An American Werewolf in London (1981) (Limited Edition)

[Member-425016]

I just flipped through the book. It isn't an attractive presentation at all. Very drab looking. I would read it if it was authored by a star connected with the film. An essay by some "no name" movie enthusiast...umm no thank you.
However the special features on disc are fantastic. The poster gallery is highly amusing (some of those Japanese, and French posters are hilarious).

[alucardthe69th]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

for once the deleted death scene of the hobos by the Thames is described in detail by commentator Paul Davis - his whole commentary is fascinating. Arrow may have released the best special edition of the year with this release.

I'm glad that Paul Davis finally has confirmed that the deleted hobo scene was actually shot and it wasn't just some BS that Landis spun. Sounds like it was really just a few seconds that was cut, however it's a pity we'll never get to see it.

[repulsed]

Is there a standard edition of this out now?

Someone in the sale thread for B&N was talking about the release and I checked the UPCs on each listed on their site.

For some reason (two people got theirs approved) this site lists two versions as the LE. One needs to be adjusted to the standard edition but I didn't even think a standard would be out until the limited sells it. Isn't that basically how they do it. If adjust it myself but I wanted to be sure a standard is even out or if it is not be able to put an accurate release date.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

throwing the shredded lower half of the body back at us the viewer / the other two men -

Strange how the three hobos in the porn theatre are (relatively) intact - with no missing top half.

If the complete wolf attack did make it into early previews, as Landis claims, the hobo ghosts in the porn theatre would be a continuity blunder - unless an earlier version of the scene was shot to show one of the hobos bitten in half?

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by alucardthe69th

I'm glad that Paul Davis finally has confirmed that the deleted hobo scene was actually shot and it wasn't just some BS that Landis spun. Sounds like it was really just a few seconds that was cut, however it's a pity we'll never get to see it.

Sucks that the director wanted it in but let the audience dictate otherwise. Pity about the other trims also (the piece of toast, the Bambi line and the stronger sex scenes).

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

I vote for jettisoning the pretentious academia entirely. Some of these essays read like you need a degree in Literature just to get past the analysis. I don't know why they even bother with booklets - blocks of text with very little in the way of photos or artwork to break the monotony works as a deterrent for me to even pick up the booklets, let alone read them. If they must do articles why not do a Mediabook instead? Large colorful photos and a gallery of international poster art is a much more pleasing physical extra than small booklets with even smaller walls of pretentious analysis.

Studios include all of that miscellaneous content (that nobody have any use for) to justified increasing the price.

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

for once the deleted death scene of the hobos by the Thames is described in detail by commentator Paul Davis - his whole commentary is fascinating. Arrow may have released the best special edition of the year with this release.

Just finished the commentary track. Davis really gives you a great overview and prospective of the film. Really interesting stuff! A shame that unreleased and cut footage will never see the light of day. I would love to get his book but I guess it goes for a pretty penny now that it was only produced in low numbers.

[Monterey Jack]

Got my copy in the mail today. That packaging...

[Ray Jackson]

Found one copy at Barnes and Noble today and snagged it for $25.

...pretty happy about it.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by Bobbyjoe766

Sucks that the director wanted it in but let the audience dictate otherwise. Pity about the other trims also (the piece of toast, the Bambi line and the stronger sex scenes).

We need a director’s cut NOW dammit

[sfmarine]

It would be great to see that extended scene with the hobos.

[Rick Grimes]

Unfortunately, the film prints of the additional scenes with the hobos are either lost or damaged beyond repair. What we have now for AWIL will have to suffice.

The censorship issue with AWIL (and their decision to try to trim the gore for the MPAA) reminds me of the uncut version of Aussie film Razorback, which now only exists on Blu-Ray, an an extra, in SD, scanned from a VHS master.
The distributor trimmed Razorback thinking the gore would get an Aussie R rating (no one under 18 allowed). However, for home video, Roadshow wanted to push a “version not seen in cinemas” campaign. Hence, a print must have existed for the VHS/Beta telecine work, because it was released uncut on home video (although it still got given an Aussie M rating ). Apparently, the OCN of Razorback is the Theatrical Cut and there is no IP or IN that exists of the Uncut version (only a VHS master).

