Search - An American Werewolf in London (Full Moon Edition) [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 2/4/2024...

Classic terror with real special effects!

"Beware the Moon" AWIL Blu-review

C. Bennett | 09/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An American Werewolf in London is probably the best Werewolf flick since Lon Chaney Jr originally transformed under the full moon. Sure, the film is almost 30 years old, but with the new high def transfer it's hard to tell.

As an avid DVD buyer my transition to the Blu-ray media has been a little slow to say the least. I'm generally only buying new titles and am very stubborn when it comes to double dipping on titles I already own. Some companies take the cheap route and just slap an upscaled transfer onto a Blu-ray in order to make some fast cash. This however, is completely worth re buying.

I'll be honest, the first time I saw this film was when it was originally released on DVD back in the late 90's . I instantly fell in love with the movie. Everything about it was perfect, the humor, the scares, the sfx, the amazing soundtrack. It's very rare to find a movie that so perfectly combines horror and comedy, a film with characters you truly care for. This is a movie that sticks with you, one of the better horror comedies, one of the best werewolf films.

The transfer is great, crystal clear. It's as if it was filmed a few years ago. The audio has great as well, the film has never looked or sounded this good.

The extras for the most part were transfered over from the original 2001 DVD, but the best extra comes in the form of a feature length documentary called "Beware the Moon." The documentary covers everything from conception, to filming, to the somewhat negative reception it got when it was originally released.

It's a pity more movies don't get the kind of treatment.

Buy this disc immediately!"

Actually about the Full Moon Edition BD of 2009...

Zube | Youngsville, NC United States | 10/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With all due respect to some of the other reviewers, they are obviously not writing about the Full Moon Edition BD, which was issued in 2009. I'm writing about this specific BD version.

I also own the HD-DVD version and it is quite good. In fact, several of the extras that are on this BD issue were also on the HD-DVD version. But with the BD you also get an additional interview with Rick Baker as he talks about his experiences from the making of the movie, plus a documentary titled "Beware the Moon". This latter feature is worth the price of the BD by itself.

So, how's the quality of the transfer? Pretty darned good, I'd say. Certainly the best that's ever been available. It is noticeably better than the HD-DVD transfer and the sound has either been remixed or improved in some way. The DTS 5.1 sound is perhaps not as good as some films, but it's a lot better than it was on the HD-DVD or standard DVD.

As for the film itself...what can I say? This continues to be one heck of a ride for the viewer. Everytime I mention this film to someone, they describe an experience they had when they first viewed it. (When I received this BD edition from Amazon, I showed it to one of my younger co-workers. Without any prompting he said, "I couldn't sleep for two weeks after I saw that on TV.")

What it will probably boil down to is, should you go ahead and buy this Full Moon Edition BD to replace your old HD-DVD or DVD? Heck, yeah! What are you waiting for? It's worth every penny."

Great movie and package, average Blu

Steve Kuehl | Ben Lomond, CA | 09/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the only 5 star Blu I have given that is not a reference quality picture, but they put so much on here I could not avoid it.

The picture quality and clarity were underwhelming, but it still looks better than any of the prior versions. Plenty of artifact, hair, grain and fade throughout but the colors turned out nice, especially the reds (plenty of red in this film). I would have to say it preserves nicely (in a nostalgic way) how we all remember seeing this back in the 80s scaring the something out of us. The DTS rears actually get used but only in the howling sequences, otherwise everything is funneled into the front three channels. But what makes this so worthwhile are the supplements.

The new features with Rick Baker and John Landis are worth the two hours and have TONS of great material (personal favorites include the ratings board clashes, how the screenings went and Baker being interviewed in front of his favorite prop - the whole wolf, still looks so real). The additional features are from the prior releases and include the interviews, making of, outtakes, photos and more. The subs and menu listings are in 18 languages and the film is dubbed into four others. This also has the D-Box Motion Code, BD Live and is laid out in the typical left-feeding Universal menus.

Like I said, not a reference picture or sound, but overall this makes for a great deal at this price. If you only have a couple hours for a rental, at least watch the Beware the Moon (new) feature as each location is visited recently with some great Landis material spliced in appropriately."