AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

5Not a pretty boy: Rick Baker's work here puts VAN HELSING to shame.

AAWIL and the other werewolf flick THE HOWLING came out at about the same time - circa 1981 - and, if you're not a fan, it's not easy to tell them apart. For me, I felt the latter was more horrifying (it gave me hallucinations), but marveled at the former's groundbreaking (non-CGI) special effects that transformed David Naughton into a beastly lycan. The AMPAS even created a new awards category at the Oscars - Outstanding Achievement in Makeup - specifically for the film.