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Making The (Up) Grade: An American Werewolf in London

Filed under: Universal », Home Entertainment »


If Hollywood's vast abundance of remakes, spinoffs and sequels weren't enough to kill your appetite for spending money on "new" entertainment, it seems like almost every one of these releases finds its way onto home video in multiple forms. Sometimes the studios issue different iterations of a film all at the same time, in a thankful moment of honesty that at least allows consumers the option which version they want. More often, though, the studios will re-release, expand and double-dip their top earners time and time again in order to wring out a few more dollars from the less dull entries in their back catalogue. And especially now, during the still-early days of Blu-ray, there's even more new and different editions being released in stores, some of which are honest-to-Jah improvements on the presentation and packaging, while others are merely the next generation of mediocrity.

As such, welcome to the third installment of "Making The (Up) Grade," a comparison of some of the more high-profile (or maybe just personally-preferred) Blu-ray releases with their previous home-video iterations. This week, we're taking a look at An American Werewolf in London, which Universal Studios Home Entertainment released late last month in a "Full Moon" edition.

Universal Release Date Shuffle: 'Wolfman' Back, 'Furious' Up

Filed under: Action », Comedy », Horror », Romance », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Universal », RumorMonger », Distribution », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels »

I was originally going to start out this post by going off on those studios that habitually change dates on their releases and wait until the last minute to do so. Instead, I'll try to remain positive and emphasize one particular studio that has given us a head's up on the shuffling of their 2009 slate: Universal.

Of utmost priority is director Joe Johnston and star Benicio del Toro's take on The Wolfman, which has been bumped back from this spring to next November (not unlike The Box). Usually, such shuffling might seem like a bad thing, but about six more months to polish what I'm guessing are so very many special effects sounds like a fair enough compromise (which isn't to suggest that Oscar-winning make-up wizard Rick Baker didn't do a fine job the first time around). Also moving back is Ridley Scott's Nottingham, now pushed to a TBD date in 2010.

SDCC 2008: 'The Wolfman'

Filed under: Horror », Fandom », Exhibition », Movie Marketing »



The Wolfman trailer was incredible. Gory, gothic, very old school. It was a bit evocative of From Hell, but in a good way, mostly due to the bloody scenes involving a mental asylum. There wasn't much dialogue, just lots of running, gutting, mist, and horrified looks. But we did get to see the actual scene from which the first photos of Benicio del Toro, bloodstained and shirt-shredded, came from. He apparently comes to right in front of his father, Anthony Hopkins, who says "You've done terrible things." Understatement of the 19th century. The final scene is of the incomparable Hugo Weaving. "God help us all."

The Q&A was pretty lackluster, if only because Hall H seemed mystified as to what to make of the appearance of such a panel. Interestingly, the director Joe Johnston was absent, but frankly, it seems like the movie was del Toro and Baker's show to run.

-- Rick Baker went to Universal for the job as soon as he heard there was a Wolfman remake in the works.
-- Not all that different from the original makeup technique, and of course he was delighted they had used old school make-up and not CGI. The transformation will be in CGI, though he's hoping they'll work in some physical makeup like An American Werewolf in London used.
-- Del Toro said putting on the make-up was exciting, taking it off was the worst as the fun was over, and everyone had gone home.
-- Baker says "the whole movie is a nod to the original."
-- Though nothing is official, based on the trailer the film looks to be a hard 'R'.
-- When asked what old Universal Wolfman movies had inspired him, del Toro said "For me, it was all those movies." Both he and Baker have been dressing up as the Wolfman since childhood.

A 'Wolfman' Producer Spills a Few Secrets

Filed under: Classics », Horror », Thrillers », Universal », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »

It seems like the entire online world is caught up in Wolfman fever. I don't think I have read a single negative thing about this remake, except for that brief period when Brett Ratner was attached. Every photo, every interview is eagerly devoured -- yikes, did not mean to make that pun.

One of the producers, Scott Stuber, spoke to Empire about the movie and dropped more than a few tantalizing hints about where this remake is going. The best news? Practically no CGI! Stuber says, "We really want to stick to the physical stuff. So much of what we're trying to accomplish is that when Benicio is the wolf, you really know it's Benicio Del Toro and you have the eyes and the emotion of what he is. That way you don't disassociate your emotion and you realise that the person, Lawrence Talbot, who you've got to know in the daytime is still Lawrence Talbot at night. That way you're empathetic towards him, you're angry towards him, you feel for him."

More after the jump ...

Should John Landis Be Released from Director Jail?

Filed under: Horror », Deals », Universal », RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy »

Multiple sources are reporting today that Universal has invited John Landis into the office for a couple of meetings about potentially directing The Wolf Man, probably at the behest of the film's creature effects maestro Rick Baker, who Landis worked with on the seminal modern werewolf picture, An American Werewolf in London, many full moons ago. There are reports that the studio was taken aback by the hissy fit that the usually compliant Harry Knowles went into over the studio's almost-sealed deal with Brett Ratner to take over the project that Mark Romanek has inconveniently exited, and so now they're keeping their options open by meeting with a whole host of potential candidates. I don't really buy that -- there's no way the Universal brass actually takes fanboy reaction that seriously, but nevertheless, here we are, and I'm left with one question: John Landis -- really?

Landis has been persona non grata in Hollywood for a long, long time -- being negligent enough to allow Jennifer Jason Leigh's dad to be decapitated on your movie set is a great way to have your phone calls go unreturned -- but he did get at least a couple of comeback opportunities in the 90s, most notably the chance to helm a third Beverly Hills Cop film, and he bungled that opportunity fabulously. BHCIII is one of the worst big-budget action-comedy films I've ever seen in my life, so lifeless and listless and such a franchise-killer that even Jerry Bruckheimer will tell you, if you ask, that he wouldn't be involved in a fourth one if they begged him. Landis's 1992 vampire film, Innocent Blood, was also a hokey disappointment. Still, some swear by the man who brought us Trading Places, Three Amigos and American Werewolf, and would be giddy at the thought of his return to the brass ring. Are you one of those people?

Tribeca Review: The Sci-Fi Boys

Filed under: Documentary », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Tribeca », Universal », Theatrical Reviews », Fandom », Tech Stuff », George Lucas », Steven Spielberg », Peter Jackson », Comic/Superhero/Geek »



Paul Davids' documentary The Sci-Fi Boys is the kind of mediocre effort that makes its way onto DVDs as supplement material, although finding an appropriate special edition to include it with would be tough, as its focus isn't limited to any specific film or filmmaker. Davids, an admitted "sci-fi boy" filmmaker, spotlights other directors like Peter Jackson, Stephen Sommers, John Landis, Roger Corman and William Malone, all who grew up as fan boys before acquiring their own followers. Of course, with all the attention Davids gives to himself (the photo above shows him on the left as a young model maker), he could include the film as an extra on one of his own films, except that it wouldn't quite fit with his '97 debut Timothy Leary's Dead.
 
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