Reviews (9)

Horribly brilliant ....
What can I say about this movie? You have to see it to believe it! After seeing it a couple of times you still will be asking yourself if this is the worst movie you have ever seen or is this a touch of genius, a masterpiece of bad taste. The storyline is horrible, the monster himself is absolutely ridiculous, the quality of acting in the picture is fantasticly poor...The jury is out: this movie is so bad it's brilliant!

Schlocktastic!
I had never seen this movie before I bought it on DVD. Being a big fan of both Landis and the wonderful Baker "monster maker", I just had to see this "schlock classic," and it does not disappoint! The movie itself is fairly entertaining with many movie references for the film buff and some genuinely insane moments: the title character, The Schlockthropolus, is great fun. The BEST feature of this disc, however, is the feature length commentary by John Landis and Rick Baker. For cult film fans this commentary is a must, providing fun insight and inspiration to future filmmakers and schlock fans everywhere. Great fun, the four stars are for the pure enjoyment of this DVD. A lost classic and another gem from Anchor Bay.

Schlock schucks!
This has undoubedly entered my memory as the absolute worst film of all time. The acting, the premise, the unfolding story etc, all make it incredibly dumb, idiotic and insipid. So much in fact, that I would actually recommend you to see it, just so you have an idea exactly how BAD a movie can be.... truly.

I would rather sit through a marathon of Pokemon than this schlock!

Nicely wrapped trash -can't live without it!
An impressive debut for then-21 John Landis, who wrote, produced, directed and even starred in the title role of a prehistoric gorilla, "Schlock" has grown in the years to cult classics. However, it was rather successful in the first place, winning a major prize in the Trieste SF film festival and earning good money for producer Jack Harris, who bought it from Landis at a very low price and went on to distribute it in theaters. Some 30 years later, "Schlock" finally gets DVD treatment with an extra-packed edition that features a feature-lenght commentary from director-star Landis and make up Rick Baker (who at the time had only made "The Octaman" but would later do the transformations in Landis' "An American Werewolf in London"), the original theatrical trailer, a bunch of TV commercials and even a few radio commercials. Although the film's no masterpiece, it is chock-full of funny bits and also features a surprising homage-parody to Landis' beloved "2001: A Space Odyssey". Be sure to check out celebrity cameos: in the movie theater scene you can spot Forrest J. Ackerman, but look out for makeup veteran John Chambers and directors Andrew Marton and Laszlo Benedek.

BALD STEVE COULD NOT BE MORE RIGHT.
This is a true masterpiece of its time. The importance of this film could not be measured by anything I could possibly say. It introduced us to monkey loving like we've never seen before. Simply put, my life has not been the same. Neither will yours. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Horribly brilliant ....
What can I say about this movie? You have to see it to believe it! After seeing it a couple of times you still will be asking yourself if this is the worst movie you have ever seen or is this a touch of genius, a masterpiece of bad taste. The storyline is horrible, the monster himself is absolutely ridiculous, the quality of acting in the picture is fantasticly poor...The jury is out: this movie is so bad it's brilliant!

Schlocktastic!
I had never seen this movie before I bought it on DVD. Being a big fan of both Landis and the wonderful Baker "monster maker", I just had to see this "schlock classic," and it does not disappoint! The movie itself is fairly entertaining with many movie references for the film buff and some genuinely insane moments: the title character, The Schlockthropolus, is great fun. The BEST feature of this disc, however, is the feature length commentary by John Landis and Rick Baker. For cult film fans this commentary is a must, providing fun insight and inspiration to future filmmakers and schlock fans everywhere. Great fun, the four stars are for the pure enjoyment of this DVD. A lost classic and another gem from Anchor Bay.

Schlock schucks!
This has undoubedly entered my memory as the absolute worst film of all time. The acting, the premise, the unfolding story etc, all make it incredibly dumb, idiotic and insipid. So much in fact, that I would actually recommend you to see it, just so you have an idea exactly how BAD a movie can be.... truly.

I would rather sit through a marathon of Pokemon than this schlock!

Nicely wrapped trash -can't live without it!
An impressive debut for then-21 John Landis, who wrote, produced, directed and even starred in the title role of a prehistoric gorilla, "Schlock" has grown in the years to cult classics. However, it was rather successful in the first place, winning a major prize in the Trieste SF film festival and earning good money for producer Jack Harris, who bought it from Landis at a very low price and went on to distribute it in theaters. Some 30 years later, "Schlock" finally gets DVD treatment with an extra-packed edition that features a feature-lenght commentary from director-star Landis and make up Rick Baker (who at the time had only made "The Octaman" but would later do the transformations in Landis' "An American Werewolf in London"), the original theatrical trailer, a bunch of TV commercials and even a few radio commercials. Although the film's no masterpiece, it is chock-full of funny bits and also features a surprising homage-parody to Landis' beloved "2001: A Space Odyssey". Be sure to check out celebrity cameos: in the movie theater scene you can spot Forrest J. Ackerman, but look out for makeup veteran John Chambers and directors Andrew Marton and Laszlo Benedek.

BALD STEVE COULD NOT BE MORE RIGHT.
This is a true masterpiece of its time. The importance of this film could not be measured by anything I could possibly say. It introduced us to monkey loving like we've never seen before. Simply put, my life has not been the same. Neither will yours. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Horribly brilliant ....
What can I say about this movie? You have to see it to believe it! After seeing it a couple of times you still will be asking yourself if this is the worst movie you have ever seen or is this a touch of genius, a masterpiece of bad taste. The storyline is horrible, the monster himself is absolutely ridiculous, the quality of acting in the picture is fantasticly poor...The jury is out: this movie is so bad it's brilliant!

Schlocktastic!
I had never seen this movie before I bought it on DVD. Being a big fan of both Landis and the wonderful Baker "monster maker", I just had to see this "schlock classic," and it does not disappoint! The movie itself is fairly entertaining with many movie references for the film buff and some genuinely insane moments: the title character, The Schlockthropolus, is great fun. The BEST feature of this disc, however, is the feature length commentary by John Landis and Rick Baker. For cult film fans this commentary is a must, providing fun insight and inspiration to future filmmakers and schlock fans everywhere. Great fun, the four stars are for the pure enjoyment of this DVD. A lost classic and another gem from Anchor Bay.

Schlock schucks!
This has undoubedly entered my memory as the absolute worst film of all time. The acting, the premise, the unfolding story etc, all make it incredibly dumb, idiotic and insipid. So much in fact, that I would actually recommend you to see it, just so you have an idea exactly how BAD a movie can be.... truly.

I would rather sit through a marathon of Pokemon than this schlock!

Nicely wrapped trash -can't live without it!
An impressive debut for then-21 John Landis, who wrote, produced, directed and even starred in the title role of a prehistoric gorilla, "Schlock" has grown in the years to cult classics. However, it was rather successful in the first place, winning a major prize in the Trieste SF film festival and earning good money for producer Jack Harris, who bought it from Landis at a very low price and went on to distribute it in theaters. Some 30 years later, "Schlock" finally gets DVD treatment with an extra-packed edition that features a feature-lenght commentary from director-star Landis and make up Rick Baker (who at the time had only made "The Octaman" but would later do the transformations in Landis' "An American Werewolf in London"), the original theatrical trailer, a bunch of TV commercials and even a few radio commercials. Although the film's no masterpiece, it is chock-full of funny bits and also features a surprising homage-parody to Landis' beloved "2001: A Space Odyssey". Be sure to check out celebrity cameos: in the movie theater scene you can spot Forrest J. Ackerman, but look out for makeup veteran John Chambers and directors Andrew Marton and Laszlo Benedek.

