Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection

“From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases all of the original films featuring the most iconic monsters in motion picture history, including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bridge of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera, and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Starring some of the most legendary actors including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, and Elsa Lanchester in the roles that they made famous, these films set the standard for a new horror genre with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography and groundbreaking special effects. Featuring hours of revealing bonus features, these landmark movies defined the horror genre and are still regarded as some of the most unforgettable characters ever to be filmed.”

What possibly is there to add that hasn’t already been said over the many decades since the creation of these iconic films? This set brings all these classic creatures to life in HD unlike they’ve ever been seen before, with each case featuring a different monster, all of its films, and loads of extras. Universal was instrumental in creating an entirely new genre of films, ones that still haunt and entertain us to this day. Out of the countless incarnations, and failed attempts at resurrecting the monster universe, these films were so important in shaping cinema at the time, and this box set is an amazing way to honor them.

Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection

“The original Frankenstein’s Monster is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 8 films from the original legacy including the tragic classic starring Boris Karloff and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of Henry Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride, and continue to inspire countless remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of Frankenstein to this day.”

Boris Karloff will always be my favorite Frankenstein’s Monster.  He brought a commitment every monster he portrayed, but I think he embodied this classic monster the best. Watching the evolution of the monster, especially in just the first two films, is remarkable.

This set includes:

• Frankenstein – 1931
• The Bride of Frankenstein – 1935
• Son of Frankenstein – 1939
• The Ghost of Frankenstein – 1942
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man – 1943
• House of Frankenstein – 1944
• House of Dracula – 1945
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein – 1948

Bonus Features:

• The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster Documentary
• She’s Alive! Creating the Bride of Frankenstein Documentary
• Karloff: The Gentle Monster
• Frankenstein Archives
• The Bride of Frankenstein Archives
• Boo!: A Short Film
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters
• 4 Feature Commentaries
• Theatrical Trailers

Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection

“The original Dracula is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 6 films from the original legacy including the frightening classic starring Bela Lugosi and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of the famed vampire and continue to inspire countless remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of Dracula to this day.”

I’m not sure any of these classic movie monsters has had the inspiration on a genre as much as Dracula. Spawning so many iterations of the classic character, Bela Lugosi’s Count Dracula is truly awe inspiring.

This set includes:

• Dracula – 1931
• Dracula’s Daughter – 1936
• Son of Dracula – 1943
• House of Frankenstein – 1944
• House of Dracula – 1945
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein – 1948

Bonus Features:

• The 1931 Spanish Version of Dracula
• The Road to Dracula Documentary
• Lugosi: The Dark Prince
• Dracula Archives
• Alternate Dracula Score by Philip Glass
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters
• 3 Feature Commentaries
• Production Photographs
• Theatrical Trailers

 The Wolf Man: Complete Legacy Collection

“The original Wolf Man is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. The Wolf Man: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 7 films from the original legacy including the eerie classic starring Lon Chaney Jr. and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of the tragic monster and continue to inspire countless remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of the Wolf Man to this day.”

I have always loved the first classic film that had such a great cast, including Bela Lugosi and Claude Rains. This is another film that has inspired countless incarnations of the Werewolf and its extensive lore. It’s always great to go back to the basics and enjoy one of the classics! This collection includes all the films that include The Wolf Man, which are:

• The Wolf Man – 1941
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man -1943
• House of Frankenstein – 1944
• House of Dracula – 1945
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein – 1948
• Werewolf of London – 1935
• She-Wolf of London – 1946

Bonus Features:

• Monster by Moonlight Documentary
• The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
• Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney Jr.
• He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
• The Wolf Man Archives
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters
• 2 Feature Commentaries
• Theatrical Trailers

The Mummy: Complete Legacy Collection

“The original Mummy is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. The Mummy: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 6 films from the original legacy including the terrifying classic starring Boris Karloff and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of the ancient Egyptian monster and continue to inspire countless remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of the Mummy to this day.”

Other than those Brenden Frasier films, and the bomb starring Tom Cruise, there haven’t been many mainstream adaptations of Mummies and Egyptian curses. That being said, the original has always been such a classic film with Boris Karloff playing Imhotep wonderfully. I always pictured it as being Karloff running around in bandages grabbing people and killing them, but after finally getting to see the one that started it all, there was so much more range and depth to the character than I thought there would be. The Mummy may not be one of the more popular monsters, but is a worthy inclusion and a pleasure to watch.

