American Werewolf In London, An
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DVD Review
Ratings And Purchasing Information
Review
Plot Outline
John Landis classic version of the werewolf is back, but do we still need to "keep to the road and keep clear off the moors...."?
Review
"There we were in a darkened cinema”, the laughing had turned into a nervous murmur as the audience watched David Naughton transform from man to wolf, the hands stretched, the hair grew, his face contorted in pain. This was truly amazing..... In a brightly lit room Rick Baker, the effects man worked his magic, and we, the viewer saw it all!
Today special effects have changed the way of film making for ever, computer effects are king, and they can do anything........
So has "An American Werewolf In London" stood the test of time.......?
Yes,Yes,YES! On all counts John Landis' werewolf comedy horror still delivers. This is a black film full of dark humour mixed with sudden shock scenes that retain power some twenty years later.
The story works so well because not only is it very well scripted and tightly edited but it contains two powerhouse performances from David Naughton and Griffen Dunne. These are clean American lads, normal people who happen to walk into a nightmare. In consequence we, the viewer share many of there emotions, there plight is our plight.
For years audiences had been laughing at horror films but here director John Landis gives us a horror film that we can laugh with. What is more amazing about the film is that he successfully turns our laughter to screams and back again, making the film not only a roller coaster ride for our senses but also our guts too!
There is little point in relating the story here, its a simple one, lets just say this is a holiday in hell scenario thrown in with a boy meets girl plotline that owes more to "Romeo and Juliet" than the gore, gore films that dripped into the cinemas back in the 1980's. It is the tragic set of circumstances that surround the lead characters that give this movie a heart. That heart, like the special effects, still beats strong today.
The film has been enhanced with a superb digital stereo mix that really adds atmosphere to film, especially during the early scenes when the two holidaymakers drift on to the moor during a dark and rainy night. The sound of rain is all around and then, it comes, the chilling sound of....."What is that?" out there, in the dark. Circling,and getting closer.........
The picture quality is also excellent, clear with well-defined blacks. Much, much better than the grainy video release that was available a few years back.
Extras
This Twenty-first anniversary release features a second disc of extras (so I suspect Universal could have placed all of the extra features on one disc along with the film), the details of which are;
Behind The Scenes
A short featurette made at the time of the films production, interesting but rather lacking detail.
Outtakes
A weird batch this. The material here is almost like test footage and silent (the sound having been lost) John Landis is clearly seen at work and fooling around during a sequence involving the naked couples featured in the sex film that is showing at the cinema during the stories conclusion. Also included here is footage shot from inside the top of a double decker bus and other brief scenes showing the carnage of the films climax.
Interview With John Landis
Good new material here, Landis tells how the project was born, though he strangely neglects to tell us that the original outline was called "An American Werewolf in Paris”. At nearly 20 minutes this does provide more of an insight than the 'making of' feature.
Interview with Rick Baker
Another good feature, Baker gives loads of information on how he came to create the first moving, on screen man into werewolf scene.
Focus On Technical Effects
Another interesting feature, this is made up of footage shot at the time of David Naughton having a mould of his hand and arm made for the transformation.
The disc also contains a Storyboard top Film Comparison that, though shot gives some insight into the filming of the Piccadilly Circus sequence. The Stills gallery is nicely laid out, though I would have liked to see more behind the scenes material.
Finally on disc one is a wonderful commentary from the two male leads who gives an insight into how they were cast and how much they adored Jenny Agutter.
Overall
All in all this is a worthwhile investment. A classic movie that remains both funny and scary. The extras also are worth looking at.
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