BALD STEVE COULD NOT BE MORE RIGHT.
This is a true masterpiece of its time. The importance of this film could not be measured by anything I could possibly say. It introduced us to monkey loving like we've never seen before. Simply put, my life has not been the same. Neither will yours. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A bold, shining gem in a sea of gray!
What a bold, mad act of genius it was, to make ''The Stupids,'' or even think that it could be made. In the words years later of one of its stars, Jessica Lundy: ''If you are the man with the money and somebody comes to you and says he wants to make a comedy with no plot, no jokes, and not much reason to exist either, and he wants to spend a huge amount of money to go film it --what would you say?'' The impulse to make this movie was based, above all, on imagination. The story of ''The Stupids'' is not founded on cheap melodrama, but on John Landis's ability to imagine. He had to know how that would feel before he could convince himself that the project had a chance of being successful.
''The Stupids" is not a simple biography or an comedy movie--although it contains both elements--but a movie that uses a quest concerning "stolen" garbage as a stage for the flamboyance of a driven, quirky man. Stanley Stupid must be the strangest hero ever to stand at the center of an epic. To play him, John Landis cast one of the strangest of actors, Tom Arnold, a chubby, almost clumsy man with a beautiful sculptured face and a speaking manner that hesitates between amusement and insolence. Tom Arnold's assignment was a delicate one. Although it was widely believed that the Stanley Stupid character was a homosexual, a multimillion-dollar epic filmed in 1996 could not be frank about that. And yet Landis and his writer, Brent Forrester, didn't simply cave in and rewrite Stanley Stupid into a routine hero. Everything is here for those willing to look for it. Using Arnold's peculiar speech and manner as their instrument, they created a character who combined charisma and craziness, who was so different from conventional heroes that he could inspire his family to follow him in a mad "stolen" garbage conspiracy investigation. What Landis, Forrester and Arnold create is a sexually and socially unconventional man who is simply presented as what he is, without labels or comment.
For a movie that runs 86 minutes, ''The Stupids" is not dense with plot details. It is a spare movie in clean, uncluttered lines, and there is never a moment when we're in doubt about the logistical details. The dialogue in these scenes is not complex, and sometimes Forrester makes it so spare it sounds like poetry.
I've noticed that when people remember ''The Stupids,'' they don't talk about the details of the plot. They get a certain look in their eye, as if they are remembering the whole experience, and have never quite been able to put it into words. Although it seems to be a traditional narrative film -- like ''Bridge on the River Kwai''-- it actually has more in common with such essentially visual epics as Kubrick's ''2001'' or Eisenstein's ''Alexander Nevsky.'' It is spectacle and experience, and its ideas are about things you can see or feel, not things you can say. Much of its appeal is based on the fact that it does not contain a complex story with a lot of dialogue; we remember the quiet, empty passages.
The word ''epic'' in recent years has become synonymous with ''big budget B picture.'' What you realize watching ''The Stupids" is that the word ''epic'' refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's ''Aguirre, the Wrath of God'' didn't cost as much as the catering in ''Pearl Harbor,'' but it is an epic, and ''Pearl Harbor'' is not.

EW
Ya, this movie is definatly awful. To bad it isnt possible to give it 0 stars cause that is what i would give it. This is bny far the worst movie i have ever seen. and I have seen a lot af stupid movies. The plot is rediculus in the fist plave, no one is that dumb. The acting is awful, who could act in a part that dumb. Just trust me on this, the movie is to stupid for words. I saw this movie about 6 years ago and still no movie has been as bad as this one.

Named for the adults who watch it
The only redeemable quality of this movie is "I'm My Own Grandpa". My 7-year-old daughter liked it though...I guess that tells you something.

What happened to the DVD specs?
So is it WIDESCREEN or not, already?

That is the #1 single most important question when buying a modern DVD. Wake up, Amazon!

ROFLMBO
This is the funniest movie I've seen in a long-time. I feel sorry for people who can't see the movie for what it is - good clean fun. Yes the people do stupid things - but laughter is s good for you. I watched it with my niece and nephew and they remember all the details and a lot of the dialogue. We often sing "I'm My Own Grandpa" just because. If they act sad, we start discussing this movie and end up laughing till we cry. Give it a chance. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

While caught up in the scandal resulting from the accident on the set of The Twilight Zone movie that killed actor Vic Morrow and two children, director John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) made this manic nighttime L.A. thriller with rising stars Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. Goldblum plays an office worker with a dead-end job, an unfaithful wife, and a bad, bad case of insomnia. Unable to sleep, his midnight wanderings take him to the L.A. airport, where beautiful jewel smuggler Pfeiffer literally lands on his car. Fleeing Iranian terrorists (one is played by Landis), the two hit the road, and their adventures lead them to murder, mayhem, one scary hit man (David Bowie in a lurid, terrific cameo), and, of course, romance. Perhaps because of--or in spite of--the turmoil going on in his life, Landis fashioned a film unlike any of his previous (or later) safe Hollywood products; this is inventive, darkly comic, sincerely romantic, and L.A.-style sultry all the way. Landis's greatest success is perhaps in the mood of the film: he manages to convey that weary, dreamlike insomnia feeling of adrenaline bordering on exhaustion.Goldblum is at his deadpan best and, despite a bad haircut and '80s wardrobe, Pfeiffer shows the spark and beauty that would later make her a star. In support of Landis during his time of trouble, numerous directors, including David Cronenberg, Paul Mazursky, Don Siegel, Jonathan Demme, Lawrence Kasdan, and Jim Henson, made cameo appearances. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (16)

He Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends
In an effort to support Landis in his legal tribulations, a glittering array of Hollywood heavyweight directors and actors, with a rock star thrown in, toil as bit players and extras to make a manic movie with ultra-dry wit and tongue-in-cheek dialogue. Goldblum and Pfeiffer play their roles a little subdued compared to what is going on around them. It all makes for a well-constructed comedy that became an instant cult favorite. The more times the viewer sees it the more nuances and cameos jump out. Highly recommended!

Good plot, but missing something. . .
I rented this movie for the sole reason that David Bowie is in it. His performance was wonderful, yet extremely brief. Therefore I was highly disapointed. Granted, the movie wasn't too bad, Pfiefer and Goldblum are both wonderful, but Bowie was gyped. He is an amazing actor and should have had a bigger part, or at lease more time on screen. I suggest this movie for the sole reason of seeing his 2 small scenes.

enjoyable film
This is a chase movie, a kind of film-noir without the black and white. Here the ordinary man is Jeff Goldblum, a guy so so unhappy with his mundane job and cheating wife that he spends his nights driving the LA streets instead of sleeping. One night he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. He interrupts the murder of a beautiful and mysterious Michelle Pfeifer and very shortly he finds himself her unwilling accomplice as both evade her ruthless pursuers. She warns him right up front that she is "one of the bad guys", but he's hooked. The chase takes them to all of the "mink-lined sewers" of after dark LA and lets them encounter quirky and sometimes violent characters. This movie plays like a mix of dark comedy and thriller.It has a plot twist of sorts, but does not end darkly. The cameos will be interesting to film buffs, but not to anyone else. It's Goldblum, Pfeifer, and the chase that drives this movie. And thankfully, the story - though improbable - strings tightly together and does not involve stupid car chases, explosions, or wanton killing. In fact, the violence is tame by today's standards. There's the brief nudity seen in 80's movies and occasional mild profanity. A nice film to rent. I bought it.

Awesome and lots of fun...
This is one of the best comedy/adventure/chase flicks ever made. Lots of fun with some interesting twists. Don't miss it.

one of my all time favorites
This is a great movie that is always underrated by critics. Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer are wonderful here, at the start of their careers, and without big star egos. The surprise cameos are fun and the story is fresh and unique. I recommend it to anyone who is tired of the same old plot and action. This is well worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Third Time is NOT the Charm
The third installment of the popular "Beverly Hills Cop" series is like a distant relative who comes to stay with you. At first, you're glad to see them and catch up on old times, but they sure wear out their welcome fast. This film reaches that point after about fifteen minutes.

Eddie Murphy is back as Alex Foley, the increasingly improbable fish-out-of-water detective from Detroit. Once again, Axel is doing battle with the law enforcement establishment, the Beverly Hills Police Department, and the Bad Guys who killed his friend. Sound familiar? Even Serge (Bronson Pinchot) is back, in a desperate, painful scene that seems to go on forever.

The direction, by veteran Murphy helmer John Landis, is acceptable, showing Landis' usual flair for pacing and stunts. The screenplay by the usually reliable Steven deSouza, though, is woefully half-baked. It is never clear what the tone of the picture is supposed to be. The action scenes are very off-hand and frequently played for laughs, while the comedy scenes are forced and unfunny. The story never builds the sense of jeopardy and conflict that is essential to a film of this type. It is neither a laugh riot, nor is it even remotely suspenseful. Also, any film that makes Hector Elizondo--one of the best character actors around--look bad has some serious problems.

There are two good things about "Cop III." One is an excellent action sequence set on an amusement park Ferris wheel. That is the only exciting part of the film. The other thing I liked was the series of cameos by a variety of famous film directors (like George Lucas), a typical Landis gag. It at least gives you something to look for in some pretty boring scenes.

Not Bad & Not Good
3rd in the increasingly irrelevant BHC series. Marginally better than BHC2 but that's not saying much since BHC2 was landfill. Funny and clever mostly because Murphy and cast enjoy themselves. They seem to understand this series has run its course and this flick is just for fun. Not brilliant moviemaking but mostly harmless.

Shouldn't have been made
The original Beverly Hills Cop is a classic. The 2nd one was just as good. Both had a perfect blend of action, comedy, and suspense. The fact that they waited to make this 3rd installment so many years later (during Eddie's current streak of terrible movies) should have told everyone making this movie right off the bat that it was a bad idea. John Landis (who usually makes pretty good flicks) took over the directing for this one and let's just say it's not something he should be proud to have on his resume. In a nutshell, this movie is just campy... knee slapper jokes, lame plot, etc. The spirit and integrity of the first two movies is completely lost in this 3rd one. It's a shame too how you go from making two great movies to a third that's not just below par, but stinks to the high heaven.

Should have stopped at two
This movie was just horrible. It takes place in an amusement park for one. The action was weak, the story line was weak, and the ending was just silly. Watch this film at your own risk!!!!!

SOMEHOW IT WORKS....
DESPITE A FEW NEGATIVE REVIEWS OF THIS MOVIE, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A FUN WAY FOR PARAMOUNT TO MAKE FUN OF DISNEY WORLD AND THE OVER-RATED COMPANY THAT IT HAS BECOME. THEY POKE FUN AT THE COMPANY SO MUCH IN THIS MOVIE, THAT I THINK IN IT'S OWN WAY IT WAS SAYING THAT DISNEY IS NOT A REAL MOVIE STUDIO, BUT WE ARE. I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH THAT. ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Extremely Uneven But Often Very Entertaining
THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE is a series of sketches that lampoon various venues of its day: industrial training films, television commercials, news shows, martial arts flicks, and talk shows--in fact, it is very much like the original SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. But while being on the big screen means the film can go a lot further than SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE ever could on television, KFM doesn't have the same level of talent behind it. When you add in the dated quality of the humor, the result is very hit or miss indeed.

The film originated when two brothers and their best friend--David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams--created a live show called "Kentucky Fried Theatre," and it proved such a hit that the three took the show to Los Angeles, where they managed to interest director John Landis and producer Robert Weiss in turning the whole thing into a low-budget film. Filmed with a no-name cast interspersed with cameos by Bill Bixby, Donald Sutherland, and Henry Gibson, KFM became the surprise hit of 1977.

Some of it holds up extremely well, most notably the "movie trailers" for such imaginary no-class explotation films as CATHOLIC HIGHSCHOOL GIRLS IN TROUBLE and CLEOPATRA SCHWARTZ, both of which will probably have film buffs screaming with laughter. And then there is a sketch which has a couple making love according to directions issued by a phonograph record, an instructional film on the uses of zinc oxide, a wicked take-off on "Point/Counterpoint," and a still darker take-off on television public service announcement--all of them a hoot and half.

But when the film falters, it falls with a thud. Fans of Bruce Lee will probably appreciate the film's centerpiece more than I did, a twenty-minute take-off on martial arts films called "A Fistful of Yen;" I myself thought it would be more amusing if it were half as long. The "Feel-Around" selection was a clever idea that never actually took off, and really much the same can be said for most of the sketches. Some of it is a matter of datedness: what was topical in 1977 doesn't necessarily have a great deal of relevance for a contemporary viewer. Some of it is shock-humor that doesn't shock any more because it has been done so often and so much better. But even so, and while the film as a whole is perhaps best approached as a cultural artifact, it's still worth a look--particularly if you like such films as AIRPLANE, THE NAKED GUN, ANIMAL HOUSE, and THE BLUES BROTHERS, all of which were created by various members of the crew that originally created KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE.

As for the DVD, the film quality is as good as it gets (and you should remember it wasn't great to begin with), and it offers the option of viewing the film in either widescreen or pan-and-scan--but the bonuses that seem so intriguing are actually less interesting than you might expect. The "behind the scenes" home movies and stills are actually rather dull, and as for the commentary... well, it sounds like the DVD package producers got the Zuckers, Abrahams, Landis, and Weiss together, gave them a couple of beers, and turned on the movie. They clearly haven't seen the film in quite a long time, spend a great deal of time trying to remember the names of the actors, and generally yuk it up. Now and then it is amusing and even informative, but on the whole it isn't greatly memorable one way or another. On the whole, I do recommend the DVD as a curiosity--and it would be a great party film--but this isn't one that you're likely to replay a great deal.

The Popcorn You Are Eating Has Been Pissed In...
That happens to be a line from the film, "Kentucky Fried Movie". Tasteless, huh? Yeah, well, so is the film. But it also happens to be one of the funniest films of the '70s. And also one of the most forgotten.

The film itself is a collection of skits similiar to those of early "Saturday Night Live" and "Not Necessarily The News" . But, thankfully, there are no pesky TV censors to hold back any of the vulgarity. Some of the stars that are included in these unbelievably nasty sketches are Donald Sutherland (JFK, Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Bill Bixby ("The Incredible Hulk") and Tony Dow (The Beav!). Also, the film has many very funny moments. Some of my favorites: "Fistful of Yen", which is a cross between old Bruce Lee movies and "The Wizard Of Oz" and "High Adventure" with explorer Claude Lamont!

The film was directed by John Landis, who went on to direct "Trading Places", "Coming To America" and "Spies Like Us." The film also includes David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams ("ZAZ"). They went on to do such classic spoof comedies, such as "Airplane!", "The Naked Gun", and "Hot Shots!"

If you are a fan of any of these other titles I've mentioned in this review and are not easily offended, then "Kentucky Fried Movie" is for you!

Film At Eleven.

Samuel L Bronkowittz presents a very funny film
I remember seeing this film the first time when I was 15. My friends and I had an inside joke with some of the more outrages sketches such as 'Catholic High School Girls in Trouble', 'Fist full of Yen', and "Zinc Oxide' (fake science filmstrip).
Having seen the DVD, I must say that the print is good though the original film stock had poor detail. There is a choice of 16:9 or fullscreen, though this choice is awkwardly implemented in the menu.
If you wish to see an early example of tasteless sketch comedy, you may enjoy this film. Some of the fake movie previews, directed by the ubiquitous Samuel L. Bronkowitz are still very funny. Other parts of Kentucky Fried Movie may not have aged well from the 1970s, however.

Udder stupidity
I recommend Survivor: Borneo on DVD. A lot better than this "non sense" ROFL

This is the funniest thing I have ever seen.
I doubt you will ever see a movie like this again.
It starts off with a bang. When I first rented it a few years
ago, I watched it with a few freinds. And after the opening theme song, which is strange enough. A reporter comes on and
says "The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in."
One of my freinds nearly choked on a ciggarette from laughter.

There are so many funny moments to this movie. One is where a family makes there dead kid part of the family again. As they take him to the dinner table and ball game.
Another is a spoof of a porno called "When Catholic Girls Go Wild" This is just too funny, I laugh as I'm typing thinking about it. My 3rd favorite is The Joy of Sex which is like an instructional video on how to have sex narrated by Shadow Stevens formerley of American Top 40. I could go on and name scene after scene. But they are all funny.

If you like sketch comedey and have a open mind to humor.
This is a must own. It is old but this is a classic.

I love this stupid movie. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

I didn't get it...
This movie didn't get my full attention, perhaps because Rob Schneider is in it, and he annoys me to no end. But Nastassja Kinski's in this one, so I'm obligated to review it. I have vowed to review EVERYTHING she's ever been in, no matter how wretched. Unless a movie is phenomenally bad, it gets 3 stars jut for pure Kinskiness. And she's in it, so it does. This movie doesn't have quite enough Kinskiness in it though. So i am deducting a point!

So misunderstood!
It seems like too many people don't understand the simple fact that this movie is not about the plot! It's not supposed to make sense! The entire movie is one giant nonsensical joke. It's kind of like Andy Kaufman and the fact that everything he did was all a part of an hilarious prank pulled on millions of people. This movie is a joke, and we--the viewers--are the punchline. It is meant to be like that. But then again, I guess if it weren't for people who hate the movie, it wouldn't be funny to people like myself.
For anyone who understands John Landis, this is a must-have!

Revolting, Goofy, stupid, rediculous. I LOVED IT!
With a cast like this, you can only expect a flop. Yet these reviewers who dumped on this flick musta watched something else, 'cause this movie, although not innovative, was an enjoyable romp into the outer-limits of these talented actors' range. If you didn't like this movie, then go watch the Talented Mr. Ripley, then come back. Compared to that movie, you can enjoy anything...

AMAZING CAST, okay plot (a few holes)
The other reviewers do make a few good points. I'll admit, this not an amazing film, but I certainly enjoyed it. Watch it once and its kind of difficult to grasp. Watch it again, and everything comes together. A third time, and the film is just as good. A good cast brings comedy (not amazing, but worthwhile) to the film. All of the actors are well-cast and play their parts well, making a slightly shaky plot a lot more believable. This movie is not torture at all (as other reviewers said), and it is perfect for rainy days. I definentaly reccomend it.

Save your money
This movies is SO BAD, my true rating would be 5 black holes. It looks like it ought to be good--John Landis, the actors, but trust me, this would have to get way better to become merely BAD. Think three stooges, with PMS and guns. I got this because I am an Adrian Paul fan; I know some film work is better than none, but if you too are a fan, save your money and watch some old Highlander episodes. This actually hurt to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (145)

An American Werewolf is reborn
This was one of the first 'horror' films I ever saw, and it is by far one of the most memorable films of the genre I have ever seen. From the cold, bleak beginnings with the two young American back-packers wandering into The Slaughtered Lamb, there is a certain ominous and effectivly eirey quality from the word go. The comical naivety and the even-more comically sombre attitude that the locals at the pub engage in is movie entertainment at it's best. It sets the scene for the true rollercoaster of a movie that is yet to come. The gore is gorey, the scares are scarey, the comedy is spot on and the surrealism is baffling and highly disturbing. It has to be said that the setting for the film in London is inspired. Of course, the tolken well-mannered coppers and the ever-so nice doctors and nurses seem to be plucked straight out of the nearest Britsih book of cut-out stereotypes, but I don't think the film could have worked any other way. A lot of people claim that Scream (1996) is the best horror-comedy since this little masterpiece, but how they can even be compared is beyond me. Scream mocks (respectivley) an entire genre of slasher movies that died way before Freddy even hung up his old slasher-glove. An American Werewolf was the only, and still is, the only film in it's 'genre'. Original, profound, desperately enteratining and memorable in every aspect. The soundtrack's great (fantastically ominous title music clashing with hilariously cheesy covers and classics). The acting is also spot-on. Buy this film. Buy this film and then wonder why Michael Jackson's Thriller video isn't shown as often as it should be too....

3.7 out of 5
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is undoubtedly one of the greatest horror films ever made. David Naughton stars as a young American tourist attacked by a werewolf in England; meanwhile, he is visited by his dead friend Jack (Griffin Dunne), falls in love with his nurse (Jenny Agutter), and is called insane when none of the locals (lead by Brian Glover) will admit the creature exists. Director John Landis throws in some black comedy right when it's needed and knows all the right moves; his script is very fun. There's also a good soundtrack (including a very short score by Elmer Bernstein), nice performances by the cast - but of course, the true highlight of the film is Rick Baker's make-up, which won the first Academy Award for "Best Makeup". Baker's make-up couldn't even come close to being matched today; words cannot explain the sheer brilliance in his work! Followed by an in-title-only sequel in 1997.

The greatest Werewolf film ever!
1981 was The Year of the Werewolves...the furry fiends leaped onto movie screens in three major films: "The Howling," "Wolfen," and the classic of the genre, "An American Werewolf in London." There has never been a greater werewolf film, there has never been a better transformation scene, and few horror movies can match the entertaining mixture of humor and scares that writer/direction John Landis ("Animal House," "The Blues Brothers") achieved here.

Although there had been humor in horror films before this movie, "An American Werewolf in London" showed once and for all that having comedy in a horror film didn't mean that the film would lose out in the scare department. Landis makes it clear that the film is NOT a comedy -- the horror scenes are carried with dead-seriousness and shocking impact -- but there is so much quirky humor surrounding these scenes that the film becomes incredibly likable and buoyant. Most of the laughs come from seeing the old movie werewolf premise dropped into the modern day and watching the characters try to deal with it.

Actors Griffin Dunne and David Naughton, neither of whom had been in a movie before, create a wonderful 'ordinary guy' feeling to their characters of two young American boys backpacking through Europe. In rural England, they have a nasty encounter with a legendary monster, and Naughton faces the consequences of being bitten when he returns to London and takes up living with a pretty nurse (Jenny Agutter).

The transformation scene is justly famous and a milestone in visual effects. Make-up wizard Rick Baker lets the viewers watch a real-time twisting of a human body into a wolf shape: limbs stretch, snouts pop, hair grows, the body contorts...it's amazing to watch. (And on DVD, you can watch it over and over and over again). Even computer graphics can't achieve an effect as startling as this one.

This DVD offers some nice extras. The image is good, and the 5.1 Surround Sound is decent (although there's not a lot of back speaker sound). Actors Naughton and Dunne do feature commentary on the film, and provide some interesting information and sound as if they were having a great time reliving the experience. I wish that Landis had been on the commentary as well, but you can hear his thoughts on the film in an 18-minute interview. Landis is an absolute hoot to listen to; the guy is as funny as his movie, and he absolutely bursts with ideas and observations. To go along with the Landis interview is an 11-minute interview with make-up maestro Rick Baker. He provides a fascinating look at crafting what he calls "the coolest werewolf film ever made." Also included is a vintage featurette on the making of the film, although it's only about five minutes long (but you get more of wise-cracking John Landis), ten minutes of archival footage of Baker making a cast of David Naughton's hand, and an assortment of storyboards, outtakes, and production photos.

"An American Werewolf in London" is a major turning point in horror films and visual effects -- and even over twenty years later, it is still one of the most entertaining movies of its decade. It hasn't aged at all, and this DVD lets you experience it the way it should be seen (and in the company of wild-man John Landis!)

the best werewolf film ever!!!!!!!
this movie is awsomely cool!!!the transformation scence is way cool.david naughton and griffin dune are hilarious. this is my favorite movie! for werewolf lovers every where this is your movie. don't see it on tv rent it.

THE Werewolf Movie to See!
David Kessler and Jack Goodman are two young Americans backpacking through Europe, just trying to have a carefree, good time. On a particularly chilly night, they find themselves wandering across an English countryside and getting pretty desperate for shelter, when they come across a pub called "The Slaughtered Lamb." Not deterred by the graphic advertisement, inside they find the pub is really quite cozy and atmospheric. Fellows are playing darts, having a game of chess, telling politically incorrect yet totally hilarious jokes... Everyone seems a bit disturbed at first sight of the two American travelers, but things warm up once they are accepted as being completely harmless. That is, until Jack asks the forbidden question: "What's that star on the wall for?" The two young men are quickly turned out into the cold without an answer. If only they had known, but the only information they were given was a bit of advice: Beware the moon... and stick to the road. But these are two carefree, American boys just looking for a good time. They're not worried about things like...werewolves! After only walking a short distance, the boys have wandered off the road and onto the moors, and only a few moments later, they are being circled by something horrible! The fog is too thick to see, but before they can react, the beast has attacked! In seconds, Jack Goodman is ripped to shreds! His friend, David, is running in fear! He stops to think for a moment, then runs back to help is already dead friend. Now, David is the one being slashed at, but before the creature can do his worst, a shot rings out and it's all over.

