An American Werewolf in London

John Landis took a fresh approach to the werewolf movie with this 1981 mix of black comedy and grisly horror. American tourist David Naughton survives a moonlight animal attack in Northern England only to turn into a hairy, bloodthirsty beast back in London when the moon is full. The special effects, groundbreaking at the time, look a bit creaky today but have a startling physicality that still pack a wallop, and Landis has just the right balance of dark comedy and bloody carnage as he adds to the lore with two original contributions: turning into a werewolf is a painful process, and the dead are boring. Jenny Agutter is the British nurse who takes our hero in, and Griffin Dunne is his traveling buddy turned decomposing zombie with a sardonic sense of humor.

The new edition, available on DVD and Blu-ray, is highlighted by the marvelous retrospective documentary "Beware the Moon," an affectionate portrait of the film featuring new interviews with director Landis, his key crew members (including makeup effects wizard Rick Baker), the stars and many of the bit players, all offering wonderful stories of the production. There is also a bonus interview with Baker discussing his inspirations plus the supplements from the previous DVD editions: commentary by stars Naughton and Dunne, more interviews with Landis and Baker, short featurettes, outtakes, storyboards and stills.