A Few Words About A few words about...™ Dracula & The Mummy - Complete Legacy Collections -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Richard Kaufman]

The mummy movies are like old friends. I rewatch all of them in a binge on subsequent nights from time to time. Crazy nonsense, but wonderful nonetheless.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

I'll throw my 2 cents in on Holmes and Watson: the best pair are Christopher Plummer and James Mason.

 

[Johnny Angell]

The mummy movies are like old friends. I rewatch all of them in a binge on subsequent nights from time to time. Crazy nonsense, but wonderful nonetheless.

I totally get the "old friends."

 

[aPhil]

I now have one minor negative about the Dracula set. The Spanish version of Dracula doesn't appear to have been restored at all. I've not yet pulled out my DVD Legacy Collection version but I'd say the print is the same. While it overall looks very good, there's significant damage on several scenes. Vertical scratches, dirt, etc. show up in some scenes in Dracula's castle, scenes on the boat taking them to England, and in the Opera house. There are others but those really stuck out. I'm not too upset as this is my least favorite of the Dracula films and only receives very limited viewings but it still would have been nice to have it look as good as the other films.

The problem with the scenes that you mention was discussed many years ago. At least a full reel of the Spanish Language version was missing from Universal's vaults, and that missing portion was only known to exist on a print from Cuba. That portion was borrowed and copied to the best of Universal's ability.

Other than the footage that had to be replaced with the print from Cuba, the rest of the Spanish Language version looks great
(with most of it looking slightly superior to the elements available to restore the Lugosi version).

 

[Tony Bensley]

The problem with the scenes that you mention was discussed many years ago. At least a full reel of the Spanish Language version was missing from Universal's vaults, and that missing portion was only known to exist on a print from Cuba. That portion was borrowed and copied to the best of Universal's ability.

Other than the footage that had to be replaced with the print from Cuba, the rest of the Spanish Language version looks great
(with most of it looking slightly superior to the elements available to restore the Lugosi version).

Short of Universal or anyone else discovering a superior 35mm print of Reel 3, I believe there's little more that can be really done to improve the Spanish Language edition of DRACULA (1931) viewing experience! My only minor quibble is that superimposed Copyright 1992 Universal credit on the opening title appears to be destined to remain forevermore; although I suppose if that was the only way Universal could prevent a kajillion PD knockoff versions from being issued to Home Video, not to mention YouTube in this day and age, it beats having it remain unreleased!

CHEERS!

 

[BobO'Link]

The problem with the scenes that you mention was discussed many years ago. At least a full reel of the Spanish Language version was missing from Universal's vaults, and that missing portion was only known to exist on a print from Cuba. That portion was borrowed and copied to the best of Universal's ability.

Other than the footage that had to be replaced with the print from Cuba, the rest of the Spanish Language version looks great
(with most of it looking slightly superior to the elements available to restore the Lugosi version).

That's very interesting. I've not followed discussions on the various releases of these films and didn't know a full reel was missing. That certainly explains the sudden appearance of the print damage and its just as sudden disappearance. But, in watching some of the restoration featurettes, I'd think they could have done more to repair that segment. As you say, the rest of the film looks superb with only occasional, minor, issues. That makes me wonder if the film's inclusion as an "Extra" is their way of saying they don't think that reel is worth full restoration efforts for a film that, outside of hard core classic horror fans and historians, is mostly a curiosity.

 

[aPhil]

That's very interesting. I've not followed discussions on the various releases of these films and didn't know a full reel was missing. That certainly explains the sudden appearance of the print damage and its just as sudden disappearance. But, in watching some of the restoration featurettes, I'd think they could have done more to repair that segment. As you say, the rest of the film looks superb with only occasional, minor, issues. That makes me wonder if the film's inclusion as an "Extra" is their way of saying they don't think that reel is worth full restoration efforts for a film that, to non hard core classic horror fans and historians, is mostly a curiosity.

It might be that Universal has the hope that someday a superior source will surface for the missing reel. I'm not a fan of the Carlos Villarias version, and I think that it being unavailable in the USA for so long gave rise to the myth that it was somehow superior to the English Language version. With that said, outside of the damaged reel, the rest of the movie (image quality-wise) looks really really good.