David wakes up to find himself in a London hospital 2 weeks later, desperately searching for his less fortunate best friend. He is cheerfully informed of his situation by the stern but benign Dr. Hirsch, and the short-tempered American representative, Mr. Collins. But when David insists that it was a wolf that attacked him, he is treated less than respectfully. It seems to have been confirmed that it was an escaped lunatic that did the damage to David and Jack, and no one is interested in hearing otherwise. David is frustrated, and his new, animalistic nightmares aren't helping, nor are the ones involving nazi were-creatures, but his mood is lightened as he is distracted by a lovely nurse named Alex Price. Alex is equally infatuated with David, and the two grow closer by the day, despite David's apparent mental state. You see, while having breakfast one morning, David had a visitor: his friend Jack; his DEAD friend Jack. The purpose of his visit was to warn David that he would transform into a werewolf at the next full moon, and if he doesn't want to hurt anyone, he must take his own life. When David is finally released from the hospital, his next stop is Alex's flat. The young pair indulge themselves in each other, but all is not well with David, who is plagued by repeated visits from his increasingly decaying friend. Soon, the full moon is upon him, and David's moment of truth has finally arrived.

In 1981, John Landis put his own spin on Universal's "The Wolf Man," and the result was a new classic for werewolf fanatics everywhere. The story is very familiar. A young American travels to England and gets bitten by a werewolf. He falls in love with a local girl, but their romance is interrupted when he grows convinced that he will become a werewolf himself. He finally transforms, reeks some havoc, and commits some murders. He becomes a sympathetic character as he expresses his fear and guilt over what he has done, but soon he transforms again and is finally killed, the film ending as suddenly as his life. With the brilliant look of its werewolves, Rick Baker's masterful effects (thankfully, CG free), and the genius of John Landis, "An American Werewolf in London" brought a realism to the werewolf genre that is reminiscent of the olde legends and lore. No silver bullets or fully dressed lycanthropes here! Many call this film a horror-comedy. Well, it's definitely more horror than comedy, despite what you might hear. It doesn't have any more comedy than one would find in the real life of an average, young, American male. It's just so honest that it's funny. I was in London last New Year's, and they DID have Dart competitions on TV! As for horror on the other hand, this movie's got it. You may not find the film scary at first, but try taking a lonely, nighttime walk after viewing it. I've always found the subway scene particularly disturbing. And what can one say about the cast? Simply perfection. David Naughton plays the American werewolf superbly, from carefree traveler to suicidal lover. Jenny Agutter is lovely and sympathetic, Griffin Dunne is funny yet convincing, and John Woodvine is the Doctor you hate to love. Brian Glover is disturbingly suspicious, and who can forget the cast of "See You Next Wednesday?" *ahem* It all adds up to one of my favorite motion picture experiences!

A sequel was released in 1997 called "An American Werewolf In Paris." CGI effects, a few confusing plot points, and zombies that were more annoying than funny marred the final product, but overall it was still a highly fun viewing experience, despite all its criticism to the contrary. See it and judge for yourself. Some say it's not a legitimate sequel because the story has nothing to do with the original film. I've heard conflicting theories though. Some sources have stated that the female lead in "AWIP" is supposed to be the daughter of David Kessler and Nurse Alex Price. Intriguing and highly possible, even probable, but it's never stated outright in the film, so I'm still waiting for some official word on that. ... Read more

Reviews (253)

This movie is a funfest!
Title of film: National Lampoon's Animal House
Year Released: 1978
Running time: 109 minutes
Director/studio: John Landis/Universal Studios
Actors/Actresses: John Belushi......"Bluto"
Tim Matheson......"Otter"
John Vernon......."Dean Wormer"
Verna Bloom......."Marion Wormer"
Tom Hulce........."Pinto"
Cesare Danova....."The Mayor"
Peter Riegert....."Boon"
Mary Louise Weller...."Mandy Pepperidge
Stephen Furst........."Flounder" Dorfman
James Daughton........"Greg Marmalard"
Bruce McGill.........."D-Day"
Mark Metcalf.........."Douglas Neidermeyer"
Karen Allen..........."Katy Fuller"
James Widdoes........."Robert Hoover"
Martha Smith.........."Babs"
Lisa Baur............."Shelly Dubinsky"
Sarah Holcomb........."Clorette De Pasto"
Kevin Bacon..........."Chip Diller"
Donald Sutherland....."Professor Jennings"
Douglas Kenney........"Stork"
Chris Miller.........."Hardbar"
Bruce Bonnheim........"B.B."
Joshua Daniel........."Mothball"
Sunny Johnson........."Otters Co-ed"
Stacy Grooman........."Sissy"
Stephen Bishop........"Guy with guitar"
Eliza Roberts........."Brunella"
Aseneth Jurgenson....."Beth"
Katherine Denning....."Noreen"
Raymone Robinson......"Mean Dude"
Robert Elliott........"Meaner Dude"
Reginald Farmer......."Meanest Dude"
Jebidiah R. Dumas....."Gigantic Dude"
Priscilla Lauris......"Wormer's Secretary"
Rick Eby.............."Omega"
Nominations/Awards:
1979 Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture
1979 Nominated WGS Screen Award Category/Recipients--Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller (III), Harold Ramis

Faber College during fall fraternity pledge season is the place all young men want to be regardless of societal ranking. The disparity between two of the fraternities is quickly evident when we see the wealthy white young men recruiting look-a-likes to join their fraternity and snubbing wannabe's who don't quite measure up. The wealthy frat house has the approval of the school's Dean Wormer and he despises with a passion the characters who choose Delta House fraternity. Dean Wormer wants Delta House off of his campus and he asks Omega House (the rich boys) to help him accomplish this task. This is where the fun begins.

It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that fun-loving, sloppy, middle-class guys inhabit Delta house and they live for pulling pranks on the Omega House fraternity and Dean Wormer.

This movie truly portrays college life on campuses during the 1970's. The underdog Delta House is only looking for acceptance and they won't stop at anything to achieve it! The pledge class consists of all the rejects from Omega House not only from this year but year's past. Together this group works together to undo Dean Wormer's wish to rid their house from his campus.

Flounder's experience with the horse is hysterical. The lunchroom scene with Bluto is classic. Otter's "happy-go-lucky" love interests including Dean Wormer's life are characteristic of a young man's college sexual escapades of the 70's. The closing of the Delta House and the road trip are comical. And finally the parade of all parades allows Delta House to get their revenge.

Scenes from this movie stay with you forever! Keep smiling as you relive quotes and replay scenes in your mind years after viewing this very funny film!

Life, Liberty, And Fraternity
Animal House is a rowdy and riotous look at college life in 1962. Faber College is home to the infamous Delta Fraternity. Known for its wild parties, peeping toms, food fights, and practical jokes at Dean Wormer's (John Vernon) expense.

Director John Landis assembled a great cast for this film. Aside from the late John Belushi as "Bluto", there's inspired lunacy from Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, a very young Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst as "Flounder", Mark Metcalf, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen, all have a memorable moment or two. The script, written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kennedy, and Chris Miller, gives us plenty of laughs. Anyone who watches this will identify with at least one character in the film. Many people that have seen Animal House has their favorite bit in the movie. As for me, it has to be the horse in the Dean's offce, I laugh every time--Belushi was born to play "Bluto"

To celebrate the film's 25th Anniversary, the Double Secret Probation DVD, boasts some solid extas. A somewhat funny "mock-u-mentary", catches up with the cast as their characters. Some of the jokes work better than others. But everyone gives it the "old college try" and has fun. Instead of an audio commentary, there's an animated anecdotes trivia mode that's fun. The cast and crew gather again for a retrospective documentary about the film. This 45 minute feature is filled with great stories about the production-ala the Caddyshack DVD. The song "Shout", sung by Otis And The Knights in the film, gets a video from MxPx. The theatrical trailer, additional production/cast+crew notes and DVD-ROM material tops off the disc.

Because Animal House is set in the past, it is timeless, and holds up quite well. It was the first of its kind and remains a comedy classic. If you have never seen this, do yourself a favor...if you already have seen the movie before...this is one reunion use should not miss.

