Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection Volume 2 (4k UHD) (2 Viewers)

[brynmill]

As per the first 4k set I bet these have no new extras. I will wait a few years until the complete legacy collection comes out so I dont have duplicate-duplicate-duplicates.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Universal really keeps trying to push Phantom as part of the Monsters, don't they?

The Lon Chaney Phantom, made for Universal, is certainly an icon of horror, and a highlight of Universal's history. Unfortunately, it is in the public domain and Universal has no elements for it. So, they put out Claude Raines's Technicolor romance in its place.

 

[dana martin]

The Lon Chaney Phantom, made for Universal, is certainly an icon of horror, and a highlight of Universal's history. Unfortunately, it is in the public domain and Universal has no elements for it. So, they put out Claude Raines's Technicolor romance in its place.

I also think in the place of Studio history, it holds a special place, just off of the extras that were included way back when, I remember Rudy Behlmer discussing this in one of the featurettes, this in Universals eyes is one of it's Crown Jewels, lavish production values, Technicolor, an Opera expressly written for the film, and of course the only one to win any Oscars, this even had the distinction of having a planned sequel at the outset, and the film that came from that planning even kept the title "The Climax" and stars Universals originally cast Karloff, but keeps Susanna Foster.

Unrelated but sort of a quazi sequel of sorts. They get a pass for this and for Phantom.

but I agree Son of Frankenstein / Dracula's Daughter / Revenge of the Creature will make great anchors for the next release

 

[B-ROLL]

The Lon Chaney Phantom, made for Universal, is certainly an icon of horror, and a highlight of Universal's history. Unfortunately, it is in the public domain and Universal has no elements for it. So, they put out Claude Raines's Technicolor romance in its place.

Perhaps Universal could make a deal with KINO !

 

[Malcolm R]

Perhaps Universal could make a deal with KINO !

We can only dream.

I can imagine the cover art might even look something like this:

 

[Robert Crawford]

I got three different Blu-ray releases of the 1925 film. One from Image, BFI and Kino.

 

[Robert Harris]

The only saving grace for Phantom is Claude Rains and perhaps it being in Technicolor. One of my favorite all-time actors.

And his only film in color!

 

[brynmill]

And his only film in color

Not for Rains !!

 

[Capt D McMars]

I'm sure they're keeping the Mummy sequels under wraps ... for now !

 

[timk1041]

I got three different Blu-ray releases of the 1925 film. One from Image, BFI and Kino.

I have the Kino one and I am very happy with it.

 

[Gerani53]

Yes, they do, and I've never been able to figure out why.

The Phantom of the Opera is one of Universal's classic monster characters, first-tier, and that's what these particular 4K box sets are zeroing in on. U no longer has practical legal rights to the public domain silent version, so the '43 Claude Rains incarnation becomes the representative film for this all-important boogieman. Yes, we know many fans feel PHANTOM '43 is "more musical than monster movie," but ignoring its merits on those grounds always seemed frivolous to me. Rains is superb, the stage mask he uses has become something of an icon in itself (thanks partially to Basil Gogos' brilliant FAMOUS MONSTERS cover painting), and the Oscar-winning Technicolor photography is nothing short of breathtaking. It's also the version that invented, I believe, the dramatic set-up for the character that became canon for awhile ("Thief! You've stolen my music!").

In any event, when most of us saw the "all-star" line-up of the first Universal 4K box, it seemed pretty easy to predict which Uni-monsters would be part of the second. I remember mentioning at some point that Box 2 will undoubtedly offer the first 2D-only disc release of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, something we haven't seen in quite some time. That points directly to the fact that the 4K UHD format, for all its brilliance, denies movie fans and historians the ability to watch stereoscopic movies. You'll need to keep your old, outdated 3-D compatible screens for that, or buy a projector. Annoying, right? But 3-D gets very little respect in the video industry, so 4K UHD simply chose to ignore it, claiming, "our format looks so clear to begin with, it's already like 3-D!" Reminds me of the early widescreen movie claims -- "You don't need glasses for this one!" Naturally, because all you were getting was a wider screen without the benefit of dimensional photography.

Bottom line? I knew I was buying this 4K set before it was even announced, so that's pretty much that.

 

[B-ROLL]

And his only film in color!

... that anyone here knows about !

 

[maxfabien]

Or Dracula's Daughter. Both deserve to be far closer to the "pantheon" than they are and would fit the set better.

Just a guess, but they might release the 4 Mummy sequels (Hand, Tomb, Ghost, and Curse), as well as the 4 Frankenstein sequels (Son, Ghost, Meets the Wolf Man, and House of) on their own 4K set.

 

[maxfabien]

... that anyone here knows about !

View attachment 149447
View attachment 149448

Also "The Lost World" (1960).

 

[aptiana]

Also Adventures of Robin Hood 1938

 

[Robert Crawford]

I think RAH was joking about Rains appearing in only one film in color because he actually appeared in a number of such films.

 

[Kent K H]

Just a guess, but they might release the 4 Mummy sequels (Hand, Tomb, Ghost, and Curse), as well as the 4 Frankenstein sequels (Son, Ghost, Meets the Wolf Man, and House of) on their own 4K set.

Or they could end up doing what they did with blu ray and we could end up with a half-dozen more copies of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in 4K.

 

[Garysb]

I assume people are hoping Universal does not do as they did with the blu rays which was after they released the essential collection which included Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature From the Black Lagoon they switched to releasing individual monster collections so you had all the Frankensteins, all the Draculas, , all the Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteins etc released as box sets, so fans ended up buying the films in the first essential set again to get the other films.

 

[Robin9]

I think RAH was joking about Rains appearing in only one film in color because he actually appeared in a number of such films.

He did indeed, including The Man Who Watched Trains Go By which I'm going to watch again in the next few days, having just watched Marta Toren in Sirocco.

 

[JimMiller]

He did indeed, including The Man Who Watched Trains Go By which I'm going to watch again in the next few days, having just watched Marta Toren in Sirocco.

I found "The Man Who Watched Trains Go By" to be an excellent film.