 

[bujaki]

One of the first screenings of the rediscovered Spanish Dracula was in Dallas with Lupita Tovar Kohner introducing the 35mm print of the film. I was in the audience. At the time of the screening, the third (?) reel was still missing. The print, however, was outstanding, as if untouched by time. Ms. Tovar was charming and lovely. The film surprised us by being less stodgier and far sexier than the English version. The missing reel was found later, in Cuba, sourced from a 16mm print. It will never look better than it does now.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I just ordered The Mummy set - with the exception of the first film, the rest are blind buys. Amazon had the Frankenstein set from last year for $21 so I grabbed that too.

 

[BobO'Link]

I just ordered The Mummy set - with the exception of the first film, the rest are blind buys. Amazon had the Frankenstein set from last year for $21 so I grabbed that too.

You're in for a fun ride.

While the sequels are not great cinema they are very fun when viewed in the right frame-of-mind. Put yourself in the head of a 8-14 year old in the 40s/50s and you'll be thrilled.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

You're in for a fun ride.

While the sequels are not great cinema they are very fun when viewed in the right frame-of-mind. Put yourself in the head of a 8-14 year old in the 40s/50s and you'll be thrilled.

What he said, also remember that they were made to fill out a double-feature program. So use them accordingly

Make up your own "A Night at the Movies" program: some trailers, a Pete Smith short, a serial chapter, a Mummy sequel, newsreel, trailer, an "A" feature, and the National Anthem.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Mummy's Tomb played many first-run theaters with Night Monster and Mummy's Curse with House of Frankenstein.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Mummy's Tomb played many first-run theaters with Night Monster and Mummy's Curse with House of Frankenstein.

I did not know that, an "all monster night" sounds like a dream come true.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

 

[TravisR]

^ Both of those are double features that I'd go and see.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

What he said, also remember that they were made to fill out a double-feature program. So use them accordingly

Make up your own "A Night at the Movies" program: some trailers, a Pete Smith short, a serial chapter, a Mummy sequel, newsreel, trailer, an "A" feature, and the National Anthem.

I may do something like that! I enjoy having a stack of shorter films around like this to go through over a couple weeks, they're great as either the "B" end of a double features, or for nights where I don't really have enough time to watch a movie but don't want to go to bed yet either. (A little earlier this year, I watched all of John Wayne's "Three Mesquiteers" b-movie westerns from 1938-1939 and had a lot of fun with that.)

Every year, I try to wait until October to do horror or monster movies with the idea being it's a Halloween tie-in, but for the past few years, October has been my busiest months in terms of either work or going on vacation or getting married etc., so I just never seem to be free in October. So I thought I'd jump on this now instead of waiting for this October (when, coincidentally, I will be busy for most of the month again.)

 

[lark144]

I just ordered The Mummy set - with the exception of the first film, the rest are blind buys. Amazon had the Frankenstein set from last year for $21 so I grabbed that too.

I just got the MUMMY set. While the films are certainly not great art (though I have a soft spot for THE MUMMY'S HAND) the quality of the HD masters are truly amazing. The photography gleams, especially in the first two sequels, which were photographed respectively by chiaroscuro masters Woody Bredell (PHANTOM LADY, THE KILLERS) & George Robinson (SON OF FRANKENSTEIN).

 

[Robert Crawford]

I just ordered The Mummy set - with the exception of the first film, the rest are blind buys. Amazon had the Frankenstein set from last year for $21 so I grabbed that too.

Amazon is now selling The Mummy and Dracula Legacy sets for $20.99 each. I was trying to wait for $19.99 each, but what the hell. I grabbed both and used some Reward points to bring my total to $16.95 each including state taxes.

 

[Jason_V]

Incredibly tempting, Robert. Incredibly tempting...

 

[Mark-P]

The Mummy set would be worth $21 as you're getting 5 new-to-BD titles, but I can't justify the Dracula set at that price with only 2 new titles (on a single disc) and the rest needless duplication. If they are not going to release separates, then I'll wait until I can get it for $15 or less.