Universal Horror for 2009.............. (1 Viewer)

Any rumors, grumblings, screams or is all quiet on the Universal front?

Don't know why I'm hoping for something this year, maybe because Universal showed a pulse with the Pre-code set a few months ago and the upcoming July catalog titles.

We should start seeing announcements for Sept/Oct over the next several weeks. Are we in for a treat or a trick this year?

The last rumor I heard was a no. Hopefully the source wasn't right but I hope Universal hands some over to Kino (like THE LAST WARNING).

I read on the Cinema Retro site that Universal has struck a new print of "The Univited" for showing at the Jersey State Theatre. I assume that this does not mean anything for a DVD release, but we can dream.

Yeah, it doesn't mean anything for a new release. I think THE OLD DARK HOUSE was also restored a few years back but we never got an upgrade. I'm not sure what the deal between Universal and Kino is but hopefully one of the two will re-release it as well as the earlier films in the genre. It's doubtful Universal will touch the silent stuff but we can hope.

I did read that TCM signed a deal with Universal for their films as well as the stuff from Paramount so hopefully we'll get some of this stuff on tv at least.

Don't count on Kino releasing any Universal product. OLD DARK HOUSE was Douris and THE MAN WHO LAUGHS was a special situation. Universal generally doesn't license product, although I've noticed a couple of titles slipping into Criterion's output, so perhaps there is hope.

Don't do that to me Jim!! I thought you had news!

Well, Jim, seems like we're getting a new DVD of THE WOLF MAN (1941) to coincide with the upcoming new film of the same title.

Universal - if you're reading this - you've still got a lot of "classic horror" titles to release, beginning with the long-awaited and highly-demanded 1933 ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (not perfect quality elements to work with we understand, but throw it in another HORROR CLASSICS SET along with an explanation on existing elements, and everyone will be happy).

JUNGLE WOMAN (1944)
THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE (1945)
THE MAD GHOUL (1943)
THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (1942)
HOUSE OF HORRORS (1944)

Let's keep the lists coming, folks. Sometimes the majors look into the threads on these boards... may do no good at all, but it can't hurt to show we're interested.

We can also use a spiffy new disc of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN ... and THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) as well.

Not surprising. I passed on the last Legacy release of The Mummy. I love these flics but I'm tired of buying the same films over and over again. I'll only buy these again on BD (if that ever happens).

Isn't MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION still owned by Universal?

Didn't pay attention to that release, I stand corrected.

Another couple titles:

Murder by the Clock--Made by Paramount in 1931, so I'm assuming Universal owns it.

Great performances by Irving Pichel, and a forgotten actress named Lilyan Tashman. William K. Everson writes a chapter about it in his exellent book, Classics of the Horror Film

The Monster and the Girl--Made by Paramount in 1941. Previously released by Universal on VHS.

Great performance by the gorilla!

And the films in the Eclipse Ernst Lubitsch musicals box set are licensed from Universal, as well.

Actually, an Eclipse box of Paramount horror films sounds like a great idea.

Yes it does. They could even add "Pre-Code" to the moniker for an even stronger "Marketing" hook.

Maybe.........someday.

So, there's apparently enough of a market for pre-code films to interest both Warner and Universal, and there's always been a market for horror films... for goodness sake, Universal, why not kill two birds with one stone?

If either Universal or licensee Criterion went the "pre-code horror" marketing route, these six Paramount chillers would make the ideal set (and they all have brief running times, requiring a smaller number of discs):

ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) 70 min
MURDER BY THE CLOCK (1931) 76 min
MURDERS IN THE ZOO (1933) 62 min (got a 1990s VHS release from Universal)
SUPERNATURAL (1933) 65 min (ditto)
TERROR ABOARD (1933) 69 min
DOUBLE DOOR (1934) 75 min

These six would also go well together:

MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1941)
THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (1942)
THE MAD GHOUL (1943)
JUNGLE WOMAN (1944)
HOUSE OF HORRORS (1944)
THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE (1945)

As would these four:

AMONG THE LIVING (1941)
THE UNINVITED (1944)
THE UNSEEN (1945)
THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (1945)

And these three:

FLESH AND FANTASY (1943)
DESTINY (1944)
NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948)

A William Castle trio:

THE NIGHT WALKER (1964)
I SAW WHAT YOU DID (1965) Anchor Bay's licensed DVD is long OOP
LET'S KILL UNCLE (1966)

Plus, with the well of Universal-owned Karloff films now run virtually dry, it's high time to finally put together a collection of the two-season THRILLER series he hosted (and sometimes starred in). Either in a couple of season sets, ala NIGHT GALLERY and ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, or as a "complete series" package of all 67 episodes... or let Shout Factory do it for you.

