*indicates that the film(s) are also available to view, rent, or purchase on various streaming platforms. Streaming presentations may differ from these home video releases.
“Universal Classic Monsters Limited Collectors Edition” * (2024, Universal Home Video) You may ask yourself: do I need this deluxe repackaging of Universal’s best-known, best-loved horror titles like “Dracula” with Bela Lugosi and “Frankenstein” with Boris Karloff? Only you, dear reader, can answer that with total honesty, but I will say that this set compiles the aforementioned titles along with “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “The Wolf Man” (41), “The Mummy” (32), “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” the majority of which are foundational titles in horror history and essential owns for any genre fan. These alone, along with 12 hours of commentaries, featurettes, interviews and other supplemental material that accompany them, would warrant purchase alone, were it not for the fact that Uni has issued these films in various iterations on numerous occasions over the past few years. But: the Limited Edition does include the eight films in 4K and digital presentations, and the extras include material penned and hosted by the late David J. Skal, who was (for my money) one of the best horror film and culture historians of the last 25 years. And you get eye-popping cover art by artist Tristan Eaton, whose monster murals decorate the Universal back lot, where many of these films were lensed long, long ago. So: if you don’t have Dracula, et al, in your collection yet, here’s a visually striking package to fill that gap.