Another example of lost film, but which has a happy ending (sort of), the original Punisher film had to be cut to get an US R rating, but the Unrated version was played in European theatres. Once again, for it’s VHS release, it was unrated. However, no OCN/IP/IN exists of the Unrated. On the Ausse BD release of The Punisher, they transferred the VHS print of the uncut version, as an extra. However, with the German release, a film print of The Punisher was reportedly stored somewhere in France.
So, for the German BD release, they scanned the film print elements of the Unrated version of The Punisher, and intercut them in with the OCN scan.
Not sure how it looks, but it would look way better than a VHS sourced extra.

It is a real pity nobody looked after the original film elements for AWIL (or many films) back in the ‘80s.
I guess they never thought that one day, there would be a desire for film buffs to see the original versions cut back into films. Night of The Living Dead remake is another one. Apparently there was headshots. And the MPAA didn’t want all of then to be taken out entirely, just a few frames before and after. But the editor who got the job of rejigging NOTLD remake for the MPAA just took out the headshots completely, making the remake look very tame, by today’s standards...

Would have been great if Landis and co. could have stored the cut bits of film for a DC, but to make the MPAA happy, many original visions of great films will never be seen.

[Bobbyjoe766]

If the scene was filmed, then it should (in theory) exist as production stills.

At least we could see what it looked like if the footage is lost.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Found one copy at Barnes and Noble today and snagged it for $25.

...pretty happy about it.

Did they honor the 50% off for Arrow in person/did you need to ask them to change it? The LE is only showing as 30% off for $35 online

[agenda]

Originally Posted by Rick Grimes

Another example of lost film, but which has a happy ending (sort of), the original Punisher film had to be cut to get an US R rating, but the Unrated version was played in European theatres. Once again, for it’s VHS release, it was unrated. However, no OCN/IP/IN exists of the Unrated. On the Ausse BD release of The Punisher, they transferred the VHS print of the uncut version, as an extra. However, with the German release, a film print of The Punisher was reportedly stored somewhere in France.

So, for the German BD release, they scanned the film print elements of the Unrated version of The Punisher, and intercut them in with the OCN scan.

Not sure how it looks, but it would look way better than a VHS sourced extra.

Well, you're right about that, also, it looks helluva much better than French release when it comes to those UNRATED INSERTS, as most of us already probably knew at this point.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Bobbyjoe766

Strange how the three hobos in the porn theatre are (relatively) intact - with no missing top half.

If the complete wolf attack did make it into early previews, as Landis claims, the hobo ghosts in the porn theatre would be a continuity blunder - unless an earlier version of the scene was shot to show one of the hobos bitten in half?

I think the other two guys hoisted the third guy with his missing lower half into the theater seat for him. (... how thoughtful)

[Marv Inc.]

The film was a negative pick up so any cut material would not have been as carefully logged and archived like studio produced films.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Marv Inc.

The film was a negative pick up so any cut material would not have been as carefully logged and archived like studio produced films.

Shame that that ultimate fate plagued something like Blues Brothers as well, even though that was an actual Universal joint IIRC?

The German release from Turbine has already proved that Uni are willing to licence BB and it's a very good release too, if Arrow could go there and squeeze a new remaster out of Uni that'd be the icing on top.

[phobicsquirrel]

Is this a big upgrade to the last release, I know Jeff gave a good picture review. I'm curious what others thought.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by Marv Inc.

The film was a negative pick up so any cut material would not have been as carefully logged and archived like studio produced films.

A great pity. Listening to the audio commentary, some interesting scenes and shots were filmed: the first beast on the moors, barely concealed by darkness, faces Jack and David, its glowing yellow eyes visible to both men before the attack, and some reverse angles of the beast ripping into jack.

Still, have to be thankful the film got made at all.