MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

While wandering the English moors on vacation, college yanks David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happen upon a quaint pub with a mysterious patronage who warn them not to leave the road when walking after dark. Irreverent of such advice as characters in horror films always are, the two decide to find a short cut....David wakes up in the hospital with a nasty bite wound to his shoulder; the freshly deceased, and rapidly decomposing, Jack arrives soon after to deliver the grim news that, unless he commits suicide, David will become a werewolf when the moon is full. David dismisses the encounter as a hallucination, but all indicators point to lycanthrope; evenings of barking and bloodletting follow closely behind. While the story is thin and much of the tongue-in-cheek humor is overdone, there are plenty of genuine jolts thanks to makeup guru Rick Baker's eye-popping special effects. The werewolf, resembling a cross between a bear and a wolverine, appears frighteningly real, and, given the fantastic premise, the gore is most convincing (although surprisingly and refreshingly scant). The hospital dream sequences are creative, and the scenes in which the werewolf runs rampant through downtown London are particularly good. In all, An American Werewolf in London is an original, atmospheric film that manages both to scare and amuse. While dismissed by most American critics upon its release, the film managed to secure a place in the annals of American cinema when Baker won an Academy Award for his amazing effects and creature designs. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: DTS, 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English, Spanish, French
• Features:
  • • "Making of An American Werewolf in London" original featurette
    • Feature commentary with cast members David Naughton and Griffin Dunne
    • An interview with John Landis
    • Makeup artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London
    • Casting of the Hand
    • Outtakes
    • Storyboards
    • Photograph montage
    • Production notes
    • Cast and filmmakers
    • DVD-ROM features

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Makeup - 1981 (Rick Baker)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John Landis

• Producer:

  George Folsey, Jr.

• Screenwriter:

  John Landis

• Cinematographer:

  Robert Paynter

• Composer (Music Score):

  Elmer Bernstein

• Editor:

  Malcolm Campbell

• Art Director:

  Leslie Dilley

• Executive Producer:

  Peter Guber, Jon Peters

• Costume Designer:

  Deborah Nadoolman

• First Assistant Director:

  David Tringham

• Stunts:

  Tracey Eddon, Fred Haggerty, Rocky Taylor, Roy Alon, Vic Armstrong, Marc Boyle, Peter Diamond, Terry Forrestal, Romo Gorrara, Gareth Milne, Colin Skeaping, Tony Smart, Paul Weston, Frank Henson, Billy Horrigan, Arthur Howell, Clive Curtis, Nick Hobbs, Ken Barker, Terry Walsh

• Casting:

  Debbie McWilliams

• Production Manager:

  Joyce Herlihy

• Makeup Special Effects:

  Rick Baker

• Assistant Art Director:

  Peter Childs

REVIEW:

• Because of the admittedly justified attention paid to Rick Baker's amazing werewolf transformation effects, certain other elements of this irreverent, impressively realized horror film have been neglected. John Landis' witty script and careful direction strike just the right balance between nervous laughter and savage gore, and a pair of nightmares near the beginning of the film are among the most canny and effective shock sequences of the '80s. The appealing cast is highlighted by Griffin Dunne, who turns in a sardonically funny performance as an increasingly grotesque decomposing zombie which provides most of the film's considerable dark humor. Landis reverts to his usual car crashes and mayhem in the film's disappointing conclusion, and throws in another "See You Next Wednesday" reference for his fans, but the majority of this film -- though definitely not for the squeamish -- is wonderfully entertaining and highly recommended. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi