This “Limited Edition – Special Edition” Blu-ray release from Arrow Video will be available for purchase (www.arrowvideo.com – www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo/) on October 29th.
Simply put, An American Werewolf in London belongs in the pantheon of modern horror classics. Over the years, many filmmakers have attempted to update and reinvent genre icons like Dracula for modern audiences. However, few have succeeded so effectively as this new take on The Wolf Man from writer/director John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Coming to America, Innocent Blood and many others). All the themes of the original film are still present, but this version was spun in ways that were truly new and exciting.
I’ve owned the picture on various formats over the years, from VHS to several different DVDs and Blu-rays. However, the latest release from Arrow Video is far by far the best presentation and package of the film ever released. Boasting a 2018 4K transfer supervised by Landis himself, the picture looks crisper than ever before (and likely even more impressive than it would have appeared on cinema screens almost 40 years ago). It also comes with a wealth of bonuses including all of the previously released special add-ons as well as new features than add even more insight to the finished film. This release couldn’t be more highly recommended and makes for perfect Halloween viewing.
For those who have never seen it, the story follows David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) two friends backpacking through Northern England. When they find themselves near a moor, they briefly take refuge in a pub and note some strange markings on the wall. Fearful, the pals leave the intimidating locale and are attacked. David awakens in a London hospital to learn that Jack is dead. He also begins having harrowing and violent visions. One of the most disturbing is that of his undead pal, telling him that they were attacked by a werewolf and that he is now cursed to follow suit. Sympathetic nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter) attempts to help David deal with his unusual situation, but as the next full moon approaches, the protagonist begins to fear that he may well turn into a monster.
The movie certainly has its jarring and disturbing sections during the wolf attacks and through the surprising and unsettling visions David experiences (which often occur when viewers are least expecting it). Of course, the film is most noted for an incredible transformation sequence. Unlike previous movies which used lap dissolves to show a man getting hairy (and vice versa), this film decided to make the wolf itself more animalistic. Shot in a bright room, viewers see the entire process of a man painfully changing into a werewolf and see all of the agony as parts of his body twist as he morphs into the creature. The effects work by Rick Baker was and remains so striking that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences created a Best Make-Up Effects category to reward the stunning scene – since that time, the category has been renamed Best Make-up and Hairstyling.
Yet, the make-up is a highlight, but no less impressive are the performances. David and Jack are very likable leads and make a great onscreen pairing, sharing naturalistic conversations (or as natural as they can possibly be given the circumstances) that sound authentic and funny. In fact, all of the characters are memorable and make an impression, from the hero to the bumbling police inspectors assigned to investigate the killings late in the film.
This film is also unique in that infuses a consistent sense of humor throughout. Often, the characters refer to how bizarre and surreal the situation they find themselves in truly is, and much humor is derived from their honest reactions to surreal events. Not only is it amusing, but it actually adds a layer of relatability to the proceedings. Remarkably, this approach was brand new at the time and was even considered confusing to some critics and audiences, who had difficulty distinguishing if they should be fearful or laughing at the pointed remarks. Of course, the answer to the question is a resounding yes to both responses.
Of course, as the years have passed, An American Werewolf in London has become respected as one of the best films of the genre and has lost none of its charm or effectiveness. It’s still chilling when it wants to be, tragic when dealing with the characters and their suffering, and sharply written. The new Blu-ray really does the movie a service. As mentioned, the movie has never looked this good before, with various locales like the Slaughtered Lamb pub, London tube and Piccadilly Circus appearing sharper and more striking than ever before.
The extras are incredible too. If you’ve never seen the previous trove of special features from older releases before, you will find them here and they’re all impressive. There’s a detailed, feature length documentary on the production in which you’ll learn that Landis wrote the script as a teenager in 1968 and had spent the next decade plus trying to get it produced – he explains that he was constantly turned down and told his script was too schizophrenic in tone. Only after directing two big hits was the filmmaker able to raise financing and start shooting in London. Since he was largely involved in raising the funds, he also made a lot of decisions involving shooting the film on a limited budget.
This included saving the big transformation to the end of the shoot and wrapping most of the cast and crew. They then filmed shots for the big sequence in reverse to make it easier on the actors and effects team by removing hair and appliances as they filmed (instead of adding prosthetics as they progressed). He also talks about casting and how important it was to cast sympathetic looking actors in the leads. Performers Naughton and Dunne lend a commentary track as well as interviews describing their experiences and the difficulties of working with make-up prosthetics. You’ll also get an interview with effects man Rick Baker, the original video press kit for the movie and loads of publicity materials like trailers and outtakes.
And there’s just as many new bonuses. There’s a new feature-length documentary featuring Landis, make-up effects experts and other horror authorities on the history of the werewolf and how this film plays with and manages to both continue and slightly rework the themes. It provides great insight into how the werewolf myth and legend came into being. Curiously, despite a notable, well-regarded fictional novel about the subject being written and released a year before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this character didn’t make as much of impact initially on popular culture. The doc goes into Universal’s first pitches for a wolfman movie and how the concept was changed and altered. The doc also shows other notable pictures featuring werewolves before the 1941 classic The Wolf Man was produced, and notes how this particular picture established the character lore and rules. And of course, they go through the Hammer iteration, Curse of the Werewolf, in addition to other films that led to American Werewolf. This feature is a real informative and fun piece.
Writer/director John Landis also provides a new interview in which he talks further about his inspiration and what is was like working and shooting the film in the UK. There’s another bit that goes into the dream sequences and the personal fears that inspired those horrific bits, as well as a brand new segment on the groundbreaking visual effects. There’s also a film historian commentary that gives other production insights and a clip featuring other moviemakers talking about the influence this picture had on them. And there’s even more (including an impressive book with essays about the picture and the original reaction to it upon its release) meat to chew on.
An American Werewolf in London is an amazing horror picture, and this new Blu-ray from Arrow Video is equally incredible, presenting the film to viewers in its most pristine form and providing more extras than have ever been available before. This disc gets my highest recommendation… and any self-respecting horror fan should pick it up.