A few more neglected films to consider:

CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON (1956)
THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE (1958)
CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959)
SHADOW OF THE CAT (1961)
DARK INTRUDER (1965)
ISLAND OF TERROR (1966)
THE PROJECTED MAN (1967)
GAMES (1967)
EYE OF THE CAT (1969)
COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT (1969, in proper 16x9 widescreen this time)

Peter, great set of groupings, especially the first three groups.

Peter M Fitzgerald said:

ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) 70 min
MURDER BY THE CLOCK (1931) 76 min
MURDERS IN THE ZOO (1933) 62 min (got a 1990s VHS release from Universal)
SUPERNATURAL (1933) 65 min (ditto)
TERROR ABOARD (1933) 69 min
DOUBLE DOOR (1934) 75 min

These six would also go well together:

MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1941)
THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (1942)
THE MAD GHOUL (1943)
JUNGLE WOMAN (1944)
HOUSE OF HORRORS (1944)
THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE (1945)

As would these four:

AMONG THE LIVING (1941)
THE UNINVITED (1944)
THE UNSEEN (1945)
THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (1945)

QUOTE]


If Universal released these three groupings, I feel like my classic horror collection would be pretty much complete.

Click to expand...

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (1935) was also issued on VHS by Universal.

Then there are more never-before-released-in-any-format titles (don't know the status of the original elements) like:

SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM (1933)
THE BLACK DOLL (1938)
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. Rx (1942)
MURDER IN THE BLUE ROOM (1944)
THE SPIDER WOMAN STRIKES BACK (1946)
THE CAT CREEPS (1946)

How about a newly restored and digitally remastered DVD release of the epic SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) the spectacular mega-blockbuster of the Universal Pictures Frankenstein film series?

Actually there are many of us who like SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) over the more highly acclaimed THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)!

I also second a long overdue North American (Region 1) DVD release of Julien Duvivier's fantasy-supernatural-horror screen trilogy FLESH AND FANTASY (1943) which predates the exceptional DEAD OF NIGHT (1945) fantasy-supernatural-horror multi-story omnibus by a good two years.

It would be terrific if the long deleted fourth segment later incorporated as the film DESTINY (1944) could be somehow restored and included as originally intended as the opening dramatic setpiece. A surviving vestage of it can still be seen in the final release print of FLESH AND FANTASY (1943) as Alan Curtis's body is clearly witnessed washing ashore at the New Orlean's Mardi Gras commencing the opening installment.

I am also partial to a DVD release of CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959) which pioneered the concept of the so-called horror-western film.

There was a Universal Horror collection consisting of MAN-MADE MONSTER (1941), HORROR ISLAND (1941), THE BLACK CAT (1941), THE NIGHT MONSTER (1942) and CAPTIVE WILD WOMEN (1943) previously issued on DVD as a Best Buy exclusive now long out-of-print which many of us (particularly in Canada) never had the opportunity to acquire.

In summation there are still all kind of opportune possibilities still open to Universal Studios Home Entertainment for a good Halloween 2009 release if none of these have already occurred to the powers-that-be.

Jeff T.

I have pretty good copies of all three versions of "BLUE ROOM" so Universal should have nice sources on them. I'm not sure if the second and third remakes would be "important" enough for them to release but the first one is pretty good. I haven't seen the original film though and I doubt Universal owns it anyways.

Universal also owns several silent "old dark house" movies that they could throw on as extras for the remastered THE OLD DARK HOUSE. THE LAST WARNING is enough of an influence on that film to where a double feature would at least be justice.

I too would love to see a good print of Murder in the Blue Room. It used to be shown on Ghost Host Theater Channel 45 in Baltimore. I taped it once from there pre cable days. I'd love a good copy of this fun movie.

Lubitsch Musicals boxset, Walker, La Haine,Two-Lane Blacktop, Blast of Silence, Missing, Magnificent Obsession, Make Way for Tomorrow, Monsoon Wedding, Cronos, The Last Days of Disco are all of Criterion's recent Universal plays. Their relationship is as strong as ever.

It would be nice if Criterion would add some of the unreleased Universal horror stuff, both Island of Lost Souls and The Uninvited would fit in nicely with the collection.