Classic College Movie
This is one hilarous movie! My dad always used to tell me how good it was and how he watched it when he was in college, but I never believed him. When I got a DVD player as a gift from my boyfriend my freshman year of college, it was one of the first movies that I purchased. It is so funny and it's a great movie to watch with your friends while you're relaxing and having a few beers! I think that everyone who has ever experienced college parties should be buying this movie because you probably never experienced a party like the guys on Animal House throw! Enjoy!!

no more advertising!
enough!!!! i do not want to be forced to watch advertising on DVD's I buy. this DVD forces you to watch previews, even if you do not want to see them.

Bluto Lives!
ANIMAL HOUSE is one of the funniest, most subversive comedies ever made! It takes the college system apart, turning it into a playground for the outcasts on campus. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) has had just about enough of these delinquents. Delta Tau Chi is the worst frat in Faber College history, infamous for it's debauchery and total lack of respect for the traditions of the fraternity system. Delta house is more funhouse than fraternity house. It's members are a band of sex-obsessed alcoholics (hmmm, actually sounds pretty normal to me) with a knack for causing mayhem. Peter Riegert is "Boon" and Karen Allen is his girlfriend, Katy, who is just about fed up with the whole immature mess. Tim Matheson is "Otter", the Don Juan-type, set only on finding and fulfilling every woman's fantasy.... well, something like that. John Belushi is brilliant as "Bluto" Blutarski, a drunken lunatic with a heart of gold. His near silent performance steals every scene in a Chaplin / Keaton-esque way. This movie is the best thing the NATIONAL LAMPOON (the most irreverent, politically incorrect, spot-on hilarious humor magazine ever conceived) ever did. Written by Chris Miller, ANIMAL HOUSE is VERY loosely based on his own experiences at Dartmouth. He even has a small part as "HARDBAR". Doug Kenney (A national lampoon founding father) is "STORK", the guy who leads the Faber marching band astray in the legendary parade scene. If you like toga parties (aka: orgies), road trips, food fights, and anything else it takes to get through an otherwise dull existence, then ANIMAL HOUSE is for you! This movie was the first of it's kind, unfortunately giving birth to a stream of immitators and lesser phlegms.. er, films, like Porky's, Revenge Of The Nerds, etc. None have come remotely close to this masterpiece of hijinx gone terribly wrong! Highly recommended... ... Read more

Reviews (141)

Helloooo Boys!......
This review refers to the Universal Widescreen(Digitally THX Mastered) VHS edition of "The Blues Brothers".....

Saturday Night Live Alum together with a Who's Who list of the greatest Rhythm and Blues artists ever assembled in one film, make for one very entertaining, funny, action packed musical.The hard part of this review is keeping myself from revealing every funny line, and all the classic scenes that came from this film(and also all the great cameo performances you'll spot throughout the story).For those too young to remember this classic comedy, or if you haven't seen it for a while let me just refresh your memory(just a little).....

Jake "Joliet" Blues(the late great John Belushi)has just been released from prison. Brother Elwood Blues(Dan Aykroyd) picks him up and they're off to fullfill a promise to visit "The Penguin". Sister Mary Stigmata(Kathleen Freeman), the head nun at the Catholic Orphanage where they grew up informs them that the Orphanage will have to close down unless she can come up with the Five Thousand Dollars neccessary to pay the property taxes.No problem for "The Blues Brothers", they'll have the money she needs by tommorrow. But NO! NO! NO!, she does not want their filthy bank robbery money, and they are not to return until they can "redeem themselves"!

While on a visit to church, where you'll find James Brown as The Reverend Cleophus James leading the congregation in song, Jake literally "sees the light!".They'll just put "The Blues Band" back together for one big night and raise the money for "The Penguin" and the Orphanage. Getting the band back together is easier said than done though.Along the way, we are treated to some musical performances by these great names..Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and even Chaka Khan. The hysterical action also heats up as they make enemies all along the way. They are being chased by the cops,the Nazis(led by one very funny Henry Gibson), and a very angry ex-girlfriend(Carrie Fisher) who has a thing for Flame Throwers. They leave a path a destruction in their wake that is unsurpassed in chase scenes.

It's a riotous romp, directed by John Landis(Animal House/Trading Places), that will leave you wanting more..and luckily...there's a sequel! "Blues Brothers 2000", which has the terrific addition of John Goodman to the cast.This VHS tape is terrific. Not only does it have a great picture in the original widescreen image(1.85:1), but the sound is digitally mastered, and is excellent in the stereo surround. There are even a couple of bonus features on this edition. There is the "Making Of" the sequel, talking with all the stars about coming back to do it again, and after the credits, you'll find the "making of" for the original, which clues you in on lots of little trivia details.

If you're looking for something really funny, something with a great music, a great script, and one that will be a terrific addition to your classic comedy collection, look no further, you've found it! And don't forget to look for all the great cameos along the way..(I think I restrained myself pretty well from giving them away... don't you?)
Have a great time with this one and maybe you too will "see the light".......Laurie

...it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses
This DVD is the Director's Cut of the film. That means 17 minutes of extra footage is included making the film a good 17 minutes too long. The added material just makes the pacing falter and so, ironically, the VHS release displays a better film. But, with that gripe out of the way, this is one fun film.

Jake and Elwood Blues are the creation of Saturday Night Live veterans Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi. They took the first step to the big screen amongst the countless other Saturday Night Live and SCTV characters (The CONEHEADS, WAYNE'S WORLD, ONE NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY, SUPERSTAR, THE LADIES MAN, STUART SAVES HIS FAMILY and STRANGE BREW amongst them.) And THE BLUES BROTHERS is the film to compare all of these too. That is bad news for them because this is an entertaining musical comedy. Filmed with the gritty look of a drama, the musical is indeed a surprise but with Jake and Elwood as 'musicians', what else can you expect.

The storyline follows the brothers as they try to raise money to save an orphanage. This means putting the band back together. As they piece it all back together, they encounter more colorful characters looking to block their success. John Candy, Charles Napier and Carrie Fisher take their hunt seriously. They also encounter assistance by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and Frank Oz amongst them. There are even small appearances by Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens as a waiter and Steven Spielberg as a clerk in the finale. Now, this is Aykroyd and Belushi's film as they nonchalantly ignore life-changing catastrophes. Director John Landis brings these huge occurrences to the screen like a master. You can just feel the fun put into this production.

The greatest charm in the film is the musical numbers. Wherever the boys go, people just seem to break out into infectious song. You'll find yourself tapping along. With the exception of the 'restored' material, this is a nice DVD with a good video transfer and audio transfer that'll put your receiver to the test. Also a recent making-of documentary is included. If you get a chance to join Jake and Elwood, I recommend it.
They're on a mission from God.

I feel good and you will too!
Here is one of the few movies in my lifetime that qualifies as a "feel good" flick, one where I left so fulfilled I actually missed the characters, story and fun when the movie is over, wanting it all back again. Fortunately, through the miracle of tape and DVD, you and I can both do that!

This production was the linchpin event for the Saturday Night Live characters that wore black suits and sunglasses before the equally fashion-challenged "Men In Black" showed up. Along with "Animal House", this flick reminds me what a great comedy career John Belushi would have had in cinema had he lived more safely (as long as he stayed away from bombs like "1941").

Back to the film...this is loaded with great music, music from many 20th Century ages, music that makes you want to hum, tap your toe, dance, delight, smile, kiss your girlfriend and say hello to God. The plot -- something about getting money for an orphanage -- is superfluous but the movie has memorable scenes and characterizations equal to the equally uninhibited "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World" from 1963.

A hyperactive musical street scene coming out of a music store -- led by the late Ray Charles doing a great blues tune -- is a typical venue in this film. Another time, Aretha Franklin takes a break from her waitress job to sing threateningly to Jake and Elmore. Still another time, Cab Calloway entertains kids so the brothers can get their cash to Chicago. In another scene, the Blues Brothers band does it up good in a honky tonk but drinks too much beer and ends up in a police-car-RV chase with some good old boys known as...the Good Old Boys!

This movie destroyed about 200 cars in and around Chicago and has one of the funniest car crash scenes and accompanying lines in American film history. The line is: "We're in a truck!" Watch the movie to get the joy from it. You'll laugh out loud and enjoy it almost as much as those Nazis driving off the end of the incomplete freeway overpass in Chicago!

