The "Lost" American Werewolf Review.

When life tosses you lemons, make lemonade. When 50megs kills your site... find your unposted reviews and get 'em Blogged!

This was a brief DVD review I put on the B-Movie Board way back when... now a Lair entry for the first time. Enjoy!

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

When "An American Werewolf in london" was released in 1981, a lot of people didn't know what to make of it. "Too comedic for a horror film!"... "Too gory for a comedy!" they cried. But in reality, the film blended the two genres perfectly. It may not have been the first true horror/comedy... 1978's "Pirhana" was a good example, too... but it was one of the best ever made. here's my take on the "New Line Platinum Edition DVD".

THE MOVIE: If you haven't seen this film... Then I trust the rock you've been living under the last twenty years or so is comfortable. A brief run-down: two American hikers are set upon by a large beastie on the English moors. One is killed... the other... well, the films title should clue you in. Over the next ninty minutes, we get some stunning human-to-werewolf transformation scenes, gallons of blood, a butt-load of laughs and a crap-load of male nudity. (David Naughtons ass deserves a supporting actor credit, methinks...) While the plot seems standard, John Landis directs with with tongue firmly planted in cheek, giving a much-used genre a few new spins. The setting helps a lot, with the traditional English "stiff upper Lip" adding much of the comedy for me. (Note the businessman being chased through the subway station... still gamely clutching his briefcase and umbrella.) A perfect popcorn movie, though probably not a great date-flick...

THE TRANSFER: Wow. That pretty much sums it up. Crisp and clear, without some much as a scratch on the print. I'm guessing this looks better now than at any time since it premiered. The light balance is top-notch, which is fairly crucial in a film shot largely at night.

THE SOUND: Also excellent. I'm not the best to judge this, as I'm holding out buying a home theatre until I own a decent-sized house.. However, the soundtrack issuing from my inexpertly hooked-up stereo was fine. The cleverly-picked songs are a big plus, too... (Blue moon, Bad Moon Rising, Moondance...)

THE EXTRAS: First up is a not-half-bad commentary with David Naughton and Griffen Dunne. They share plenty of memmories and stories, including John landis's favourite phrase ("More blood!"), David Naughtons crush on Jenny Aggutter and Griffen Dunnes self-proclaimed "Greatest acting moment"... (The real snot he snorted out while the pair were restraining on-camera laughter during the early scenes. Naughton: "That was real 'Don't look at me' acting...") They do fall silent for a while, although Dunne apologises for that... Neither has seen the film for a while, and just start watching it. I would have liked them to have had Landis on the track, but I guess he was busy.

Next is a "Behind the Scenes" documnentary... but at 5 minutes long, it hardly scratches the surface. (It's pretty obvious it's a 1981 TV publicity spot...)

Also in the disc is an interview with Landis. This is pretty good, if only ten minutes long. He comes off as a real motormouth, with boundless energy and passion for his film. Now I REALLY wish he'd done a commentary track!

Finally, the "Outakes" section. Two words... Point. Less. Two minutes of random footage without so much as a soundtrack, followed by a 30-second clip from the gag reel. (Landis chats to the camera in front of a set... still with no soundtrack, I might add. The wall then collapses over him, Buster Keaton-style, revealling the four actors from the "See You Next Wednesday" porn film humping away madly.) Notable for the only full-frontal nudity on the disc, but it was still pretty much a token afterthought.


Skeeters Summary: Classic film, classic soundtrack, and it's never looked better. Disappointing extras aside, it's a keeper!

Film: 4 Kiwis
Extras: 2 Kiwis