“Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection Volume 2” showcases 4 of the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including “The Mummy,” “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
Dracula. The Wolfman. The Invisible Man. Frankenstein. All the greatest monsters, creatures, and mad scientists known to cinema history. Fans are familiar with many new variations of these classics but the originals remain unbeatable. They troll the depths of human behavior exploring scientific avarice, lost innocence, and a fair amount of violent disruptions. The now-iconic monsters of this era get some recognition in this latest disc update with extended 4K frames, lavish audio mixing, and an online delivery format that gives us the greatest monsters of all times in their original cinematic showcase for new fans to see.
This box set, a new one after the success of the previous set, features four films: “The Mummy” (1932), “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925), and “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954). All four films display in black and white and run roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. They make for relatively quick watches and maintain a solid pace, breaking up the action and drama into equal proportions so that you’re never too worn out. The stars of these films all maintain their star quality: Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, and Valerie Hobson. All of these regal stars shine brightly in their respective films.
The thing to remember about these movies is that they’re some of the earliest prestige horror films we have. Amongst the massive musicals of the 1920s and the earliest days of film Universal Studios made movies featuring classic monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy. They’re the most common examples of man’s oldest monsters and they get their start here. Each of these movies used top-of-the-line effects for their time to scare audiences and shock them. Nowadays we might watch and ask how those effects were ever achieved. The lack of technology makes them as much technical marvels as horrifying films.
These movies all have a lot of sympathy for their monsters too. Frankenstein’s tale (only half told in the first movie) prominently shows us a monster, born from unchecked science, and shunned for its aberration. In “The Bride of Frankenstein,” he fights for a mate who will love him. “The Mummy”’s practically a romance story as the titular Mummy character struggles to reclaim his long-lost wife through the body of an explorer’s girlfriend. “The Phantom of the Opera” kills people so his beloved actress might succeed where he could never. Even the “Creature from the Black Lagoon” falls in love with a woman. The movies do an excellent job of highlighting human behavior amongst all the makeup, prosthetics, and camera effects. That’s what continues to separate them from the rest.
Some of the movies in the boxset end bigger than others. “The Bride of Frankenstein” offers plenty of melodrama but it delivers incredible technical effects, exciting action, and larger-than-life set pieces. Clearly, its predecessor was a box office draw and the studio doubled down with this infamous sequel. “The Mummy” and “The Phantom of the Opera” feel fairly paired down in comparison. “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (made an entire two decades apart from the rest of these films) stands head and shoulders above the other two. Its exotic locale, the boat, the cinematography, and the character’s motivations, it’s all entrancing and quality work.
Revisiting these classics might seem like a mistake but I cannot stress enough how tantalizing these movies all are. They’re wonderful and full of awe. They’re technical marvels and continue to amaze. Some are romantic and weepy. Some are shocking and scary. Some even have explosive endings. They’re short watches. They’re enticing to see and they can even be accessed online so if you don’t have a Blu-ray player anymore you can catch them on your TV regardless. I highly recommend all four but if you have to choose try “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and then “The Bride of Frankenstein.” Those two stand above their peers and among their aspirational originals: “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “The Invisible Man,” and “The Wolf Man.” Together, these six make for drastically entertaining watches.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD™