If you want to experience mayhem disguised as two hours of uninhibited escapism filled with great fun, a thousand car chases and car crashes, lowlifes, ex-convicts and rednecks, and some of the best choreographed music sequences ever, buy, rent or borrow this DVD today and get set to ENJOY YOURSELF!

Unique and historical achievement
Unique, wonderful, hilarious.

"The Blues Brothers" holds up even better than one might have hoped. And that's a beautiful thing for one of the most unique movies ever made. Conceived, as Belushi once put it, as a show case for African-American music, the movie is exactly that and so much more.

I was moved to watch the "Shake Your Tail Feather" scene due to Ray Charles' recent death. The performance is so wonderful, so full of life; we have lost a true national treasure. But his amazing performance for the movie will live on forever. The soundtrack's 5.1 remix (including the reintegration of old footage cut from a preview at the Picwood Theater in LA. According to Landis, in the DVD's liner notes, the movie distributors complained no white people would see the movie!) is simply amazing. Even on my bargain set, it is crisp, pure and clean and is probably my candidate for best sound DVD ever. Landis again demonstrates his technical mastery, understanding of technology and choice of brilliant helpmates.

As the same Landis once put it, "Where else can a white kid see Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker and James Brown in the same two hours?" He left out Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin as well as studio legends Steve "The Colonel" Cropper (who almost single-handed reintroduced cocaine to Hollywood, the number of people who began their addictions under his tutelage is frightening but no names here; you'll have to look it up yourself); and bass legend "Duck" Dunn, one of the greatest bassists of all times (sorry, Duck, my man, even you have to bow, with every other bassist, to Geddy Lee). Normally invisible, we get to see and here the Blues Brothers' amazing band. These studio legends get there fifteen minutes, often to hilarious effect. Willie "Too-Bit" Hall, the drummer even shows really comic talent, as does Dunn and "Mr. Fabulous," the horn man.

The movie also preserves the now destroyed Maxwell Street, one of the great centers of African-American music and R&B and one of the seedbeds of rock n roll. This is the only place anyone can see Maxwell Street in its prime. In a sense the movie is also a historical document, preserving those people and places who have left us.

The plot is almost irrelevant, beside the almost hysterical comedy and stunning musical performances (Calloway and Franklin never did BETTER jobs on their two signature classics), but there is a story there. The cameos are hilarious as well, from Carrie Fischer (who has said she quit coke because Belushi, on set, one day pointed at her and said, "You're becoming just like me." On that note, Robin Williams also says his visit to Belushi on his ultimate night helped him give up the Life that took his friend) and the Keystone Nazis the Boys have to avoid in their quest to save their childhood home, a dilapidate orphanage on Chicago's South side. The "Flight of the Pinto" scene is not to be missed. And be sure to listen for the tell-tale mating call of a most un-endangered species, "hut-hut-hut."
A movie for the ages. It also highlights the bitter tragedy of Belushi's self-destruction. One can only imagine what a sobered and cleaned-up Belushi could do when he did this movie whilst doing 4 grams of coke a day, dropping acid, downers, booze, marijuana (all of this is in Boobward's sensationalist "biography" of Belushi called "Wired"). Unlike other famous drug addicts and alcoholic (Monroe, Presley, Dean) Belushi's fortunately has been taken as a warning sign of Hollywood excess and hasn't lead to his apotheosis.

Despite his tragic end, the movie is one of the few that, no matter my troubles I can put this movie in the DVD player and know I will be smiling in mere minutes. As I smile now, writing this.

Every American teenager should see this simply for the musical numbers alone. The word classic is misused as often as the word "hero" these days, but it's not misused here. What could have been the umpteenth bad iteration of "Animal House" instead attained the temporary immortality of the true classic. Belushi's been gone for more than twenty years now, but the brilliant John, the hilarious John, the gifted performer John Belushi will live on forever.

And, wherever you are John that has to make you smile.

One-of-a-Kind Musical
The musical was so out of favor by 1980 that had Universal advertised "Blues Brothers" for what it was it would have done even more poorly at the box-office than it did. But time has righted that wrong and Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi's wacky star turn has taken it's place beside the other great examples of this unique American film art. It's too long, the colossal car chase near the end is a bore, and it's based on the mistaken notion that church property in America is taxed (something Canadian Ackroyd, the main scriptwriter, apparently assumed and nobody else caught). But there are so many other wonderful moments of singing and dancing and left-field comedy that everything else is forgiven and then some. Directed by the erratic John Landis, who's main signature as a director is some of the best photography in the history of the American movies. ... Read more

Reviews (145)

An American Werewolf is reborn
This was one of the first 'horror' films I ever saw, and it is by far one of the most memorable films of the genre I have ever seen. From the cold, bleak beginnings with the two young American back-packers wandering into The Slaughtered Lamb, there is a certain ominous and effectivly eirey quality from the word go. The comical naivety and the even-more comically sombre attitude that the locals at the pub engage in is movie entertainment at it's best. It sets the scene for the true rollercoaster of a movie that is yet to come. The gore is gorey, the scares are scarey, the comedy is spot on and the surrealism is baffling and highly disturbing. It has to be said that the setting for the film in London is inspired. Of course, the tolken well-mannered coppers and the ever-so nice doctors and nurses seem to be plucked straight out of the nearest Britsih book of cut-out stereotypes, but I don't think the film could have worked any other way. A lot of people claim that Scream (1996) is the best horror-comedy since this little masterpiece, but how they can even be compared is beyond me. Scream mocks (respectivley) an entire genre of slasher movies that died way before Freddy even hung up his old slasher-glove. An American Werewolf was the only, and still is, the only film in it's 'genre'. Original, profound, desperately enteratining and memorable in every aspect. The soundtrack's great (fantastically ominous title music clashing with hilariously cheesy covers and classics). The acting is also spot-on. Buy this film. Buy this film and then wonder why Michael Jackson's Thriller video isn't shown as often as it should be too....

3.7 out of 5
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is undoubtedly one of the greatest horror films ever made. David Naughton stars as a young American tourist attacked by a werewolf in England; meanwhile, he is visited by his dead friend Jack (Griffin Dunne), falls in love with his nurse (Jenny Agutter), and is called insane when none of the locals (lead by Brian Glover) will admit the creature exists. Director John Landis throws in some black comedy right when it's needed and knows all the right moves; his script is very fun. There's also a good soundtrack (including a very short score by Elmer Bernstein), nice performances by the cast - but of course, the true highlight of the film is Rick Baker's make-up, which won the first Academy Award for "Best Makeup". Baker's make-up couldn't even come close to being matched today; words cannot explain the sheer brilliance in his work! Followed by an in-title-only sequel in 1997.

The greatest Werewolf film ever!
1981 was The Year of the Werewolves...the furry fiends leaped onto movie screens in three major films: "The Howling," "Wolfen," and the classic of the genre, "An American Werewolf in London." There has never been a greater werewolf film, there has never been a better transformation scene, and few horror movies can match the entertaining mixture of humor and scares that writer/direction John Landis ("Animal House," "The Blues Brothers") achieved here.

Although there had been humor in horror films before this movie, "An American Werewolf in London" showed once and for all that having comedy in a horror film didn't mean that the film would lose out in the scare department. Landis makes it clear that the film is NOT a comedy -- the horror scenes are carried with dead-seriousness and shocking impact -- but there is so much quirky humor surrounding these scenes that the film becomes incredibly likable and buoyant. Most of the laughs come from seeing the old movie werewolf premise dropped into the modern day and watching the characters try to deal with it.

Actors Griffin Dunne and David Naughton, neither of whom had been in a movie before, create a wonderful 'ordinary guy' feeling to their characters of two young American boys backpacking through Europe. In rural England, they have a nasty encounter with a legendary monster, and Naughton faces the consequences of being bitten when he returns to London and takes up living with a pretty nurse (Jenny Agutter).

The transformation scene is justly famous and a milestone in visual effects. Make-up wizard Rick Baker lets the viewers watch a real-time twisting of a human body into a wolf shape: limbs stretch, snouts pop, hair grows, the body contorts...it's amazing to watch. (And on DVD, you can watch it over and over and over again). Even computer graphics can't achieve an effect as startling as this one.

