page

https://www.moviemistakes.com/film56/trivia

https://headhuntershorrorhouse.fandom.com/wiki/An_American_Werewolf_in_Paris#Notes_&_Trivia