Blu-ray + 4K review roundup: An American Werewolf in London, Shooter, The Stand

An American Werewolf in London 4K Limited Edition (Arrow Video)

Arrow Video continues their approach of releasing new 4K editions of some of their most beloved and out-of-print limited edition sets with An American Werewolf in London, John Landis’ iconic 1981 horror film.

The film revolves around two American backpackers, David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne), who are trekking through the moors in Yorkshire, England. After they are attacked by a creature during the full moon, to his horror, David begins turning into a werewolf with a hankering for human flesh.

Featuring some of the best practical horror effects of all time by legendary effects creator Rick Baker (including the best werewolf transformation ever committed to celluloid), Landis’ film remains shockingly gruesome (and surprisingly funny) four decades after its initial release.

Arrow Video brings An American Werewolf in London to 4K in a deluxe limited-edition package that includes a hard-shell case, a 60-page book featuring essays on the film, six postcards, and a double-sided folder poster. The new 4K restoration looks fantastic, and there are a ton of features included from the previous Blu-ray release, including the indispensable feature-length making-of documentary, Beware the Moon. These limited edition Arrow Video releases don<t stick around long; you<ll want to sink your fangs into this one quickly.

An American Werewolf in London 4K Limited Edition Special Features

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

Shooter 4K Steelbook (Paramount)

Antoine Fuqua’s Shooter may not be the most original action-thriller of all time, but it remains one of the better examples of the genre in recent years.

Released in 2008, Shooter stars Mark Whalberg as U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger, a top-notch military sniper. When a covert operation in Ethiopia goes awry, he and his partner are abandoned by the U.S. government and left for dead.

Years later, Swagger (a perfect action-hero name) is living a life of solitude in the woods when he is recruited for one last job —  to help save the President of the United States from an assassination attempt. But as he begins his mission, Swagger soon realizes he has been set up, kicking off a violent cat and mouse game as he takes revenge on the shadowy organization that has him in their sights.

Despite that MacGruber-esque plot, Shooter largely succeeds thanks to a gritty lead performance by Whalberg, a solid supporting cast (including Donald Glover), and a strong visual style from Fuqua.

Paramount has debuted Shooter on 4K in a new steelbook edition, featuring a striking HDR presentation, a lossless soundtrack, a digital copy, as well as most of the extras from the previous Blu-ray release. The best of these is a feature that follows Mark Whalberg and Antoine Fuqua to an actual sniper school to be sure they get the details right for the film. While some new retrospective features would have been a welcome addition, this is a recommended upgrade of a top-notch action thriller. Get the popcorn ready.

Shooter 4K Steelbook Special Features

Survival of the Fittest: The Making of Shooter
Independence Hall
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer

The Stand (2020 miniseries) (Paramount/CBS)

While the notion of a killer plague that wipes out 99% of the population may unfortunately no longer be as fantastical as it was when Stephen King published The Stand in 1978, the latest TV adaptation of King’s sprawling novel is well worth checking out for those who can handle the premise.