An American Werewolf in London: Collector's Edition

John Landis' frightfully funny 1981 thriller is not a post-modern, self-referential tease like the Scream films; rather it's a hair-raising horror film that's at once seriously scary without taking itself too seriously. David Naughton and Griffin Dunne star as backpacking buddies David and Jack, who--wandering their way through the English countryside one fateful and foggy night--are attacked by a werewolf. Jack dies, and David is nursed back to health by a nurse (Jenny Agutter), although he is haunted by ghoulish nightmares as well as recurring visits by a decomposing Jack who warns David that he is now a werewolf and must kill himself to end the curse. Terror, gore, sex and comedy do not ordinarily mix, but Landis mostly pulls it off until the too-abrupt ending. Extras include an amiable commentary track by Naughton and Dunne, a "making of," and interviews with director Landis and Rick Baker (who won the first Academy Award for Best Makeup). Recommended. (K. Lee Benson) [DVD/Blu-ray Review—Sept. 15, 2009—Universal, 98 min., R, DVD: 2 discs, $19.98; Blu-ray: $26.98—Making its latest appearance on DVD, and first appearance on Blu-ray, 1981's An American Werewolf in London (Full Moon Edition) sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary with costars David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, a 'Beware the Moon' retrospective documentary (98 min.), an interview with director John Landis (19 min.), an interview with special makeup effects artist Rick Baker (11 min.), a 'Casting of the Hand' production featurette (11 min.), a 'Rick Baker: I Walked with a Werewolf' featurette (8 min.), a vintage 'making-of' featurette (5 min.), a photo montage (4 min.), outtakes (3 min.), and storyboard comparisons (3 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a fine extras package and solid Blu-ray debut for a horror-comedy favorite.] [Blu-ray Review—Nov. 5, 2019—Arrow, 97 min., R, Blu-ray: $49.95—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1981’s An American Werewolf in London features a great transfer with a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include two audio commentaries (one by documentary filmmaker Paul Davis; the other by costars David Naughton and Griffin Dunne), Davis’s 'Beware the Moon' feature-length doc on the film (98 min.), 'Mark of the Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf' (77 min.), an archival interview with director John Landis (18 min.), a new interview with Landis (12 min.), an 'I Think He’s a Jew: The Werewolf’s Secret' new video essay by filmmaker John Spira (12 min.), 'The Werewolf’s Call' with director Corin Hardy and writer Simon Ward (12 min.), an interview with makeup artist Rick Baker (11 min.), an archival interview with Baker (8 min), 'Casting of the Hand' archival footage from Baker’s workshop (11 min.), 'Wares of the Wolf' with SFX artist Dan Martin and Tim Lawes of the Prop Store (8 min.), a 'making-of' featurette (5 min.), outtakes (3 min.), a storyboard featurette (3 min.), and image galleries. Bottom line: an impressive Blu-ray edition of this contemporary cult favorite.]