An American Werewolf in London





An American Werewolf in London is very nearly a perfect movie; even its flaws are charming.  Mixing comedy and horror more successfully than any film before or since, director John Landis managed to reinvigorate the lycanthrope legend while Rick Baker's effects set new standards (literally, earning him the inaugural Best Makeup Oscar) that have yet to be topped.  

 

After an attack on the moors, David (David Naughton) is haunted by the decomposing ghost of his friend Jack (Griffin Dunne) who urges him to commit suicide before he runs wild in downtown London.   Before you know it, that's exactly what happens in a brilliantly staged standoff in Piccadilly Circus.  Only David's former nurse (Jenny Agutter) has the courage to face down the monster he's become.

 

After a number of appearances on Blu-ray, Arrow Video upgrades its own version with a 4K Ultra HD restoration.  The results are pretty damn good, especially on larger screens (Werewolf was a grainy film even in theaters).  The colors are more vibrant with the addition of HDR and there's none of the noise reduction that plagued previous editions. 

 

This is a movie that fans have probably bought multiple times and Arrow goes out of their way to make sure it’s the last, porting over the feature-length Beware the Moon along with another fresh documentary, Mark of the Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf, which is worth a purchase on its own.  But there's plenty more where that came from, including commentaries from Beware the Moon's Paul Davis and actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, interviews, archival featurettes, a fold-out poster, lobby cards and 60-page booklet.  

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