Universal Revisited

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Universal Revisited
Topic Started: Oct 11 2009, 05:39 PM (193 Views)
shelbyvinje	Oct 11 2009, 05:39 PM Post #1
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 420 Group: Members Member #470 Joined: June 3, 2008	Just began re-watching the Universal horrors this week. The classics like DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN I saw countless times over the years (and GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN twice at Monster Bash in recent years) so I am exploring the lesser known ones I haven't seen in years and years. The Creeper was a cute little horror film. HOUSE OF DRACULA was enjoyable because Carradine plays Dracula again and the Wolf Man is finally cured. While the girl he wins at the end is no Evelyn Ankers, he does get a girl and can act like a real wolf. SON OF DRACULA was a pleasant surprise. With the exception of reusing the same chase footage twice in the movie, the effects and visuals are top notch. Haven't seen THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET in years and that has just become a guilty pleasure. Tomorrow I watch HORROR ISLAND and THE CAT CREEPS and Tuesday I will be enjoying FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Patrick Knowles is in FMTWM and he was in THE WOLF MAN so I am curious to see if he plays the same role or just another Universal actor under contract to play a different role in a different movie. The trailer was a tease...



Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer	Oct 12 2009, 03:28 AM Post #2
Balconeer Creeper Posts: 14,188 Group: Members Member #244 Joined: July 6, 2007	I love Horror Island, and enjoy it's haunted house atmosphere. It isn't a great movie, it's just fun.
	"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire"


Black Tiger	Oct 12 2009, 05:54 AM Post #3
Charter Member Posts: 1,818 Group: Members Member #50 Joined: September 15, 2005	Stony is right-on. This is a fun B-mystery with many of the elements of a spooky haunted house mystery. There is a mystery character, a treasure map and so much more. Dick Foran and Leo Carillo have great chemistry although I was less impressed with unfunny Fuzzy (Fuzzy Knight, not Fuzzy St. John). The director, George Waggner went on to direct a number of tv shows in the '60s including Batman and Man from U.N.C.L.E. I saw Horror Island many years ago at a NYC revival house, Theater 80, in the East Village. It took decades to track down a really dark and poor print, so this release is welcome indeed.



toddgault	Oct 12 2009, 06:31 AM Post #4
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 157 Group: Members Member #339 Joined: January 21, 2008	Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman is one of my all time favorite films. Chaney gives his best performance in the Larry Talbot role, and it has the best of the many transformation scenes. The only thing that keeps it from being truly great was the cutting of all of Lugosi's lines in post production which explained his character was blind, which kills the subtlety of his performance. But this is all redeemed by the great fight at the end between the two monsters. The close up of Lugosi's face when the Monster gets recharged is absolutely chilling.
	Todd Gault..........Serial Buff


Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer	Oct 12 2009, 09:18 AM Post #5
Balconeer Creeper Posts: 14,188 Group: Members Member #244 Joined: July 6, 2007	I went to Amazon's site today to take a peek and the Universal Legacy collections I don't have (I only have Dracula and Frankenstein). I picked up The Mummy and The Wolfman collections for $15.99 each. A steal for 5 Universal monster movies per collection! Oh yeah, they weren't used, they be brand spankin' new.
	"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire"


Laughing Gravy	Oct 12 2009, 09:23 AM Post #6
Revered in the UK Posts: 11,075 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 31, 2005	There are Invisible Man (5 movies, I think) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (3 films) Legacy sets, too. Bride of Frankenstein is the Cadillac of Universal horror films, but I also love the first Frankenstein film and anything with the Wolf Man in it.



Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer	Oct 12 2009, 09:29 AM Post #7
Balconeer Creeper Posts: 14,188 Group: Members Member #244 Joined: July 6, 2007	Laughing Gravy Oct 12 2009, 09:23 AM Bride of Frankenstein is the Cadillac of Universal horror films, but I also love the first Frankenstein film and anything with the Wolf Man in it. If I had to pick one film from all of the Legacy collections, The Invisible Man would be my fave. Very dark, and Rains' voice is a thing of beauty, and of course his voice is the only reason Wales chose him.
	"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire"


rodney	Oct 12 2009, 09:45 AM Post #8
Charter Member Posts: 1,304 Group: Members Member #3 Joined: September 2, 2005	I always liked the 1940's Mummy movies.
	Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer!


