Plot hole: The first time David werewolfizes, he's reading a book in the brightly lit apartment. Exterior shots of the full moon show it's nighttime out, so the lights inside the apartment must be on. But when Dr. Hirsch calls to check on him, the shot is of the phone ringing, unanswered, in the completely darkened apartment. That's considerate, David. Even as a werewolf, he must have run around turning lights off before going on his rampage.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
1 plot hole - chronological order
Directed by: John Landis
Starring: Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, David Naughton, Brian Glover, David Schofield, Joe Belcher
Continuity mistake: In Jack's first appearance to David in the hospital room, Jack uncovers the food on the tray and takes a piece of toast from another plate on the tray. The silver cover on the tray changes position throughout the scene in various shots. Sometimes the cover is resting partly on the tray and sometimes flat on the tray table surface.
Jack: Your parents came to my funeral. I was surprised at how many people came.
David: Why should you be surprised? You were a very well liked person.
Jack: Yeah. I was, wasn't I?
David: Well, I liked you.
Jack: Debbie Kline cried a lot.
David: God, am I asleep now, awake or what?
Jack: So-So you know what she does? She's so grief stricken, she runs to find solace in Mark Lavine's bed.
David: Mark Lavine?
Jack: An asshole. Life mocks me even in death.
Trivia: Makeup artist Rick Baker wanted the werewolf to be bipedal. Director John Landis refused, insisting it had to be a four-legged hound from hell.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Chosen answer: David has his eyes closed because of the excruciating pain he's experiencing. His eyes open to see his hand change because it's cinematically and visually cool to see his own reaction to what's going on. That's how director John Landis directs!
CCARNI ★