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| Universal (Australia). Region 2 & 4, PAL. 1.85:1 (16:9 enhnaced). English DD 5.1. Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles. 93 Minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: John Landis
Starring: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, Don McKillop, Paul Kember
Screenplay: John Landis
Country: USA
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David and Jack are two American tourists backpacking
their way across England on a three month hiatus.
Neither seems too happy with their choice of holiday
location, and things continue to go down hill
for them when they stumble into "The Slaughtered
Lamb", and isolated pub which features a
pentangle on the wall and a group of locals who
look about as cheerful as a room full of haemorrhoid
sufferers. The only advice from the locals before
the boys depart is "Beware of the moon,
and stay off the moors". Naturally, before
they know it, our two tourists find themselves
smack dab in the middle of the moors and underneath
a full moon, seemingly followed by a strange beast
which, after taunting them with a few scary noises,
makes its attack. Jack is killed, and only the
intervention of the shotgun toting locals saves
David from a similar fate.
After a stint in hospital, David finds himself
being haunted by visions of his dead friend, who
has some rather unsettling news: They were attacked
by a werewolf, and the wolf's bloodline
has now been passed on to Jack, who will change
shape and become significantly furrier at the
next full moon should he not take his own life
before then. And I thought I had problems!
Director John Landis certainly hits the mark
with his mix of terrifying suspense and black
humour. The special effects work of Rick Baker
(who received an Academy Award for his efforts)
is particularly outstanding, and the films transformation
sequence set new standards in live action effects.
Werewolf films are unfortunately few and far between
these days, and this film is arguably the best
effort in a sub-genre that has sadly never reached
the same level of popularity as other "creature
features" such as the vampire film. An American Werewolf in London should
be essential viewing for any horror film fan,
and if you haven't seen it before, now is
the time to take a look. |
| Video |
| The film is presented in its original theatrical
aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is enhanced for 16x9
television sets. An American Werewolf in
London is now twenty one years old, and
right from the start the print used for this transfer
shows its age, with a grainy look throughout and
some noticeable print damage such as scratches and
dust marks. Colours are rich and vibrant, and the
image boasts a generally sharp picture quality.
While there certainly isn't too much to complain
about here, the transfer has some room for improvement. |
| Audio |
| The discs Dolby Digital 5.1 channel sound mix
is decent enough, although like the transfer, there
is room for improvement. Dialogue is crisp and clean
throughout, and the sound effects (particularly
the various wolf noises) sound impressive. For some
reason however, I was just left with a feeling that
things could have been a bit better. |
| Extra Features |
| The disc certainly delivers the goods in the extra
features department. On offer is an audio commentary
from actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, a
three minute collection of outtakes (without sound),
a five minute behind the scenes segment, a storyboard
to film comparison, a three and a half minute slideshow
of still photographs and an eleven minute featurette
which looks at the films transformation sequence.
The most interesting of the discs features are an
in-depth interview with director John Landis, who
talks about the influences behind the film and shares
some amusing behind the scenes stories, and an eleven
minute interview with effects wiz Rick Baker which
includes some interesting werewolf footage that
was not used in the final cut. An audio commentary
track from John Landis would have been a fantastic
addition to the disc, but as it is, the special
features presented here are quite impressive. |
| The Verdict |
A thoroughly enjoyable werewolf classic that is
just as entertaining now as it was twenty one years
ago. While the transfer isn't the best, I've seen
much worse, and the discs impressive collection
of extra features should keep most fans happy. Given
the all round lack of decent horror film titles
currently available on Region 4 DVD, this is great
release and should be snapped up by horror lovers
in need of a good scare and a few laughs. Recommended!
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