The smash hit monster-gore popcorn flick comes to 4K Ultra HD two years and four months after a deluxe Blu-ray, so we do a pointed comparison for purchase-crazy fans that want official sanction for their madness. Happily, you don’t need to be full-moon looney to go for the 4K: David Naughton and Griffin Dunne’s descent into a lycanthropic nightmare is as wrenching as ever.
An American Werewolf in London 4K
4K Ultra-hd
Arrow Video
1981 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date March 15, 2022 / Available from / 59.95
Starring: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Frank Oz, Sydney Bromley.
Cinematography: Robert Paynter
Art Director: Leslie Dilley
Film Editor: Malcolm Campbell
Original Music: Elmer Bernstein
Special Makeup Effects Designer and Creator: Rick Baker
Produced by George Folsey Jr., Peter Guber, John Peters
Written and Directed by John Landis
The street date for a 4K disc of a certain high-profile...
An American Werewolf in London 4K
4K Ultra-hd
Arrow Video
1981 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date March 15, 2022 / Available from / 59.95
Starring: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Frank Oz, Sydney Bromley.
Cinematography: Robert Paynter
Art Director: Leslie Dilley
Film Editor: Malcolm Campbell
Original Music: Elmer Bernstein
Special Makeup Effects Designer and Creator: Rick Baker
Produced by George Folsey Jr., Peter Guber, John Peters
Written and Directed by John Landis
The street date for a 4K disc of a certain high-profile...
- 3/5/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
An old-fashioned monster movie gore-fest that hasn’t dimmed in popularity, John Landis’s slightly twisted telling of a hiking mishap pulled nervous laughter from audiences pre-primed to expect ground-breakingly shocking special effects. Rick Baker delivers the shape-shifting fireworks in a two-minute sequence that goes way beyond easy laughs. The story is thin but the execution slick in a Landis film fashioned from his own screenplay, written at age 19.
An American Werewolf in London
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1981 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date October 29, 2019 / 49.95
Starring: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Frank Oz, Sydney Bromley.
Cinematography: Robert Paynter
Film Editor: Malcolm Campbell
Original Music: Elmer Bernstein
Art Direction: Leslie Dilley
Special Makeup Effects Designer and Creator: Rick Baker
Produced by George Folsey Jr., Peter Guber, John Peters
Written and Directed by John Landis
John Landis didn’t overtax Hollywood connections to get into moviemaking. A fast-talking...
An American Werewolf in London
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1981 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date October 29, 2019 / 49.95
Starring: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Frank Oz, Sydney Bromley.
Cinematography: Robert Paynter
Film Editor: Malcolm Campbell
Original Music: Elmer Bernstein
Art Direction: Leslie Dilley
Special Makeup Effects Designer and Creator: Rick Baker
Produced by George Folsey Jr., Peter Guber, John Peters
Written and Directed by John Landis
John Landis didn’t overtax Hollywood connections to get into moviemaking. A fast-talking...
- 10/26/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Nightcomers
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1971 / 1:85:1 / 96 Min.
Starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham
Written by Michael Hastings
Cinematography by Robert Paynter
Directed by Michael Winner
Between 1944 and 1992 Jack Clayton directed just nine movies but they included some of the most elegant yet clear-eyed films to come out of post-war Britain – from the hard-knock realism of Room at the Top to the broken-marriage reverie of The Pumpkin Eater. A man of letters as well as cinema, his relatively brief career was spent collaborating with writers like Wolf Mankowitz, Harold Pinter and Truman Capote.
Born in London, Michael Winner showed a talent for free-wheeling and mildly racy movies like The Girl-Getters and I’ll Never Forget What’s ‘isname – cheeky entertainments that helped define the myth of sexy swinging London for stateside audiences.
It was in the early 70s that Winner began to traffic in distinctly American product like Chato’s...
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1971 / 1:85:1 / 96 Min.
Starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham
Written by Michael Hastings
Cinematography by Robert Paynter
Directed by Michael Winner
Between 1944 and 1992 Jack Clayton directed just nine movies but they included some of the most elegant yet clear-eyed films to come out of post-war Britain – from the hard-knock realism of Room at the Top to the broken-marriage reverie of The Pumpkin Eater. A man of letters as well as cinema, his relatively brief career was spent collaborating with writers like Wolf Mankowitz, Harold Pinter and Truman Capote.
