Frankenstein/Classic Monsters: The Legacy Collection DVD by Universal (Merged) (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

can anyone point to where I can get a full list of all the movies available in the original monster collecion and a full list of ALL the extras.

The original 8-disc collection had Dracula (with the Spanish version), Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera, and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Each film had a commentary, a making-of documentary, a trailer (except for Invisible Man), photo galleries, and production notes. Frankenstein has an extra "Boo!" short subject novelty. Dracula obviously has the Spanish version, plus the 5.0 Phillip Glass score for the English version. It also has an intro for the Spanish version by Lupita Tovar.

Frankenstein and Dracula are the uncut versions, too.

As for the commentaries...

David J. Skal: Dracula
Rudy Behlmer: Frankenstein and The Invisible Man
Paul M. Jensen: The Mummy
Scott MacQueen: Bride of Frankenstein and Phantom of the Opera
Tom Weaver: The Wolf Man and Creature from the Black Lagoon

 

[Steve...O]

I have all of the original DVD releases (save the 40's version of "The Phantom...") so I won't be picking these up. The extras on the originals were quite good and made the DVDs all the more enjoyable.

It's unfortunate these new DVDs won't have the extra material, but at least the films will be available for those who missed them the first time around. I applaud Universal for making them affordable and convenient to collect with their new approach.

Steve

 

[Rolando]

Holy cow!

Thanks Patrick for the info. Man that just depresses me more...

Will I be happy to get these movies finally and at a good price. Yes, but man those missing extras... I am one of those weirdos that actually listens to all the commentary track on all his DVDs...

I guess I have to give in and go to E-Bay... GRRR...

 

[Kristoffer]

www.Davisdvd.com is saying a Frakenstein box of the old films with Boris Karlof is comming out on the 25. April..
At the end it says remasetered,,,will this mean a new transfer compared to the seperate release?

 

[Derek_McL]

The classic Monster DVDs are still available in the UK : they've only been out here since Halloween 2002. I've got them all apart from the Rains Phantom with all the extras apart from the Spanish Dracula. This release makes me wish I'd snagged those double features of subsequent Universal Monster movies.

Why of why package them like this in a five film set ? Not much good particularly for us in R2 or the casual buyer if you've already got two of the titles. I'm wondering isn't there space for the commentaries on the first two films even on two sides of a double sided disc ?

Probably not because it looks like two of the greatest horror movies ever are going onto one side : a shabby way to treat the first two movies. Based on that too I think the chances of getting remastered /improved versions are practically nil. I think the original versions at least as available in region 2 look pretty good (I accept Bride could be better but its not too shabby compared with some other 30s' movies on DVD) considering the age of the films.

I believe David Skal (I think that's his name) won't allow Universal to reuse those excellent docs.

Despite all this I've heard enough good things about Son to make me think I might get this. Three films for the price is still quite a good deal but the first two Frankensteins deserve better.

 

[John Hodson]

I got the Classic Monster Collection Box from Finland (God knows why they were never produced boxed in the UK) and Derek says, the only difference between the R1 and R2 versions (apart from Finnish subtitles ) is the lack of the Spanish Dracula, which is all the more annoying when David Skal keeps referring to it in his commentary.

It looks like Universal are going to keep milking this Monster cash-cow; hopefully culminating in full 'bells and whistles' restored SEs, with all those extras (and more...)

---
So many films, so little time...

 

[Ruz-El]

This is great news! I have the 8 disc set, but never got around to buying the double features due to the hefty price in Canada ($40 each) Now for 1/2 the price of a single double feature I can get them all.

Hopefully they are remasters / corrected versions of the Frankenstein and Bride discs.

It is a shame that people who don't ahve the originals are missing the excellent comentaries and docs.

Bring on more monsters! And of course, any and all classic horror!

 

[Mark Zimmer]

I believe the reason that Frankenstein sounds so different is that they found a pristine set of the original sound discs (for theaters that were not equipped for sound projection) and used those for the audio instead of the normal noisy optical soundtrack. I think it sounds terrific, definitely way ahead of the terrible-sounding Dracula. This is as good as 1931 audio gets, and I'm surprised people are complaining about it. This was not a digital cleanup job. Though I suppose an additional track for the optical soundtrack that people are used to could have been accomplished as well.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Just adding my voice to the rest hoping for a remastered Bride of Frankenstein. A real shame that the pinnacle of 30's horror should look this bad on DVD. C'mon, Universal!

Amazing. I too assumed it was a "digital cleanup." What is your source for this, Mark?

 

[JeffMc]

I wasn't aware of how they actually "restored" the soundtrack to FRANKENSTEIN, but the absence of any ambient sound is definitely distracting. What makes me question this theory that there was no digital clean-up beyond using the original sound discs is that you CAN hear ambient noise in the background whenever there is dialog occuring. It's only when no one is talking that the soundtrack suddenly becomes engulfed in a complete sound vacuum. So are we saying that the original sound recording of the film was simply the dialog moments and nothing else? No ambient track was ever recorded for the film? I don't need the pops and crackles and hiss - but a basic ambient noise track is pretty essential for ANY film. To clean it up in-between all the dialog (which is what it sounds like to me) sure was stupid, in my opinion. If this is the way it was SUPPOSED to sound, that would be stupid, too. Just my two cents.

 

[Kristoffer]

Sorry no new transfers!: Got this mail today from davisdvd.com

The Frankenstein Legacy Collection will have the same transfers as the previous "Monster Collection" DVDs that went out of print a while back. The other Frankenstein films that are making their DVD debuts will have new transfers.

Hope that helps!

 

[John Morgan]

**The other Frankenstein films that are making their DVD debuts will have new transfers.**

What Frankenstein film would that be? All those listed for this collection have been on DVD.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

The source of the sound is IIRC either addressed in the commentary (or possibly one of the featurettes), or was in the original Universal press release. It's been a while now, but I remember it being discussed extensively at the time of release. Unfortunately HTF archives from that period are long gone. :frowning:

 

[Larry Sutliff]

That is very disappointing. Universal is releasing BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN for the second time on DVD, and they can't even fix the very obvious cropping of the top of the screen? I hope that this information is mistaken.:frowning:

 

[AlanP]

HOPE THEY WILL NOW RELEASE THIER "HAMMER FILMS" now
on DVD. Like, "Curse of The Werewolf", "Brides Of Dracula",

 

[Dave Mack]

Slight tangent, but how about the '79 Langella DRACULA? One of my faves and was released once as a very BAD non-annie disc a few years back with virtually all the color drained away, supposedly at the request of John Badham as he wanted it to be in B+W originally....
How about a nice new 16x9 transfer of this with the original color scheme?

D

...and also the sound on the Frankie Disc is really odd, like it's been Dolby noise reduced to death...

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I would like a nicer '79 DRACULA on DVD as well. For some reason, I loved this movie when I was 13, and went back and saw it about six or seven times during the summer of '79. I remember the color being absolutely rich and gorgeous, and was disappointed in the laserdisc(and subsequent DVD) because of the flat and drained color.

 

[StevenFC]

Is it just my imagination or has this title disappeared from Universal Home Video's website? What's going on people??

 

[Craig Beam]

Uh-oh.... it's gone... Maybe this means a delay? Maybe a new transfer for BRIDE? Dare I even get my hopes up?

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Universal, please hear us -- BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN needs a new transfer. The image is overly soft and it's severely cropped on top. Thanks.