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“An American Werewolf In London” Bites Its Way Into 4k!

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This Spring, Arrow Video unleashes An American Werewolf in London to take a bite out of 4K!

Directed by John Landis, this horror-comedy tells the story of two friends (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne) that are viciously attacked by a wolf-like creature while backpacking through England. One friend dies while the other suffers a much worse fate – he becomes a werewolf. Featuring a gnarly and bone-shattering transformation scene, An American Werewolf in London set the gold standard for which all other werewolf films strive to be with Film School Rejects calling “a quintessential horror text when it comes to both lycanthropy and practical effects.” This UHD release includes a brand new 4K restoration completed by Arrow Films from the original camera negative. Special features include documentaries, audio commentaries, interviews, and limited edition 60-page, a perfect-bound book featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann and Simon Ward, archival articles, and original reviews.

Bonus Materials

  • Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original camera negative
  • 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original uncompressed 1.0 mono and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Audio commentary by Beware the Moon filmmaker Paul Davis
  • Audio commentary by actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne
  • Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf, a feature-length documentary by filmmaker Daniel Griffith, featuring interviews with John Landis, David Naughton, Joe Dante and more
  • An American Filmmaker in London, an interview with John Landis in which he reflects on British cinema and his time working in Britain
  • I Think He’s a Jew: The Werewolf’s Secret, a video essay by filmmaker Jon Spira (Elstree 1976) about how Landis’ film explores Jewish identity
  • The Werewolf’s Call, Corin Hardy, director of The Hallow and The Nun, chats with writer Simon Ward about their formative experiences with Landis’ film
  • Wares of the Wolf, a featurette in which SFX artist Dan Martin and Tim Lawes of Prop Store look at some of the original costumes and special effects artefacts from the film
  • Beware the Moon, Paul Davis’ acclaimed, feature-length exploration of Landis’ film which boasts extensive cast and crew interviews
  • An American Werewolf in Bob’s Basement and Causing a Disturbance: Piccadilly Revisited, two 2008 featurettes filmed by Paul Davis
  • Making An American Werewolf in London, a short archival featurette on the film’s production
  • An Interview with John Landis, a lengthy archival interview with the director about the film
  • Make-up Artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London, the legendary make-up artist discusses his work on the film
  • I Walked with a Werewolf, an archival interview with Rick Baker about Universal horror and its legacy of Wolfman films
  • Casting of the Hand, archival footage from Rick Baker’s workshop showing the casting of David Naughton’s hand
  • Outtakes
  • Storyboards featurette
  • Original trailer and teaser plus TV and radio spots
  • Extensive image gallery featuring over 200 stills, posters and other ephemera
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original poster art and artwork by Graham Humphreys
  • Double-sided fold-out poster
  • Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
  • Limited edition 60-page, perfect-bound book featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann and Simon Ward, archival articles and original reviews

An American Werewolf In London in 4k is set to be released March 15th, 2022 through MVD and Arrow Video. You can pre-order your 4k or standard Blu-Ray here now!

Editorials

VCR HORRORS! When MSM Tried To Scare Parents Out Of Their Kids Renting Horror Movies

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The 50s’ had soda shops. The 70s’, roller rinks; and the 80s’ were all about the Mom and Pop video rental store.

I’ve said it a million times here on the internet: Video rental stores were the key that unlocked the youth to the horror genre world and God fuckin’ bless them. Without my local rental store Action Video, I would have never seen such important visionary works like The Blob or Scanners, solely based on the beautiful VHS cover art alone. As a kid, it was the place to be on a Friday night. It was a beautiful ritual that included the important Naugles or McDonald’s dinner tradition (both in the same parking lot), doing “Jack Ass” type wheelies in the parking lot on our bikes after, and then Action Video for the latest and greatest selection in horror films.

Also, remember having those disturbing, “gross-out” parties with your favorite horror movies from said video store behind your parents’ backs? Yeah, me neither. My parents gave zero fucks if I came home with A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. However, according to an ABC 20/20 special with Barbara Walters, we were doing some pretty horrific things with said movies. Yeah sure, it’s all the rage renting horror films that will shape our future as the next great Serial Killer.

Just writing that sentence out made me laugh out loud. I mean, just because Jeffrey Dahmer loved the Exorcist III, doesn’t mean I’m going to watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre a few times and then go on a mechanic rampage with a gardening tool, wearing people’s skin on my face.

Sounds like fun, but I think I might pass on that.

While the scare attempt is laughable at best, it does ring all the nostalgic bells for those of us who have such fond memories of said good times at the Video Store. It also really puts me in the mood to flip on some Splatterhouse University or Evil Dead. So it certainly isn’t all to be seen as a negative thing. More so just pure comedy that triggers me to watch all the cheesy horror flicks I can squeeze into one day.

Although, I have to state the greatest thing about this is the kids that are interviewed for the segment. Watching their little faces light up like Ralphie on Christmas morning when he gets his Red Ryder BB gun as they gush over films like Slumber Party Massacre just melts my heart. This was our youth. THIS is how we felt as young horror fans. Except for that Caston Jarvis kid. What a misguided individual that one is. Someone get him a snickers.

Then of course thankfully, there are the positive highlights of this news story that light the voice of reason into logic. Interviews with strong genre voices like horror author Chas Balun, horror Queen Linnea Quigley, and Witchboard‘s Walter Josten defend this nonsense fear-mongering and I couldn’t be more proud. Josten in particular, stated so perfectly, “It’s nothing worse than what you would see on the news.” And I fully agree there could never be a truer statement as reality (especially now more than ever) is way more terrifying than any horror movie you could put in front of me.

Watch. Laugh. Bask in the nostalgia of how horror movies warped our fragile little minds and made us psychopaths.

News

“Freddy’s Nightmares” Finds A Streaming Service Home With Screambox!

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For years, Fred Heads have been shouting from the eternal depths of the boiler room for the cult fan-favorite series Freddy’s Nightmares to come to streaming platforms. Now, horror streaming service SCREAMBOX has acquired the rights to the Springwood Slasher series and all 44 episodes of the Nightmare On Elm Street spinoff show will be available for the first time ever starting February 15th, 2022!

FUCK YES.

For those unfamiliar, Freddy’s Nightmares ran for two seasons from 1988 to 1990, and with Freddy at the helm of each episode acting as your horror host with each episode centering on whacky nightmare scenarios for the residents of Springwood, Ohio. The exception, of course, is the pilot episode directed by horror legend, Tobe Hooper that gave us the only true prequel of the Nightmare series where it shows Freddy (Robert Englund) in court answering for his crimes against humanity. There were a few episodes in-between that actually did feature Freddy as a character in the episode, but more often than not, he had little to do with the storyline.

One of those episodes that did in fact center around Freddy, is my personal favorite beyond the obvious amazing pilot episode is the Halloween special, “Freddy’s Tricks or Treats” that starred a pre-Law and Order Mariska Hargitay who plays a young, stuffy medical student named Marsha. For the whole breakdown on that little series golden nugget, read more here.

Screambox is available to stream on iOS, Android, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Comcast, and Screambox.com.

Welp. I guess I know what I’ll be doing come Tuesday.