Dracula 75th-Should I buy? (1 Viewer)

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

Keep your eyes on Amazon,uk Marketplace. I picked up the full set for £30

 

[Fabien Renelli]

Great! So, there are English subtitles on all the 13 movies? And on extras?

 

[Richard--W]

Buy It Now.
Buy the 75th Anniversary Edition and the Legacy Collections.
There isn't a bad film in the series.
All the films are good, and some are brilliant.
Worth every penny, and then some.
Buy them all right now.

 

[Fabien Renelli]

I won't buy both!
I really like the original covers of the 1999 editions.
Is the transfer of the "Bride" 99 DVD so bad compared to the Legacy set?

 

[Jim Peavy]

Yeah, it's really terrible. Grain out the wa-zoo (not reasonable grain), and badly framed to boot.

The two single movie editions to avoid are Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man. Both's Legacy transfers are much improved.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... Universal should forget about these Anniversary Editions and release an enormous Ford At Fox style package of ALL of the 1930/40s franchise films including the newest up-to-date transfers and every last supplement produced for all previous editions along with commentaries, trailers and then some! Throw in a nice hardbound book with production stills and detailed information, original poster art for the covers and it would be THE DVD of the year! Guaranteed top-seller! Subsequently, they could break the set down into more affordable economic releases of the monster films for the more cost conscious consumers. This would be the best way to release ALL of Universal's remaining library of 30s horror films and do so in the most efficient way for both film fans and the company regarding a$$ured revenue!

The older Legacy sets have been bested in regards to the available transfers and better source prints which have since turned up. They are also problematic in certain cases in regards to the soundtracks and the fact that they've been pressed onto Universal's faulty DVD-18s. Plus the packaging was horrible!

I own all available versions now (though I sold off the initial keep case discs from years back -- wish I had held onto them for the covers!) but I really think Universal needs to put more effort into a big scale promotional campaign for their classic monster films. They are really the properties that define the studio in it's golden age after all!

 

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

I'd like it if Universal re-released their Bela Lugosi, Hammer and Invisible Man sets in DVD-9 form - perhaps even one big set!

 

[Fabien Renelli]

Argh, too bad.
So, to know well, what is the best edition to buy, whatever the region, for the Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolf-man series (with correct picture and intact audio)?
I am really beginning to worry about what is the only good choice!

 

[Joe Karlosi]

For your purposes, I'd say the best thing to do is just to pick up the three Legacy Sets - FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, THE WOLF MAN.

 

[Fabien Renelli]

This way I would get the best editions of all, except for the missing screams at the end of the 1931 Dracula, right? It's too bad for this one cause it doesn't make sense!
A shame Bride of Frankenstein has a berserk transfer, I think I would have gone for the single disc editions otherwise (I absolutely LOVE the original covers).

 

[Joe Karlosi]

You shouldn't be disappointed with the LEGACY sets.

There are various points to be made as to why any of the three versions of DRACULA are preferred... I owned all three and personally wound up sticking with the single 1999 ('cause I preferred the quieter sound) release even though it was missing the brief music cue. Yes, the LEGACY version is missing a scream while Renfield gets choked, but it's not a deal breaker that hurts the movie.

You're saying you only want to own ONE thing and want it to be the "best", so for you that would be the LEGACY's. That is, unless you also want to buy the 75th Anniversary DRACULA as well as the 75th FRANKENSTEIN (some like the 75th FRANKENSTEIN best), but say you don't want to do both. So the Legacy sets would do you fine. And BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is improved on the Legacy set.

You sound like these movies are pretty new for you, so this would be a relatively cheaper and easier way for you to get to know them.

 

[Richard--W]

This is good advice.
Stop worrying and buy the Legacy sets. They are as close to perfect as can be expected now, and they contain an abundance of riches.

 

[Fabien Renelli]

These are some great advices, guys. Thanks a lot, sincerely!
I have to admit I only discovered the original Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolf-Man movies a few years ago, thanks to the Ultimate Van Helsing set (okay, it's a shame, but I kinda like Van Helsing! ).
So these are the only ones I know and I am eager to discover the rest of the franchises. I'll order the Legacy sets. Thanks again!

About the Mummy, Invisible Man and Phantom of the Paradise franchises, I don't know any one yet. But I read on the Internet the original movies are brillant but the sequels are very disappointing. Maybe I'll just try the single disc editions from 1999. What do you think?

 

[Christian Preischl]

Hehe. De Palma fan by any chance?

 

[Richard--W]

Buy the Legacy sets for The Mummy, The Invisible Man, and the Creature From the Black Lagoon. They are old movies, genuine classics, with entertaining and satisfying sequels. You won't be disappointed in the Legacy sets if your expectations are realistic and down-to-earth.

Forget about Phantom of the Paradise. There is no such thing as a Phantom of the Paradise franchise. I think you are referring to Phantom of the Opera from 1925, 1943 (both Universal), and 1962 (Hammer), respectively. They are not packaged in a Legacy set. You have to buy them individually. The first is the best, but they are each fine films worth owning.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Make sure you come back to this thread to let us know what you think of all the films after you watch them. I think if they're all new to you though, you may need some assistance as to what order to watch them in. For example, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (which will be on your WOLF MAN LEGACY set) is a sequel to THE WOLF MAN, but it also serves as the sequel to THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (which will be on the FRANKENSTEIN LEGACY).

As for the Mummy films, you really ought to check them out for yourself. The original 1932 Boris Karloff movie is a stand-alone film which has nothing at all to do with the rest of them; Universal later made a series featuring a different mummy named Kharis, and his series consists of:

THE MUMMY'S HAND
THE MUMMY'S TOMB
THE MUMMY'S GHOST
THE MUMMY'S CURSE

I'm as big a Universal freak as can be, and personally I prefer watching these over the Karloff classic! I'd definitely recommend ALL the Legacy Sets, but start out with Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man.

Lastly, you may wish to check out the Classic Horror Film Board, where you can get a lot of feedback... especially the "Universal Horrors" folder:
Classic Horror Film Board - Message Board - Yuku

 

[Fabien Renelli]

Oops, I wrote too quickly!
I should go in a mental house since I have never seen this movie yet.

 

[Fabien Renelli]

Yeah, I was actually talking about the Phantom of the Opera. I already have the Hammer one, and would like to get a hand on the two previous one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

[Fabien Renelli]

I read about the watching order on IMDB. I think I'll go Dracula-Spanish-Daughter-Son, Frankenstein-Bride-Son-Ghost, Wolf man-Frankie vs Wolf man-House Frankie-House Dracie (aren't they cute? ). Am I right?
And maybe the Abbott and Costello one to have a nice ending!

So I'll see for the Mummy and other sets later. I'm ordering Dracula, Frankenstein et Wolf-man legacy sets right now. Thanks again!

I bookmarked the forum. I'll come back to tell you what I think!

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Perfect!