An American Werewolf in London – 4K UHD

Summary

”Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors.”

Arrow Video has recently decided to give horror fans a 4K UHD upgrade of their already excellent 2019 release of An American Werewolf in London. Their 2019 release ranks as one of my favorite Blu-ray releases, and I was extremely excited to see how the new 4K UHD release would look and sound in comparison. Numerous parts of this review will be restated from my earlier review, so some of this may sound familiar to people that read my prior review.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the sixth grade and I was staying at my friend Merrick Fagan’s house (or was it Matt Moore’s house…hmm…maybe my memory is fuzzier than I thought…) and my friend had fallen asleep after we had watched hour after hour of South Park, which at the time only had been on the air for one or two seasons. There had been an amazing marathon of the show leading up to Halloween weekend. Then, the most amazing thing happened… Comedy Central aired An American Werewolf in London. I had planned to watch just a few moments of the film, but after beginning the story, I had to see it through. It was love at first viewing. Since that fateful evening, I have returned to this film every few years. 

While the film was received with modest praise and a fair amount of misunderstanding upon its release, it has grown in stature in the forty years since its release. For me – this film, along with late night screenings of Army of Darkness and TNT’s Monstervision – shaped me into a horror film fan. This film absolutely blew me away the first time I saw it and has remained a favorite of mine over the years. When I saw that Arrow Video was releasing a new collector’s edition of the film, I was beyond excited. Arrow Video are a collector’s dream for any favorite film, and I couldn’t wait to see what they were going to do with it. 

The plot of the film revolves around college students and close friends David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne.) As they backpack through the hillsides of England, Jack talks to David about how much he would prefer to be in Italy. After being dropped off the back of a truck full of sheep, they walk their way through the English countryside. They come upon a quaint pub called The Slaughtered Lamb and decide to enter to get out of the cold. The townspeople become quiet when they enter, immediately giving the sense that they are not welcome. The pub has no food and the only hot drink it features is tea. After a lively discussion of the Alamo in the pub, Jack asks the pub denizens about the five pointed star located on the tavern wall. This causes a gasping silence and a man throwing darts misses the board. Jack and David, feeling uncomfortable, decide to leave. One man warns them to stick to the roads and avoid the moors. When they fail to follow this advice, they encounter an unknown beast – a werewolf. Jack Goodman is savagely killed by the werewolf and David is attacked. The werewolf is shot by the concerned locals, and transforms into a naked human being. David awakens in a hospital in London. He is attended to by a beautiful nurse named Ms. Price (Jenny Agutter) and the well-tempered Dr. Hirsch (John Woodvine.) The news report says that Jack Goodman was killed by an escaped lunatic. David finds out that he had been unconscious for three weeks and his wounds had been attended to before he arrived at the hospital. David begins to have nightmares and dreams where he is running through forests, and stalking animals. David’s dead friend Jack comes back to let him know that the werewolf’s curse will not be lifted until the werewolf’s bloodline is severed. Jack informs David that he needs to kill himself for the protection of others. Until David kills himself, Jack will be forced into a form of limbo amongst the undead. David will become a monster at the first full moon. Fearing that he is losing his sanity, David convinces the nurse to let him stay with her. As their romance blossoms, the full moon draws closer. 

An American Werewolf in London is a fantastic film. Rewatching the film is the equivalent of chicken noodle soup for the horror fan’s soul. There are some films that have nearly endless replay value and I think that this film qualifies. While the film was misunderstood by many critics when it was released, the brilliance of the film has grown in stature over the years. John Landis had been pigeon-holed as a comedic director because of the tremendous success of his films Animal House and The Blues Brothers. I think that hampered the reception of the film by the critics. It was hard for the critics to understand that a horror film could be many things – funny and scary – sexy and violent – lightheartedly fun and darkly dramatic – all at the same time. John Landis performs a high-wire balancing act that should have been applauded at the time, but the critics missed the mark in their assessments. Luckily, An American Werewolf inspired an entire generation of filmmakers to do what they please within the genre and helped to change how horror films were made. I think it is safe to say that we could not have Hostel, Shaun of the Dead, or a laundry list of other films without the existence of An American Werewolf. It breaks damn near every barrier that existed for horror writing in a similar fashion to how Blade Runner changed science fiction forever. 

The movie features excellent performances. Every actor delivers in the film. Griffin Dunne brings sardonic wit to his role as John Goodman. David Naughton brings a youthful exuberance to David Kessler and makes the character feel real.  His performance is also totally uninhibited and brave – with numerous sequences that called for him to act without much clothing on. Jenny Agutter brings a sadness, sweetness, and intelligence to the role of Alex Price. The romantic spark between the two actors is convincing. The supporting cast are all perfectly cast. 

The direction of the film by Landis can not be overstated. The film has been imitated but never topped for its unique atmosphere. The distinct look of the film, while muted in color, still looks fantastic. The scenes in the subway and in Piccadilly Circus are still as amazing as when they were first filmed. The legendary transformation sequence still stands as arguably the greatest practical effect ever filmed and it earned Rick Baker an Oscar. The film’s reliance on pop songs and rock and roll in key sequences also sets it apart. There is just not a wrong note in the film. 

This is a film that any horror film lover will want to add to their collection as soon as possible. Arrow’s 2019 release was the definitive release until now. With a brand new 4K UHD release of the film and all the amazing supplements from the prior release, this should be on the shelves of every film collector.

