An American Werewolf in London

A great werewolf movie with great special effects from Rick Baker.

The subway scene is a moment of horror perfection. Hiding the werewolf and showing only an absolutely terrified man charging through nightmarishly empty hallways is good...but then it becomes GREAT. A wide shot from the top of the escalator -- the sounds of breathing, growling, and the hum of machines -- the American Werewolf lumbering its thicket of mass off in the distance..but not too distant.And the fact the movie manages to be funny without undermining itself is a minor miracle. Nazi werewolves, pop songs, and a porno theater with ghouls would collapse a lesser film, but instead we get a believably wild, macabre European trip gone terribly wrong. Of course the movie is set in Britain -- it has an old world charm where werewolves just might still exist, and it's a place where black, cynical humor can thrive. And that's what this movie has in spades -- an almost nihilistic glee at breaking poor, doggish David down.Even when it misfires a bit (in a movie with werewolves and ghosts, what boggles me is how hospitals are just cool with nurses taking patients home), it's a movie with a drive. It sets its problems, it sets its stakes [no, don't worry, no vampires], and then sets all hell loose. An American Werewolf in London is a wonderful throwback to the childish glee of just letting monsters rip people apart, and the poor SOB who deals with the morning after.

A very good movie with great collectors items inside!

I remember the first time I saw American Werewolf in London back when I was much younger. I watched it again just recently and I have to say it still really holds up as one of the great werewolf movies of all time. The creature effects at the time were cutting edge, and even now watching David Naughton's first transformation into the wolf brought this geeky smile to my face. And the gore - the gore is so over the top, you can't help but laugh at it now but when this first came out I imagine it was way more horrifying. It was really a joy to find this again, this is a movie I could watch over and over.

Movie 4 of 1981 and 84 overall in my journey through films of my lifetime.The reason I have skipped this one for so many years is clear. There are several horror tropes I find inherently uninteresting due to their over use: vampires, witches, and werewolves. It usually doesn't take long before the story rolls out all the familiar elements then I yawn and move on. For example: the bad omens like screeching cats and full moons. It's not horrifying, rather, I find it predictable. With that said "American Werewolf in London" is a well told story despite my reservations. At the time it was lauded for its special effects. Today we call them "practical effects" and they have held up well in my opinion. In fact the effects along with the acting makes a convincing transformation.I'd like to make mention of the spectacular ending. Very entertaining and exciting. I'm usually indifferent to gore but here it was interlaced with realistic action. I also found myself more moved by the ending than I would have thought possible. They give you a hint of a very cheesy, yet happy ending but snatch it away unexpectedly. This subverted expectations in the best possible way. Today subverting expectations is a crutch used by talentless hacks like in "Game of Thrones" or "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." In "American Werewolf in London" not only is it done well but it is used because a great ending really wasn't possible. Ending a good story is hard and I always prefer subtlety over extravagance in this regard. Well done Landis!Pros-Highly Entertaining-Fantastic Special effects-great acting-classic horror tropes (if you are into that)Cons-werewolves (unfortunately I have to knock the movie hard for this but it is a matter of personal taste)

Three stars on my scale means an average movie that you wouldn't regret paying for at the cinema.That said, this is a classic horror movie and was well made for its time. In our age of CGI and digital effects, it's very easy to dismiss older films as being "hokey" or "unrealistic," but there is also something visceral to them. American Werewolf in London is one of those films that has enough corny sensibility that it doesn't take itself too seriously while at the same time portraying some good horror tropes in emotionally evocative ways. You can watch this one for just good, classic, horror fun or you can pay a little more attention and see the personal horror of the main character, David, as he is confronted with the reality of being a monster. The first transformation scene is one of my all time favorites in werewolf cinema, as it is sudden, confusing, and ultimately horrifying for the character himself, even if modern audiences might get a chuckle or two out of the effects. The makeup and costuming are actually quite well crafted and it's worth noting while you watch that absolutely none of this was done with computers. What you see is painstaking time and attention spent on creating an illusion with actual, material, costuming and make up effects.This is definitely a film worth keeping in your collection if you like horror. Maybe best avoided if you're not keen on blood and gore.

One of my all-time favourite movies, John Landis' comic horror masterwork 'An American Werewolf In London' has been given the definitive special edition treatment by one of my favourite boutique labels, Arrow.A beautiful 4K scan of the OCN has been supplemented by bonus features old and new in a handsome hardbox package filled with other goodies.At long, long last this popular culture masterpiece has been properly honoured - NOT by Universal, ironically, but by a small independent UK label. About -bloody-time.BRAVO, Arrow!

well, firstly the movie is great and looks fab on 4K lets get that straight...BUT, the product itself costs £30 and the outer packaging said MediaBook Edition which means it will have cards in it maybe a poster etc..nope this version was simply the standard 4k and blu ray with a bonus disc inside, no posters nothing just the typical standard plastic box with discs inside and they charge you £30 for it, this isnt on as seems like false advertisment in a way, if you are happy to spend the £30 for the film alone as the film looks great and sounded nice so worth it for the film if you want to pay that much but for me seems a lot for a older movie in a standard box..4K is an easy 8/10 and audi is 5.1 but sounds good but overall presentation is sub standard for the price so be warned on that one.

What started out with a slow burn at the box office has become acknowleged as a modern classic, and its groundbreaking makeup effects have not only become the stuff of legend themselves, but stand up remarkably well to the test of time.This edition has been beautifully restored and looks pristine on the screen. I'm not going to remark on the film's content, as it has such a cult following, other than to say that the script, like the technical presentation, has aged very well indeed and never feels dated (although it is obviously in-period).The disc contains an absolute wealth of bonus material, including two separate narration tracks, both of which are fascinating and amusing. The accompanying feature documentaries alone are worth the purchase cost.An outstanding disc, considering both the quality of the transfer and the accompanying materials.

First off, the film is outstanding! Second, the blu ray is great. The picture transfer is the best yet of this movie and the 2 sound mixes are amazing. The special features are also A*.Why the 3 star review? I received the blu ray from Amazon directly which cost £8.99. I did not receive the extras which I thought I would receive, such as the slip cover, poster, movie cards and booklet. I received only the disc in the regular box with the reversible sleeve. Could someone tell me if that is what they have received, I thought i had purchased the limited edition with all the trimmings? It is a bit confusing as some of the other reviews have described receiving this and shown photo's.

Another fantastic release from Arrow Video. The package itself is very high quality with a reversible sleave, a book with loads of interesting stuff in I didn't know about and some great artwork. It also has a poster inside. This product is a must have collectors item for anyone that is a fan of the film.Picture quality is very good to say how old the film is. It's the best it has ever looked. I watched it on my LG OLED and colours were punchy and the picture quality was nice and sharp. There is grain still but that's because it was shot on film so pretty normal.Overall a perfect package. The artwork on the box makes it worth it alone. 100% recommend. 10/10