Review by Seth Metoyer, More Horror
There are few movies you see in a lifetime that just have that extra special something about them. An American Werewolf in London is one of those rare gems that was really good the first time you saw it, yet continues to get better after every viewing.
This film happened to be the first horror movie I was allowed to see when I was 8 years old. I can still vividly recall the feathers flying out of David's vest while getting mauled by the creature. His screams still haunt me. This Werewolf film made me a horror fan for life.
As I got older, the film continued to mature and the black comedy, wit and horror made so much more sense to me. Naturally.
One of the most respected directors of the 1980s, John Landis found a way to combine a macabre horror story with slicing dark humor that continues to impress to this day.
This limited edition release from Arrow Video has a ton of amazing special features. The restored 4K looks beautiful. The new cover artwork is beautiful and one of my favorite things is original poster and postcards. The 60 page booklet is killer too. View the list of extras and special features below.
In An American Werewolf in London, American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are attacked by an unidentified vicious animal while jaunting through l the Yorkshire Moors. David awakens in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Recovering at the home of a beautiful nurse (Jenny Agutter, Walkabout), he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash bloodsoaked terror on the streets of London.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• New 2018 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by John Landis
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed 1.0 mono and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Optional subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• New audio commentary by Beware the Moon filmmaker Paul Davis
• Audio Commentary by Actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne
• Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf, newly produced, feature-length documentary by filmmaker Daniel Griffith, featuring interviews with John Landis, David Naughton, Joe Dante and more
• An American Filmmaker in London, a newly filmed interview with John Landis in which he reflects on his time working in Britain and British cinema
• I Think He’s a Jew: The Werewolf’s Secret, new video essay by filmmaker Jon Spira (Elstree 1976) about how Landis’ film explores Jewish identity
• The Werewolf’s Call, Corin Hardy, director of The Nun, chats with writer Simon Ward about their formative experiences with Landis’ film.
• Wares of the Wolf, new featurette in which SFX artist Dan Martin and Tim Lawes of The Prop Store look at some of the original costumes and special effects artefacts from the film
• Beware the Moon, Paul Davis’ acclaimed, feature-length exploration of Landis’ film which boasts extensive cast and crew interviews
• Making An American Werewolf in London, a short archival featurette on the film’s production
• An Interview with John Landis, a lengthy archival interview with the director about the film
• Makeup Artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London, the legendary make-up artist discusses his work on the film
• I Walked with a Werewolf, an archival interview with the make-up artist about Universal horror and its legacy of Wolfman films
• Casting of the Hand, archival footage from Rick Baker’s workshop as they cast David Naughton’s hand
• Outtakes
• Original trailers, teasers and radio spots
• Extensive image gallery featuring over 200 stills, posters and other ephemera
• Reversible sleeve featuring original poster art and artwork by Graham Humphreys
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
• Limited 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Travis Crawford and Simon Ward, excerpts from archival interviews original reviews