The Bela Lugosi Collection and related dvd problems (1 Viewer)

Oh, is Boris Karloff in some of these films?

I don't know about anyone else, but my spine isn't really tingling all that much over these "exclusive bonus features". I mean, I didn't expect anything more than a couple of trailers (though why all five movies don't have trailers, I don't know), but why even mention bonus material when that's all you've got?

Heh, I'm surprised they didn't mention "interactive menus" and "scene selections" as "extras".

That made me chuckle, Chris. Although I actually do find it "spine-tingling" that the classic Paramount and Universal films of the 1930s and 1940s are being handled with so much incompetence and disrespect by this bargain-basement outfit. If Warner owned these films, each would be on its own disc (or at most two to a disc), they would be appropriately divided into separate Lugosi and Karloff boxed sets, and we would be getting excellent commentaries, trailers for each film, original poster art and a documentary or two. Universal: check out Warner's Val Lewton set for a look at how it *should* be done.

I'm just glad Universal's releasing them at all, frankly. It didn't look like they were going to remember that they have a lot more classic horror in their vaults than just the franchised monsters.

If there's a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for DVD blurbs, Universal'll get it for this one... check out that cast list for BLACK FRIDAY.

No doubt, when Universal (if Universal) releases ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, the cast list will be "Starring Bela Lugosi and Charles Laughton."

What a bunch o' maroons.

It's not surprising, considering this is being marketed as a "Bela Lugosi Collection".

If that's the most we can find to complain about here (though of course it should have been billed as a KARLOFF/LUGOSI set), that's still fine by me. I'm glad these are being released at all, looking better than ever according to Robert Harris, and I thank Universal and hope they'll be many more.

And the reason there are not trailers for every film is because there aren't trailers for every film. At least none that have ever turned up.

Gaslight, Jekyll and Hyde and the upcoming Val Lewton's aren't on their own disc.

We've got five films coming out with Robert Harris saying the quality is great and yet people still find something to be unhappy about. This is really good especially when we're wanting lesser known titles to be released. Perhaps Universal will cancel any work on SECRETS OF THE BLUE ROOM since they don't have the trailer.

This is one time I agree with you 100%, Michael.

Since Universal was going to release them, they should've assigned the project to somebody who appreciated the films and done it right. That's not too much for us whiny fans to ask. At a time when Warners is topping the sales chart with a THIN MAN collection and selling tons of Film Noir boxes, there's no excuse for Universal dumping product on the market with all the thought and preparation of a cheap PD release.

We just have a different opinion of "dumping". To me, dumping would be taken the VHS, throwing them on DVD and releasing them that way. From what Mr. Harris has said, these all look better than ever before so that there tells us Universal spent money on the set. The guy involved with the extras on previous sets is no longer "friendly" with Universal so that could be a reason why extra stuff wasn't added here. Perhaps Universal just wasn't interested.

Either way, the main thing is that we've got these things coming and the quality is going to be great.

Rumor has it that a Karloff set is coming, a Paramount set and possible a set of films that were never released on VHS or LD. I would certainly hate to see these not released because of fans upset over the lack of extras.

Warner is the greatest studio out there no question but Universal is doing great with these sets. They might not feature the extras that Warner gives but they are half the price. $4 a movie is cheaper than something from Alpha.

The studios can't make everybody happy, but Robert Harris's comments about the quality of this dvd release in this thread is good news to me. I'm looking forward to buying and watching this release.




Crawdaddy

Just a note - I'm not complaining about the set at all. If the quality of the transfers is good, I'm quite happy to get these films and a low price is a nice bonus. I just thought it was funny that three trailers qualified as spine tingling bonus features.

2 trailers, easily available on various VHS releases is a reasonable complaint I think. I just don't want a Paramount situation where we don't get any releases next year. I'm sure every Universal fans want the big titles like ISLAND OF LOST SOULS as well as the stuff that's never been released on home video. The real injustice would be these things not getting released like several Paramount's that aren't coming this year. :frowning:

As with you all, I'm glad these much-anticipated titles have been given reasonable transfers. However, I do hope Universal get their act together with regards to DVD authoring issues: as some of you know, I didn't purchase the Abbott & Costello Franchise Collections because of several complaints of freezing. Well, I've just watched the 2-Disc 5-Film Gary Cooper set and, sure enough, playback during the double-layered side featuring BEAU GESTE (1939) broke up intermittently during the second half, thus diluting considerably my enjoyment of the film (which I had never watched before)!

I agree that a few trailers make up spine tingling extras is laughable. Whoever wrote that gets an A for hype and hyberbole. My spine may tingle for the movies but not for the extras.

I think people can be "grateful" and and the same time voice beefs about a dvd release. Universal is a business, and we as consumers have every right to "complain" or criticise a product. I for one am "grateful" these films are being put on dvd, but to use the phrase "SPINE-TINGLING BONUS MATERIAL" to describe three trailers is a total joke, and what's more is condescening. I mean, pul-eeze, dvd has been around for a few years now, so Universal should realize that most people have a clue what is "bonus material" and what is not.

I was afraid when I heard these original reports too, but of all the Universal Sets I've bought, not one frame of any film has ever given me a problem -
Obviously, though, people ARE having trouble, and I hope Universal gets their act together there. My SONY players handle these discs fine.

Thanks, Brian -- "condescending" is EXACTLY the right word to describe Universal's offering of these films.