Video

Out of the moors and fog…An American Werewolf in London comes howling onto the 4K UHD format with a brand new 2018 2K transfer from a 4K scan that looks pretty great. This is the information contained in the liner notes:

“An American Werewolf in London is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with mono and 5.1 sound and has been exclusively restored in 4K by Arrow Films. 

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K 16-bit resolution at NBC Universal Post. The film was restored in 4K and graded in HDR10 & Dolby Vision at Silver Salt Restoration, London. The key grading reference was a prior HD master approved by director John Landis. 

The mono mix was sourced from the original mono mix reels and remastered at Deluxe Audio. The 5.1 mix was originally created by NBC Universal at Twickenham Film Studios, however the original 5.1 master print image reels were newly remastered by Arrow Films at Deluxe Audio to correct for a pitch error introduced in the original mix.”

Using their prior color grading that was approved by Landis, Arrow has given the film a very nicely done UHD upgrade, but for owners of the prior Arrow Blu-ray, this is not a huge leap from the prior presentation. This film visually is pretty muted. Don’t expect it to pop with a lot of color. That said, the Dolby Vision and HDR does help to bring out some additional colors in items like the red jacket that David wears. Despite the prevalence of night time scenes, the grain has been managed well. Fine detail is slightly better than on the prior Arrow release with some increased detail in backgrounds standing out to me on this viewing experience. This is the best this film has ever looked. The upgrade from the prior release is minor, but for the completist (or first time buyer,) this is the best way to view the film.

Audio

Similar to the video, the audio presentation on An American Werewolf in London is very well done. Arrow have provided two options for audio mixes. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 is the same reliable track that Universal provided on their prior Blu-ray release (with a pitch error corrected.) I love this surround track and think it sounds great. For the purists, the LPCM 1.0 Mono track also sounds very good. Arrow understands that this release will be analyzed on every front, and their audio treatments should please all the fans of the film.

Supplements

• Audio Commentary – Beware the Moon filmmaker Paul Davis 

• Audio Commentary – Actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne

• Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf – this newly produced, feature-length documentary by filmmaker Daniel Griffith, features interviews with John Landis, David Naughton, Joe Dante and more. This piece explores the myth of the werewolf as a construct that is crafted from Hollywood, which makes it unique in the pantheon of classic monsters. I really enjoyed their exploration of the werewolf and discussions of the Lon Chaney Jr. films. Good stuff.

• An American Filmmaker in London –  this new interview with John Landis has the director explaining how he came to write the script in 1969 and the sources of inspiration for the film. Very enjoyable. 

• I Think He’s a Jew: The Werewolf’s Secret – this video essay by filmmaker Jon Spira discusses how the film reflects Jewish identity. This is a decent piece, but I felt it could have been a little bit better.

• The Werewolf’s Call – Corin Hardy, director of The Nun and The Hallow, discusses the impact the film made on him as a youth and as a filmmaker. 

• Wares of the Wolf – Dan Martin and Tim Lawes of The Prop Store look at some of the costumes and special effects props from the film that have been preserved from the shoot.

• Beware the Moon – Paul Davis’ acclaimed feature-length documentary on the making of the film. This is an absolutely wonderful documentary that features in-depth interviews with Landis, Naughton, Baker, Dunne, and many more. It discusses at length how Baker created the stunning practical effects in the film and gives some wonderful background on how Landis scripted the film.
• Making An American Werewolf in London – a short archival featurette on the film’s production 

• An Interview with John Landis – an archival interview with the director about the film

• Makeup Artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London- in this archival interview, the make-up artist discusses his work on the film. I think this was shot for the Paul Davis documentary.

• I Walked with a Werewolf – another archival interview Rick baker about his affection for Universal horror and the Wolfman films. This looks to be filmed for his work on The Wolfman.

• Casting of the Hand – archival footage from Rick Baker’s workshop as they cast David Naughton’s hand. 

• Outtakes 

• Original trailers, teasers and radio spots 

• Image Gallery

• Double-sided fold-out poster 

• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions 

• Limited 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Travis Crawford and Simon Ward, excerpts from archival interviews and original reviews

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 5/5

Overall – 5/5

An American Werewolf in London has long been one of my favorite horror films of all time. It remains one of the most influential horror films ever made and time has been kind to the film. It still feels fresh and its charms are timeless. The film’s numerous dream sequences and the infamous transformation scene are still as effective as when they were first unleashed into the world. The film serves as an ode to the old Universal Monster films while also providing something funnier, scarier, and with more gravitas than those earlier films. Arrow Video has provided one of the best special features package that I have seen on any film. Aside from the excellent interviews featured with John Landis, Rick Baker, and more, there are two full length documentaries on this disc, including the acclaimed film Beware the Moon that focuses solely on An American Werewolf in London. I watched every single feature on this disc, and I feel like this is one of the better examples of a collector’s edition that is obviously made for and by the fans. I love this movie and it is obvious that Arrow Video loves this movie too. The packaging for the film is some of the most attractive I have seen and includes a poster and numerous publicity postcards alongside a fantastic 60 page book with writings on the film. The 4K UHD of the film brings out some more detail and some extra depth to the color. The film has never looked better. That said – if you have the prior release from Arrow Video, this new transfer is not a tremendous leap ahead of that prior release. For myself, I was unable to refuse double dipping to own the best version of this film (to be honest it is closer to quintuple dipping since I first bought the film on DVD.) This is the best release of the film yet, and if you love this film, you should definitely purchase Arrow’s stellar 4K UHD release.