mort bakaprevski	Oct 12 2009, 09:57 AM Post #9
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,433 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer Oct 12 2009, 09:29 AM ... Rains' voice is a thing of beauty, and of course his voice is the only reason Wales chose him. The Prince?????
	�You�ve got to take the bitter with the sour.�


Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer	Oct 12 2009, 10:25 AM Post #10
Balconeer Creeper Posts: 14,188 Group: Members Member #244 Joined: July 6, 2007	mort bakaprevski Oct 12 2009, 09:57 AM Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer Oct 12 2009, 09:29 AM ... Rains' voice is a thing of beauty, and of course his voice is the only reason Wales chose him. The Prince????? The Prince Of Wales or Prince Rains (the one who married Grace Kelly )?
	"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire"


panzer the great & terrible	Oct 12 2009, 08:05 PM Post #11
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,360 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	My faves are the Dracs. I love Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, and Son of D. Especially Dracula's Daughter. There's a scene with a piano that still always reduces me to gales of laughter. I mean, come on, all of them are silly. The Mummy couldn't catch a turtle. Frank is almost as bad. I would like to be the Invisible Man, but he kinda wasted his time if you know what I mean, nudge nudge, wink wink. Larry Talbot, well, he was a sad case but he never scared me. And that Black Lagoon guy, well the first picture was really the only one, and you weren't scared of him, you wanted to be him -- which is why the sequels sucked so bad. But Drac: now there was a guy who was evil. All he wanted to do was spread corruption. Not my idea of a good guy, but I'd be glad to have a few beers with Larry or the Invisible Dude, or even the Frank monster. The thing about the Universal horror flicks is that they're harmless today. My seven year old granddaughter watched The Mummy and asked a lot of questions, but she wasn't scared for an instant. Oh. I'd probably rather not have a beer with him.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


CliffClaven	Oct 13 2009, 01:07 PM Post #12
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 232 Group: Members Member #712 Joined: March 30, 2009	Back in the day Universal was to horror what MGM was the musicals. Even their misfires had that backlot magic. "Son of Dracula" was genuinely creepy and dark -- Chaney may not have been a European count, but he did register as a man who knew his power. Also, the movie took death a bit more seriously than most. "Dracula's Daughter" gets a lot of attention for its sexual undertones, but what really makes it a hoot is the hero. He's such an outright coldblooded jerk I kept expecting him to get killed off while somebody like Dick Foran turned up to rescue the girl. "House of Dracula": The Betty Ford Clinic for monsters. Good fun, but hated that they killed off the pretty hunchback.



mort bakaprevski	Oct 13 2009, 02:38 PM Post #13
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,433 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	panzer the great & terrible Oct 12 2009, 08:05 PM My seven year old granddaughter watched The Mummy and asked a lot of questions, but she wasn't scared for an instant. Oh. I'd probably rather not have a beer with him. Nonsense!!! Give ol' Ardath Bey a few beers & he'll fill your ears with interesting anecdotes about ancient Egypt!
	�You�ve got to take the bitter with the sour.�


shelbyvinje	Oct 14 2009, 02:59 AM Post #14
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 420 Group: Members Member #470 Joined: June 3, 2008	I agree with CliffClaven. Those three Dracula movies were better than I recall from watching them years ago. The production on SON OF DRACULA was impressive and I did catch the sexual undertones for DRACULA'S DAUGHTER. GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN and HORROR OF DRACULA are just plain "fun." And with the sets, the costumes, the actors and the music (I love the music), I doubt Universal ever made a bad film, even their worst efforts are somewhat enjoyable -- I take that back. SHE-WOLF OF LONDON wasn't that great. I figured out the solution 20 minutes into the movie. I re-watched FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN last night and if a historian told me that it was the most expensive of the series, I wouldn't doubt it. Even the ice and snow was real. I didn't realize the monster was blind till I just read it now. Though it seems odd to me because the monster was able to find the secret compartment for Talbot when he asked for it, never tripped over anything in the street, recognized Talbot when he approached him, etc. Seems odd if he was supposed to be blind. Lugosi wouldn't have had the voice for the monster. But I still think Karloff and Strange had one over on Lugosi. But of all the films I re-watched the past two weeks, that one has to be the most enjoyable. Love the graveyard scene opener.



Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer	Oct 14 2009, 05:20 AM Post #15
Balconeer Creeper Posts: 14,188 Group: Members Member #244 Joined: July 6, 2007	CliffClaven Oct 13 2009, 01:07 PM "House of Dracula": The Betty Ford Clinic for monsters. I wish I had written that... It's too funny CC.
	"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire"


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