​Halloween on Blu-ray: The Universal Classics

By Christopher P. Jacobs

christopher.jacobs@email.und.edu

Late October is when people often get the unnatural urge to watch horror movies. There is no lack of Blu-ray editions of recent horror-thrillers loaded with gory dismemberments, flowing blood, and psychologically twisted villains. By comparison, horror films made before the 1968 ratings system often seem to depict a progression of slightly disturbed but endearingly eccentric old friends.

Back in 2012 Universal released eight of its iconic monster movie classics to Blu-ray, and last month released two Blu-ray “Legacy Collection” sets of newly-restored sequels, covering the complete run of “Frankenstein” and “Wolf Man” films of the 1930s-40s. Both include the original entries previously released separately and in the classic monster “essentials” collection for those who don’t yet have them. Both sets also include the 1948 comic riff on all the major Universal monsters, “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.”

There is substantial duplication between the two legacy sets with films featuring both the wolf man and the Frankenstein monster. Only two of the seven films in “The Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection” are not on the eight-film “Frankenstein Complete Legacy Collection” or already available in the “essentials” Blu-ray set.

The films have been available on DVD for years, but these new HD transfers are so much sharper projected in full 1080p onto a big screen that they're almost breathtaking, and certainly don’t look their age. Sound is very nice on all the films, mostly better than any previous available versions. The initial films include the excellent commentaries and other bonus features from the earlier Blu-ray releases. The sequels are bare-bones, movie-only editions, but still look superb and sound very good.

So far only the “Frankenstein” and “Wolf Man” films have Blu-ray legacy collections, but it’s likely that Universal will eventually put out Blu-ray editions of the complete “Dracula,” “Mummy,” “Invisible Man,” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon” series, as they did on DVD about a decade ago.

“Frankenstein” (1931) made a star of Boris Karloff as the violent but misunderstood monster created by an obsessed scientist from dead bodies. Based loosely on the Mary Shelley novel, it established the formula for countless remakes and sequels.

FRANKENSTEIN Blu-ray -- Movie: A- / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: A

“The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) is arguably the most entertaining and best-paced film in the set. It leans heavily towards dark comedy and satire as Karloff’s monster learns to talk. Director Whale mixes off-beat humor with skillful sentimental melodrama, effective suspense, and brilliant use of the moving camera through impressively stylized sets.

BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Blu-ray -- Movie: A+ / Video: A / Audio: A / Extras: A

“Son of Frankenstein” (1939) is the last of the series starring Karloff as the monster, with Basil Rathbone starring in the title role. The fascinating stylized expressionist-deco art design is a major aspect of this entry, which easily ranks among the best (and was the most influential on Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” 35 years later). This excellent new restoration includes a few minutes missing from previous editions.

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN Blu-ray -- Movie: A / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: NA

“Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942) is a worthy sequel with a strong cast, though not up to the previous installments. Bela Lugosi has a plum key role as Ygor, who revives the monster.

GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN Blu-ray -- Movie: B / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: NA

“Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” (1943) is an underrated film in the series, focusing mostly on Lawrence Talbot’s efforts to be free of his werewolf affliction.

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN Blu-ray -- Movie: B+ / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: NA

“House of Frankenstein” (1944) picks up the story quite effectively and has Boris Karloff this time appearing as a mad scientist undercover as a traveling showman with his hunchback assistant. He wants to revive the monsters, including Dracula and the Wolf Man, to carry out personal revenge against those who had sent him to prison years before. This time John Carradine plays Dracula. 

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN Blu-ray -- Movie: B+ / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: NA

Carradine returns in “House of Dracula” (1945), the last of the official Universal monster movies played as straight melodrama. Dracula hopes a scientist can cure him of his vampirism, but the focus again is on Lawrence Talbot/the Wolf Man who wants the same scientist to cure him. HOUSE OF DRACULA Blu-ray -- Movie: B / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: NA

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” (1948) is one of the team’s best films, partly due to the affectionate fun they have with all the classic Universal monsters while still delivering a reasonably effective little thriller.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN Blu-ray -- Movie: A / Video: A+ / Audio:A / Extras: A-

“The Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection” includes the last four of the above eight films in the Frankenstein collection, and adds “The Wolf Man” (1941), “Werewolf of London” (1935), and “She-Wolf of London” (1946).

“The Wolf Man” (1941) stars Lon Chaney, Jr. in a moody supernatural tragedy of a normal young man accidentally bit by a werewolf who discovers he must become one himself when the moon is full. More than most horror films it serves as an effective metaphor for schizophrenic behavior (even referring to it in the dialogue).

THE WOLF MAN Blu-ray -- Movie: A / Video: A / Audio: A / Extras: A

“Werewolf of London” (1935) is an interestingly off-beat variation on the werewolf mythology before it became more formularized in the later films. Here it’s reminiscent of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. Henry Hull is a botanist who gets bitten in Tibet by a werewolf who turns out to be another scientist, Warner Oland, looking for the same rare flower that can be used as a brief antidote for the werewolf condition.

WEREWOLF OF LONDON Blu-ray -- Movie: B / Video: A+ / Audio: A- / Extras: NA

“She Wolf of London” (1946) is not really a horror film but a nice little murder-mystery thriller that capitalizes on the werewolf legend, starring a young June Lockhart.

SHE WOLF OF LONDON Blu-ray -- Movie: B / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: NA