Born in London, Michael Winner showed a talent for free-wheeling and mildly racy movies like The Girl-Getters and I’ll Never Forget What’s ‘isname – cheeky entertainments that helped define the myth of sexy swinging London for stateside audiences.
It was in the early 70s that Winner began to traffic in distinctly American product like Chato’s...
- 5/4/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Amy Adams and Steve Carrell also in negotiations.
After a string of blockbuster comedies starring Will Ferrell — Anchorman, The Other Guys, Step Brothers — writer-director Adam McKay side-stepped a little a couple years back with The Big Short, an ensemble flick about the real-life housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s. The film earned the best reviews of McKay’s well-reviewed career, and wound up with five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and one win for McKay’s screenplay (with Charles Randolph).
It shouldn’t be surprising then that for his big screen follow-up, McKay would return to the ripped-from-the-headlines genre, this time tackling a biopic of one of the most shadowy and misunderstood figures of this century to-date: Former Vice President Dick Cheney. And the cast he’s building? Start polishing the Oscars.
According to Variety’s sources Bale is on board to play Cheney, while Amy Adams is in talks to play his...
After a string of blockbuster comedies starring Will Ferrell — Anchorman, The Other Guys, Step Brothers — writer-director Adam McKay side-stepped a little a couple years back with The Big Short, an ensemble flick about the real-life housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s. The film earned the best reviews of McKay’s well-reviewed career, and wound up with five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and one win for McKay’s screenplay (with Charles Randolph).
It shouldn’t be surprising then that for his big screen follow-up, McKay would return to the ripped-from-the-headlines genre, this time tackling a biopic of one of the most shadowy and misunderstood figures of this century to-date: Former Vice President Dick Cheney. And the cast he’s building? Start polishing the Oscars.
According to Variety’s sources Bale is on board to play Cheney, while Amy Adams is in talks to play his...
- 4/6/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
When one looks back at mid ‘70s to early ‘80s horror, it’s quite surprising to see how many Canadian made films are nestled among fan favorites. Titles such as Black Christmas, Shivers, Prom Night, Happy Birthday to Me, and My Bloody Valentine continue to delight and shock veteran horror lovers or those just starting their jagged journey down the terror path. There is one, however, that due to a troubled production and poor distribution, seems relegated to the discount bins of time. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on, uh, Curtains (1983), an unsung slasher weirder than a sack full of rabid beavers.
Released by Jensen Farley Pictures in March of ’83 in the Us, and September of ’84 by Norstar Releasing in (my home and) native land, Curtains received a very limited release in both countries, but coming as it did at a time when the Canadian film industry had...
Released by Jensen Farley Pictures in March of ’83 in the Us, and September of ’84 by Norstar Releasing in (my home and) native land, Curtains received a very limited release in both countries, but coming as it did at a time when the Canadian film industry had...
- 2/6/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
If you’re anywhere near the Los Angeles area this Saturday, you may be interested in checking out “An Evening with the Makers of An American Werewolf in London,” a special event that features a screening of the film and a number of guests, including John Landis and Rick Baker:
“The moon seemed perennially full on screen in the 1980s, a decade that saw more than its share of classic—and not-so-classic—werewolf movies including Wolfen (1981), The Howling petrology (1981-1989), The Company of Wolves (1984), Silver Bullet (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985), to name a few. Towering above them all is writer-director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1981). A defining film of the era,American Werewolf proved wildly successful thanks to Landis’ deft balance of comedy and horror, while Rick Baker’s Academy Award–winning makeup effects set the bar for technical mastery. The film’s influence can be felt in...
“The moon seemed perennially full on screen in the 1980s, a decade that saw more than its share of classic—and not-so-classic—werewolf movies including Wolfen (1981), The Howling petrology (1981-1989), The Company of Wolves (1984), Silver Bullet (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985), to name a few. Towering above them all is writer-director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1981). A defining film of the era,American Werewolf proved wildly successful thanks to Landis’ deft balance of comedy and horror, while Rick Baker’s Academy Award–winning makeup effects set the bar for technical mastery. The film’s influence can be felt in...
- 10/21/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
If you’re a horror fan (or a DVD collector) you probably know all about the infamous “original ending” of the 1986 musical adaptation Little Shop of Horrors. Previously released as a bonus feature on a DVD release before being pulled from circulation, that DVD has long been one of the most sought-after out-of-print titles in collector’s circles. Well, those DVDs about to lose their value on October 9 when Warner Bros. finally releases Little Shop of Horrors: Director’s Cut on Blu-ray with that original ending in tact and in full, glorious color. The release is a film and musical lover’s dream come true and Little Shop of Horrors truly stands the test of time.
