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
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Disc #1 -- An American Werewolf in London
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Bonus Features
Rick Baker: I Walked With a Werewolf
Making An American Werewolf in London
An Interview With John Landis
Makeup Artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London
Casting of the Hand
Outtakes
Storyboards
Photograph Montage
Feature Commentary With Cast Members David Naughton and Griffin Dunne: On/Off
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Feature Commentary With Cast Members David Naughton and Griffin Dunne
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Disc #2 -- An American Werewolf in London
Beware the Moon
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The Beginning
The Cast
Shooting in Wales
Murder on the Moors
What Bad Dreams Are Made Of
Bringing Jack Back
The Transformation of David
The Music of American Werewolf
Underground Filming
Pornos & Puppets
A Four-Legged Hound From Hell
Causing Disturbance in Piccadilly
The Beast Unleashed
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Chapters
Disc #1 -- An American Werewolf in London
1. Main Titles [2:32]
2. An English Vacation [3:46]
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 Rommate [5:15]
9. Another Warning [4:41]
10. Dr. Hirsch Investigates [5:53]
11. Home Alone [4:44]
12. Metamorphosis [3:05]
13. The First Victims [4:08]
14. A Killer in London [3:44]
15. The Naked American [4:11]
16. I'm a Werewolf! [1:50]
17. See You Next Wednesday [6:23]
18. Piccadilly Circus [4:46]
19. Cul De Sac [5:27]
20. End Titles [1:46]
Features
Beware The Moon: new feature-length retrospective documentary with the cast and crew, including director John Landis and make-up artist Rick Baker
I Walked With A Werewolf: Academy Award-winning make-up artist reflects on An American Werewolf in London and the Wolfman
Making An American Werewolf in London
An interview with director John Landis
Make-up artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London
Casting of the hand
Outtakes
Storyboards
Photograph montage
Feature commentary with cast members David Naughton and Griffin Dunne
Art Director - Leslie Dilley
Assistant Art Director - Peter Childs
Casting - Debbie McWilliams
Cinematographer - Robert Paynter
Composer (Music Score) - Elmer Bernstein
Costume Designer - Deborah Nadoolman
Executive Producer - Peter Guber
Executive Producer - Jon Peters
First Assistant Director - David Tringham
Makeup Special Effects - Rick Baker
Production Manager - Joyce Herlihy
Stunts - Tracey Eddon
Stunts - Fred Haggerty
Stunts - Rocky Taylor
Stunts - Roy Alon
Stunts - Vic Armstrong
Stunts - Marc Boyle
Stunts - Peter Diamond
Stunts - Terry Forrestal
Stunts - Romo Gorrara
Stunts - Gareth Milne
Stunts - Colin Skeaping
Stunts - Tony Smart
Stunts - Paul Weston
Stunts - Frank Henson
Stunts - Billy Horrigan
Stunts - Arthur Howell
Stunts - Clive Curtis
Stunts - Nick Hobbs
Stunts - Ken Barker
Stunts - Terry Walsh
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
Rick Baker : Best Makeup - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1981