This DVD offers some nice extras. The image is good, and the 5.1 Surround Sound is decent (although there's not a lot of back speaker sound). Actors Naughton and Dunne do feature commentary on the film, and provide some interesting information and sound as if they were having a great time reliving the experience. I wish that Landis had been on the commentary as well, but you can hear his thoughts on the film in an 18-minute interview. Landis is an absolute hoot to listen to; the guy is as funny as his movie, and he absolutely bursts with ideas and observations. To go along with the Landis interview is an 11-minute interview with make-up maestro Rick Baker. He provides a fascinating look at crafting what he calls "the coolest werewolf film ever made." Also included is a vintage featurette on the making of the film, although it's only about five minutes long (but you get more of wise-cracking John Landis), ten minutes of archival footage of Baker making a cast of David Naughton's hand, and an assortment of storyboards, outtakes, and production photos.

"An American Werewolf in London" is a major turning point in horror films and visual effects -- and even over twenty years later, it is still one of the most entertaining movies of its decade. It hasn't aged at all, and this DVD lets you experience it the way it should be seen (and in the company of wild-man John Landis!)

the best werewolf film ever!!!!!!!
this movie is awsomely cool!!!the transformation scence is way cool.david naughton and griffin dune are hilarious. this is my favorite movie! for werewolf lovers every where this is your movie. don't see it on tv rent it.

THE Werewolf Movie to See!
David Kessler and Jack Goodman are two young Americans backpacking through Europe, just trying to have a carefree, good time. On a particularly chilly night, they find themselves wandering across an English countryside and getting pretty desperate for shelter, when they come across a pub called "The Slaughtered Lamb." Not deterred by the graphic advertisement, inside they find the pub is really quite cozy and atmospheric. Fellows are playing darts, having a game of chess, telling politically incorrect yet totally hilarious jokes... Everyone seems a bit disturbed at first sight of the two American travelers, but things warm up once they are accepted as being completely harmless. That is, until Jack asks the forbidden question: "What's that star on the wall for?" The two young men are quickly turned out into the cold without an answer. If only they had known, but the only information they were given was a bit of advice: Beware the moon... and stick to the road. But these are two carefree, American boys just looking for a good time. They're not worried about things like...werewolves! After only walking a short distance, the boys have wandered off the road and onto the moors, and only a few moments later, they are being circled by something horrible! The fog is too thick to see, but before they can react, the beast has attacked! In seconds, Jack Goodman is ripped to shreds! His friend, David, is running in fear! He stops to think for a moment, then runs back to help is already dead friend. Now, David is the one being slashed at, but before the creature can do his worst, a shot rings out and it's all over.

David wakes up to find himself in a London hospital 2 weeks later, desperately searching for his less fortunate best friend. He is cheerfully informed of his situation by the stern but benign Dr. Hirsch, and the short-tempered American representative, Mr. Collins. But when David insists that it was a wolf that attacked him, he is treated less than respectfully. It seems to have been confirmed that it was an escaped lunatic that did the damage to David and Jack, and no one is interested in hearing otherwise. David is frustrated, and his new, animalistic nightmares aren't helping, nor are the ones involving nazi were-creatures, but his mood is lightened as he is distracted by a lovely nurse named Alex Price. Alex is equally infatuated with David, and the two grow closer by the day, despite David's apparent mental state. You see, while having breakfast one morning, David had a visitor: his friend Jack; his DEAD friend Jack. The purpose of his visit was to warn David that he would transform into a werewolf at the next full moon, and if he doesn't want to hurt anyone, he must take his own life. When David is finally released from the hospital, his next stop is Alex's flat. The young pair indulge themselves in each other, but all is not well with David, who is plagued by repeated visits from his increasingly decaying friend. Soon, the full moon is upon him, and David's moment of truth has finally arrived.

In 1981, John Landis put his own spin on Universal's "The Wolf Man," and the result was a new classic for werewolf fanatics everywhere. The story is very familiar. A young American travels to England and gets bitten by a werewolf. He falls in love with a local girl, but their romance is interrupted when he grows convinced that he will become a werewolf himself. He finally transforms, reeks some havoc, and commits some murders. He becomes a sympathetic character as he expresses his fear and guilt over what he has done, but soon he transforms again and is finally killed, the film ending as suddenly as his life. With the brilliant look of its werewolves, Rick Baker's masterful effects (thankfully, CG free), and the genius of John Landis, "An American Werewolf in London" brought a realism to the werewolf genre that is reminiscent of the olde legends and lore. No silver bullets or fully dressed lycanthropes here! Many call this film a horror-comedy. Well, it's definitely more horror than comedy, despite what you might hear. It doesn't have any more comedy than one would find in the real life of an average, young, American male. It's just so honest that it's funny. I was in London last New Year's, and they DID have Dart competitions on TV! As for horror on the other hand, this movie's got it. You may not find the film scary at first, but try taking a lonely, nighttime walk after viewing it. I've always found the subway scene particularly disturbing. And what can one say about the cast? Simply perfection. David Naughton plays the American werewolf superbly, from carefree traveler to suicidal lover. Jenny Agutter is lovely and sympathetic, Griffin Dunne is funny yet convincing, and John Woodvine is the Doctor you hate to love. Brian Glover is disturbingly suspicious, and who can forget the cast of "See You Next Wednesday?" *ahem* It all adds up to one of my favorite motion picture experiences!

A sequel was released in 1997 called "An American Werewolf In Paris." CGI effects, a few confusing plot points, and zombies that were more annoying than funny marred the final product, but overall it was still a highly fun viewing experience, despite all its criticism to the contrary. See it and judge for yourself. Some say it's not a legitimate sequel because the story has nothing to do with the original film. I've heard conflicting theories though. Some sources have stated that the female lead in "AWIP" is supposed to be the daughter of David Kessler and Nurse Alex Price. Intriguing and highly possible, even probable, but it's never stated outright in the film, so I'm still waiting for some official word on that. ... Read more

Reviews (141)

Helloooo Boys!......
This review refers to the Universal Widescreen(Digitally THX Mastered) VHS edition of "The Blues Brothers".....

Saturday Night Live Alum together with a Who's Who list of the greatest Rhythm and Blues artists ever assembled in one film, make for one very entertaining, funny, action packed musical.The hard part of this review is keeping myself from revealing every funny line, and all the classic scenes that came from this film(and also all the great cameo performances you'll spot throughout the story).For those too young to remember this classic comedy, or if you haven't seen it for a while let me just refresh your memory(just a little).....

Jake "Joliet" Blues(the late great John Belushi)has just been released from prison. Brother Elwood Blues(Dan Aykroyd) picks him up and they're off to fullfill a promise to visit "The Penguin". Sister Mary Stigmata(Kathleen Freeman), the head nun at the Catholic Orphanage where they grew up informs them that the Orphanage will have to close down unless she can come up with the Five Thousand Dollars neccessary to pay the property taxes.No problem for "The Blues Brothers", they'll have the money she needs by tommorrow. But NO! NO! NO!, she does not want their filthy bank robbery money, and they are not to return until they can "redeem themselves"!

While on a visit to church, where you'll find James Brown as The Reverend Cleophus James leading the congregation in song, Jake literally "sees the light!".They'll just put "The Blues Band" back together for one big night and raise the money for "The Penguin" and the Orphanage. Getting the band back together is easier said than done though.Along the way, we are treated to some musical performances by these great names..Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and even Chaka Khan. The hysterical action also heats up as they make enemies all along the way. They are being chased by the cops,the Nazis(led by one very funny Henry Gibson), and a very angry ex-girlfriend(Carrie Fisher) who has a thing for Flame Throwers. They leave a path a destruction in their wake that is unsurpassed in chase scenes.

It's a riotous romp, directed by John Landis(Animal House/Trading Places), that will leave you wanting more..and luckily...there's a sequel! "Blues Brothers 2000", which has the terrific addition of John Goodman to the cast.This VHS tape is terrific. Not only does it have a great picture in the original widescreen image(1.85:1), but the sound is digitally mastered, and is excellent in the stereo surround. There are even a couple of bonus features on this edition. There is the "Making Of" the sequel, talking with all the stars about coming back to do it again, and after the credits, you'll find the "making of" for the original, which clues you in on lots of little trivia details.

If you're looking for something really funny, something with a great music, a great scri