FEARnet recently sat down with Audrey herself, Ellen Greene, to talk about the lasting appeal of the film, what it was like working with geniuses, and her upcoming role on NBC’s Hannibal.
FEARnet recently sat down with Audrey herself, Ellen Greene, to talk about the lasting appeal of the film, what it was like working with geniuses, and her upcoming role on NBC’s Hannibal.
- 10/8/2012
- by Scott Neumyer
- FEARnet
Michael Jackson, Thriller Cinematographer Robert Paynter, a frequent Michael Winner and John Landis collaborator among whose credits include the Michael Jackson music video Thriller, died last Oct. 20, The Guardian reported yesterday. Paynter (born in London on March 12, 1928) was 82. Directed by Landis, the 14-minute Thriller (1983) mixed hip dancing and visual effects — Michael Jackson metamorphosing into a werewolf and a zombie — to bring the music video a horror-movie feel. Thriller remains in all likelihood Paynter's best-known and most widely seen effort. Paynter's first feature-film work was on Winner's Hannibal Brooks (1969), in which a British Pow and Lucy the elephant escape across the Alps into Switzerland. Oliver Reed played the latter-day Hannibal. Among Paynter's other efforts in various genres were Winner's spooky The Nightcomers (1971), Landis' comedy blockbuster Trading Places (1983), Richard Lester's fantasy-adventure Superman II (1980), and Frank Oz's cartoonish musical Little Shop of Horrors (1986).
- 11/19/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
UK cinematographer with credits including Thriller and Superman
The film directors Michael Winner and John Landis have every reason to be grateful to the British cinematographer Robert Paynter, who has died aged 82. Paynter helped visualise 10 of Winner's films and five by Landis, one of which is considered the most popular music video in history. Directed by Landis, the 14-minute video for Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983) vividly merged a pop song, innovative dancing and horror movie. Shot on 35mm stock, it featured Jackson metamorphosing into a werewolf and a zombie. Both Paynter, who created the eerie mood, and Rick Baker, credited with the stunning makeup effects, had previously teamed up effectively for Landis on An American Werewolf in London (1981).
Paynter was born in south London and educated at Mercer's school, Holborn, before being evacuated to Horsham, West Sussex, during the second world war. While still in his teens, he became a camera...
The film directors Michael Winner and John Landis have every reason to be grateful to the British cinematographer Robert Paynter, who has died aged 82. Paynter helped visualise 10 of Winner's films and five by Landis, one of which is considered the most popular music video in history. Directed by Landis, the 14-minute video for Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983) vividly merged a pop song, innovative dancing and horror movie. Shot on 35mm stock, it featured Jackson metamorphosing into a werewolf and a zombie. Both Paynter, who created the eerie mood, and Rick Baker, credited with the stunning makeup effects, had previously teamed up effectively for Landis on An American Werewolf in London (1981).
Paynter was born in south London and educated at Mercer's school, Holborn, before being evacuated to Horsham, West Sussex, during the second world war. While still in his teens, he became a camera...
- 11/18/2010
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
John Landis's first film in 12 years is a sad disappointment. It stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as the Irish murderers William Burke and William Hare, who became notorious for providing corpses for Dr Knox (Tom Wilkinson) to dissect in 1828 Edinburgh. Made at Ealing studios with a formidable British cast, its model is clearly Kind Hearts and Coronets. The result however is closer to knockabout pantomime than black comedy, with the two Billies as cheeky Broker's Men, accompanied by one of the two Ronnies, the diminutive Corbett, as the pompous captain of the local militia.
Landis and his screenwriters, Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft, have little to say about Burke and Hare and their desperate times, and the only "ism" the makers seem committed to is anachronism. The picture is full of schoolboy jokes, about for instance Charles Darwin who was in Edinburgh at the time, and Joseph Lister who wasn't,...
Landis and his screenwriters, Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft, have little to say about Burke and Hare and their desperate times, and the only "ism" the makers seem committed to is anachronism. The picture is full of schoolboy jokes, about for instance Charles Darwin who was in Edinburgh at the time, and Joseph Lister who wasn't,...
- 10/30/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
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