This set includes:

• The Mummy – 1932
• The Mummy’s Hand – 1940
• The Mummy’s Tomb – 1942
• The Mummy’s Ghost – 1944
• The Mummy’s Curse – 1944
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy – 1955

Bonus Features:

• Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed Documentary
• He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
• Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy
• The Mummy Archives
• 2 Feature Commentaries
• Theatrical Trailers

The Invisible Man: Complete Legacy Collection

“The original Invisible Man is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. The Invisible Man: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 6 films from the original legacy including the chilling classic starring Claude Rains and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures featured groundbreaking special effects and continue to inspire countless remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of the Invisible Man to this day.”

I’ve always been fascinated with The Invisible Man since I originally saw the film. Claude Rains is simply stunning as Dr. Jack Griffin with that iconic voice that is so pronounced. I was also always fascinated, albeit kind of morbidly, that the Invisible Man holds the record for the highest death toll out of any of these monsters featured.

This set includes:

• The Invisible Man – 1933
• The Invisible Man Returns – 1940
• The Invisible Woman – 1940
• Invisible Agent – 1942
• The Invisible Man’s Revenge – 1944
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man – 1951

Bonus Features:

• Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed
• Feature Commentary with Film Historian Rudy Behlmer
• Production Photographs
• Theatrical Trailers

Creature from the Black Lagoon: Complete Legacy Collection

“The original Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. The Creature from the Black Lagoon: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 3 films from the original legacy including the gripping classic sequels that followed. These landmark motion pictures perfectly blended Universal’s classic monster heritage with the science-fiction explosion of the 1950s and continue to inspire remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of the Creature from the Black Lagoon to this day.”

The Creature has been one of my favorite science-fiction monsters from the 50’s. Universal blended these genres quite flawlessly to create a timeless classic that still holds up as very entertaining. With Shape of Water being Guillermo del Toro’s homage and closest he could come in making a film about this iconic creature, seeing this film again was a real treat.

This set includes:

• Creature from the Black Lagoon – 1954
• Revenge of the Creature – 1955
• The Creature Walks Among Us – 1956

Bonus Features:

• 3D Versions of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Revenge of the Creature
• Back to the Black Lagoon Documentary
• 3 Feature Commentaries
• Production Photographs
• Theatrical Trailers

Phantom of the Opera

“The Phantom of the Opera is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, Phantom of the Opera stars Claude Rains as the masked Phantom of the Paris Opera House. Following a tragic accident that leaves him disfigured, crazed composer Erique Claudin transforms into a masked phantom who schemes to make beautiful young soprano Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster) the star of the opera and wreak revenge on those who stole his music. A heroic baritone (Nelson Eddy) tries to win the affections of Christine as he tracks down the disfigured “monster” who has begun murdering those who resist his mad demands. Inspired by the original 1925 silent version, this lavish Technicolor production remains one of the most unforgettable adaptations ever to be filmed.”

Although I’ve never seen the film or any of its adaptations, everyone knows the story of the Phantom of the Opera. With Claude Rains starring in the film, I was eager to take a look at this, and was surprised in how much I liked it, mainly because of Claude Rains’ performance.

Bonus Features:

• The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked
• Feature Commentary with Film Historian Scott MacQueen
• Production Photographs
• Theatrical Trailer

This monster of a set (pun intended) is a complete joy to have, for me and I’m sure for any collector and fan of the horror genre. The one downside to owning this massive box set is that there are duplicates of several of the films if they include two or more of the monsters in the set. Although it is understandable for those who want to buy them individually, perhaps some kind of substitute would have been appropriate in this instance instead of just lobbing it all together. This set also contains a beautiful 48-page collectible book that contains all kinds of information and pictures of the classic posters. One thing to note, however, The Creature of the Black Lagoon set, which is two discs, have a manufacturing defect effecting the 3D version of both films. A replacement program is already in place, so those of you wanting to pick this up right away and want these 3D versions, rest assured you can email Universal to have the replacement discs sent to you.