John Landis’s Directorial ApprovalJohn Landis has been notoriously protective of his original theatrical cuts. Unlike directors who frequently release Extended or Director's Cuts (such as Ridley Scott or Peter Jackson), Landis has repeatedly stated that the theatrical release of An American Werewolf in London is his definitive version. He cut the scenes because he felt they slowed down the momentum of the third act or pushed the gore into the realm of camp. The Legacy of Fan Edits and Repacks
audio track, which replaced "Moondance" during the love scene in early 1990s TV broadcasts. Notable Official Releases vs. Fan Repacks
An American Werewolf in London is a movie that perfected itself through the editing process. While the "lost" scenes remain a tantalizing mystery, the official Arrow release offers the best, most complete experience of the film's intended terror and humor.
The intimate scene between David (David Naughton) and Nurse Jenny (Jenny Agutter) was toned down for American releases to avoid an "X" rating.
: A poignant scene where David calls his sister Rachel before attempting suicide was accidentally omitted from some Region 2 DVD releases. This scene is fully restored in all Blu-ray and 4K releases.
In the early 1980s, a repackaged version of "An American Werewolf in London" began circulating on home video. This "Repack" version included some of the deleted scenes, as well as additional gore and violence. The "Repack" gained notoriety for its explicit content, which was not seen in the original theatrical release.
Before the age of DVD special features, fans had to rely on TV broadcasts to see alternate versions. The "Repack" often includes footage from these standard-definition TV rips. While the quality is usually grainy, these versions sometimes contain slightly gorier takes of the transformation or the Piccadilly Circus massacre that were trimmed for the cinema ratings boards in certain countries.
We see more of the friendship between David and Jack, making Jack’s death (and subsequent undead visits) even more heartbreaking. We see more of the collateral damage caused by the werewolf, grounding the fantasy in a gritty reality.
The "Deleted Scenes Repack" aims to revisit and recontextualize the excised moments from the original film, offering a fresh perspective on the narrative and characters. This paper will explore the significance of the deleted scenes, their potential impact on the story, and the artistic choices behind their omission.
The most famous missing sequence involved the werewolf attacking two homeless men in a junkyard. It was cut after test audiences found it too distracting or intense, much like the famous "Spider Pit" scene from Jack’s Toast:
Not all repacks are created equal. If you are searching for this holy grail, look for the version labeled or "Kessler’s Curse v3.0." Here is the quality hierarchy:
Universal Pictures was notoriously nervous about An American Werewolf in London . The studio executives loved the comedy but feared the horror. They also worried about runtime and pacing. As a result, roughly 20 to 30 minutes of footage was left in the vault. The typically includes the following major sequences:
Unearthing the Beast: An American Werewolf in London Deleted Scenes Repack
Like many films of its era, An American Werewolf in London underwent a rigorous editing process to secure a theatrical R rating and maintain a brisk, suspenseful pace. John Landis trimmed several sequences before the theatrical release. Some cuts were made for pacing, while others were excised because the gore was deemed too extreme for censors or because the visual effects didn’t meet the director's exacting standards.
If you are looking for the most complete archival set, the Arrow Video Limited Edition (2022) includes: