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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    American Werewolf In London, An

    Featured In Issue 117, February 2007

    Picture3
    Sound3
    WSR Score4
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Universal Studios Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    31289
    (MPAA Rating):
    Not Rated
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price):
    $34.98
    (Disc Type):
    Dual Side/Dual Layer (HD DVD30/DVD9)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    97
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    1
    (Theatrical Year):
    1981
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    11/28/06
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    John Landis
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital+ 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    This beastly cult favorite tells of two young travelers on a three-month European adventure, which turns to terror after they are attacked by a werewolf on their first night in England. Jack (Dunne) doesn't survive his wounds, but David (Naughton) wakes up in a London hospital. When he hears reports that they were attacked by a lunatic, David recalls amidst strange hallucinations and nightmares that their attacker was not human. With visionary help of a mangled undead Jack, David realizes he is a werewolf, and after several murders and two chaotic evenings in London, David meets his destiny.

    Special features on the hi-def side include commentary with David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, and My Scenes. On the other side, you will find the same commentary as that found on the DVD reviewed in Issue 54 (minus the DVD ROM material and cast/filmmaker bios): making-of featurette, an interview with John Landis, an interview with makeup artists Rick Baker, archival footage of hand casting, outtakes, storyboard/photo montage, and production notes.

    The VC-1-encoded 1.85:1 HD DVD picture is generally underwhelming, with a soft appearance throughout. There are times, however, where the picture can have adequate dimension and detail. Colors are drab, and heavy film grain and some edge enhancement can be bothersome. (Danny Richelieu)

    The Dolby® Digital Plus 5.1-channel soundtrack is hampered by the age of the recording. The surrounds can be used effectively to create dimension in the soundfield, but the majority of the track is relegated to the front half of the room. (Danny Richelieu)

    Reason #25 Why Readers Love Widescreen Review:

    I want to see product reviews of home theatre equipment that non-millionaires can afford to own. Reading articles about $50,000 home theatre setups is admittedly rather fun but, in practical terms, the info is really useless to me. While Darling Wife and I make a decent living, there's no way we can spend that kind of money on a home theatre. What I also really like and want to see: Practical advice articles that help people who are at least minimally technically competent to assess their needs and assemble a home theatre. That is, a periodic (yearly? twice yearly?) in-depth look at points to consider and equipment to buy to assemble a good high definition home theatre. Ideally, it would examine several total package price points. If you're willing to spend $10,000, here's what we recommend in terms of equipment and how to connect/install them. If your budget is smaller, here's what we recommend. If your budget is somewhat larger than $10,000, do this instead. Yes, I know you have your reference systems section each month, but an explanatory article would be nice, too. Finally, keep us up-to-date on the development of high definition DVDs and DVD players. This is what I'd like to see.

    Kevin A. Gerfen
    26864 Mandelieu Drive, Murrieta, CA 92562 • Phone: 951 676 4914 • Fax: 951 693 2960
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