VFX favorites: An American Werewolf In London (1981)

A special effects gem that really speaks for itself. A fringe body horror comedy with incredible makeup, and a werewolf transformation sequence that has never been matched in the 35+ years following it. Rick Baker, one of the greatest practical effects artists of all time (he also did a quality job with the werewolf makeup in The Wolfman), is the main reason this movie works, and that's no insult to John Landis. This is a gory, gruesome, and massively entertaining movie that marks a high point in the history of body horror and practical effects work -- for both the makeup and mechanisms.