AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JOHN LANDIS / STARRING: DAVID NAUGHTON, JENNY AGUTTER, GRIFFIN DUNNE, JOHN WOODVINE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
At almost forty years old, John Landis’ dark comedy horror pushed the boundaries of makeup and special effects (so much so that film helped champion the creation of the Academy Award for Best Make-Up, for which legend Rick Baker won the inaugural Oscar) and still manages to influence modern TV and film from Being Human to Psychoville. Now, An American Werewolf in London is finally getting the sumptuous Blu-ray treatment courtesy of Arrow Video, with extras galore.
American tourists David (Naughton) and Jack (Dunne), ignoring the warnings of suspicious Yorkshire folk (which include Brian Glover, David Schofield, and Rik Mayall), go off-road and are violently attacked by a wild animal, with only David surviving. With David rescued and returned to London, he is taken care of in hospital by Nurse Alex (Agutter), which turns into romance. However, David is then visited by gory visions of Jack, who warns him that he will turn into a werewolf at the next full moon. David tries to ignore the warnings, but when the full moon does hit, both himself and London will never quite be the same again.
An American Werewolf in London is still a remarkable piece of cinema. Its horror was revolutionary at the time (the minutes-long werewolf transformation scene took over a week to painstakingly film correctly), its gore was injected with humour (Jack’s rotting visions gradually get funnier and funnier), and its incredibly well set out for humour, panic, and sadness.
In addition to this brilliant film are some equally brilliant special features: 4K and HD remasters of the film, audio commentary from David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, lots of ‘making of’ features, interviews with Landis, the cast and crew, as well as features on the director’s experience of working in the UK, and on the lasting legacy of the werewolf film (particularly those from Universal Studios).
In short, some films deserve such masterful recognition; An American Werewolf in London, a much-loved film by cast crew and audience in equal measure, is up there with the best.
