Universal Cult Horrors Collection 10/15/2009 (1 Viewer)

[Jim_K]

AARRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTF is up with this studio and it's inability and or reluctance to release Island of Lost Souls on disc?!

Murders in the Zoo is a fine Pre-Code Horror film from the Golden Age but it just ain't in the same league as IOLS.

I'll buy this but given the rareness of catalog title releases these days, this is a huge missed opportunity and big disappointment.

 

[Marcel H.]

They're saving Island of Lost Souls for their next Pre-Code set. *scnr*

 

[Charles H]

The previous ld and vhs incarnations of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS were in notoriously bad condition.

 

[ahollis]

I still have the Island of Lost Souls LD and it was and is still one bad transfer. I would guess that a lot of work is needed on the print. I also would surmise that the original negative does not exist.

However my LD copy of The Uninvited is good pretty good.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

WTF is up with this studio and it's inability and or reluctance to release Island of Lost Souls on disc?!

From what I've read, the film elements are in really sad shape.

I have no problem with the titles in this set(though I would have preferred MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD or SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM over MAD DOCTOR). All are fun "B" movies, and MURDERS IN THE ZOO is a cut above the rest(it's on par with LOST SOULS and other thirties classics IMHO). It's just, as Joe said, we've been spoiled with low prices. That, plus the fact that money is tight these days, makes it tough to pony up fifty bucks for this set. But I'll probably do so, as I love Universal Horror flicks more than almost any other genre of film. They're my only weakness!

 

[John Hodson]

Speculation at the CHFB that these may be DVD-Rs (they've shown up at TCM with individual 'TCM' cover art at $19.99 each); we'll know soon enough I guess.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by John Hodson

Speculation at the CHFB that these may be DVD-Rs (they've shown up at TCM with individual 'TCM' cover art at $19.99 each); we'll know soon enough I guess.

That would explain the high price point. I recall the "Lost RKO" films from TCM were DVD-Rs and the price point was high (and I did not get them). They were also TCM exclusives. I would like for them to be pressed DVDs just because.

 

[Jim_K]

I have the Island LD ported on DVDR and yeah it's barely watchable. Still can't help being disappointed that it wasn't included here.

I am looking forward to this set however if this does turn out to be DVDR's ala Warner Archives I'm probably going to pass unless I can get these much cheaper than $50 bucks.

 

[ColbyCo82]

Originally Posted by Larry Sutliff

WTF is up with this studio and it's inability and or reluctance to release Island of Lost Souls on disc?!

From what I've read, the film elements are in really sad shape.

I have no problem with the titles in this set(though I would have preferred MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD or SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM over MAD DOCTOR). All are fun "B" movies, and MURDERS IN THE ZOO is a cut above the rest(it's on par with LOST SOULS and other thirties classics IMHO). It's just, as Joe said, we've been spoiled with low prices. That, plus the fact that money is tight these days, makes it tough to pony up fifty bucks for this set. But I'll probably do so, as I love Universal Horror flicks more than almost any other genre of film. They're my only weakness!

I, too, would liked to have seen more picks from the early 30s. Bring on BLUE ROOM, MURDER ABOARD, MURDER BY THE CLOCK, and SUPERNATURAL!

 

[Colin McGuigan]

From a CHB member:

I see the news has broke! The set is a TCM exclusive, but all DVDs sold on the TCM Web site are fulfilled through Movies Unlimited. I know they got a ton of stills from various sources so there may be some extras such as a still gallery. These are suppose to be pressed DVDs, not DVD-Rs. I currently on a cruise to Canada so I got the okay to break the news after the title appeared on TCM's Web site.

 

[Mario Gauci]

Out of the 5 titles included in this rumored set, I had 4 and, after reading this announcement just now, I initiated "proceedings" to get the one I was missing - THE MAD GHOUL (1943) - and it should be here in a matter of hours!

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Mario, this is not a "rumored set" :

 

[Nebiroth]

It is until we can actually order it!

Which we still can't!

 

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

And its going to be close to $70 for us poor folks in the UK, thanks to Customs!

 

[Nebiroth]

Don;t forget the shipping charge

That's $6.50 per order plus $6 per item (and if we get really unlucky, they'll count this as five items; hopefuly, they'll be like Amazon and treat boxsets as single items, but I'm not betting on it!)

So you're looking at anywhere between $60 and $80

The customs charge (VAT, we can ignore Duty) is roughly 15% of the item value plus the shipping, and then there will be at least £8 on top for the "handling charge"

For UK customers, the $50 set will cost about $100

 

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

Originally Posted by Nebiroth

Don;t forget the shipping charge

That's $6.50 per order plus $6 per item (and if we get really unlucky, they'll count this as five items; hopefuly, they'll be like Amazon and treat boxsets as single items, but I'm not betting on it!)

So you're looking at anywhere between $60 and $80

The customs charge (VAT, we can ignore Duty) is roughly 15% of the item value plus the shipping, and then there will be at least £8 on top for the "handling charge"

For UK customers, the $50 set will cost about $100

Not that Mongo would get that...whoops, wrong forum!

 

[Mario Gauci]

Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi

Mario, this is not a "rumored set" :

Thanks for that info, Joe! Well, at least, those covers look very nice...but WHY ON EARTH are they making them single discs? Don't they know the films are barely 60 ninutes long each?!

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Originally Posted by Mario Gauci

Thanks for that info, Joe! Well, at least, those covers look very nice...but WHY ON EARTH are they making them single discs? Don't they know the films are barely 60 ninutes long each?!

Well, Mario, it's just another case of a no-win situation. Some fans were complaining that they were "forced to buy the whole set", even though they wanted just certain titles. Now, here is their opportunity to pick just the specific titles they want. But if they purchase titles individually they are priced at $19.99 each, at least according to MOVIES UNLIMITED.

EDITED TO ADD: Now it's being reported that neither Movies Unlimited nor TCM is listing these anymore. I don't know what this means, but I certainly hope that Universal didn't get fed up and have abandoned this release only because we had some people who were negative on it. If they don't want to buy it now they can wait until it's cheaper, or not buy it at all; but there are many of us Universal fans who are eager to get everything.

 

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

I wonder if there's not a box set but just a discount bundle of the lot. That may explain why the collection itself is no longer there.

It's all that Weaver's fault I tells ya!!!

 

[Colin McGuigan]

I seriously doubt that Universal is staffed by the kind of sensitive souls who would run scared from a handful of (justifiably) critical comments on a few web boards.
James' theory sounds like it might be closer to the mark.