AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (HD-DVD) (COMBO FORMAT DISCS/WS/DOL DIG SDH) DVD

An American Werewolf in London
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, All Movie Guide

Cast David Naughton as David Kessler Jenny Agutter as Alex Price Griffin Dunne as Jack Goodman John Woodvine as Dr. Hirsch Brian Glover as Chess player David Schofield as Darts Player Lila Kaye as Barmaid Paul Kernber as Sgt. McManus Don McKillop as Inspector Villiers Frank Oz as Mr. Collins

Crew Leslie Dilley - Art Director Debbie McWilliams - Casting Deborah Nadoolman - Costume Designer David Tringham - First Assistant Director John Landis - Director Malcolm Campbell - Editor Jon Peters - Executive Producer Peter Guber - Executive Producer Elmer Bernstein - Composer (Music Score) Rick Baker - Makeup Special Effects Robert Paynter - Cinematographer Joyce Herlihy - Production Manager George Folsey, Jr. - Producer Peter Diamond - Stunts Marc Boyle - Stunts Tracey Eddon - Stunts Vic Armstrong - Stunts Roy Alon - Stunts Rocky Taylor - Stunts Fred Haggerty - Stunts Clive Curtis - Stunts Nick Hobbs - Stunts Romo Gorrara - Stunts Terry Forrestal - Stunts Arthur Howell - Stunts Billy Horrigan - Stunts Frank Henson - Stunts Paul Weston - Stunts Tony Smart - Stunts Colin Skeaping - Stunts Gareth Milne - Stunts Terry Walsh - Stunts Ken Barker - Stunts John Landis - Screenwriter Peter Childs - Assistant Art Director

An American Werewolf in London
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, All Movie Guide
 

Rick Baker: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Makeup (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DTS: Digital Theater Systems (akin to 5.1) Additional Features: Making An American Werewolf in London, an original featurette Feature commentary with cast members David Naughton and Griffin Dunne Makup artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London An interview with John Landis Casting of the Hand Outtakes Storyboards Photograph montage Special features not rated, not all subtitiled DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 98 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- American Werewolf in London, Side B 1. Main Titles [2:32] 2. An English Vacation [3:45] 3. The Slaughtered Lamb [7:32] 4. Stick to the Road [3:31] 5. The Hospital [11:10] 6. Bad Dreams [4:26] 7. Jack's Back [4:39] 8. Alex's New Roommate [5:15] 9. Another Warning [4:41] 10. Dr. Hirsch Investigates [5:53] 11. Home Alone [4:44] 12. Metamorphosis [3:06] 13. The First Victims [4:08] 14. A Killer in London [3:44] 15. The Naked American [1:12] 16. I'm a Werewolf [4:50] 17. See You Next Wednesday [6:24] 18. Piccadilly Circus [4:46] 19. Cul de Sac [5:27] 20. End Titles [1:45]