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Date Posted: 22:12:49 07/02/12 Mon
Author: Rick
Subject: Universal Horror Blu-Ray set on 10/2/12

Digital Bits Editor Bill Hunt

All right, here's some very exciting news - news that all of us at The Bits have been eagerly waiting for, as it happens...

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just announced the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray set for release on 10/2. Included in the set will be Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon. All films will be "digitally restored from high resolution film elements in perfect high-definition picture and perfect high-definition sound for the first time ever." The set will also include a 48-page book "featuring behind-the-scenes photographs, original posters, correspondence and much more." It appears from the press release that all of the extras these films included on DVD will be carried over, and you'll also get a never-before-seen featurette about the restoration of Dracula. On top of that, Creature from the Black Lagoon will be included in both 2D and Blu-ray 3D, recreating the film's original 3D theatrical release! Here's a disc by disc breakdown:

Dracula (1931) - both the American and Spanish versions of the film, 3 featurettes (Dracula: The Restoration (NEW), The Road to Dracula and Lugosi: The Dark Prince), Monster Tracks (interactive Pop-Up Facts), the Dracula Archives, the optional score by Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet, audio commentary (by film historian David J. Skal), audio commentary (by Steve Haberman, screenwriter of Dracula: Dead and Loving It) and a trailer gallery.

Frankenstein (1931) - 4 featurettes (The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster, Karloff: The Gentle Monster, Universal Horror and 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics), Monster Tracks (interactive Pop-Up Facts), the Frankenstein Archives, Boo!: A Short Film, audio commentary (by film historian Rudy Behlmer), audio commentary (by historian Sir Christopher Frayling) and a trailer gallery.

The Mummy (1932) - 4 featurettes (Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed, He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce, Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy and 100 Years Of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era), the Mummy Archives, audio commentary (by Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns and Brent Armstrong), audio commentary (by film historian Paul M. Jensen) and a trailer gallery.

The Invisible Man (1933) - 2 featurettes (Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed and 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters), a Production Photographs gallery and audio commentary (by film historian Rudy Behlmer).

Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - 2 featurettes (She's Alive! Creating The Bride of Frankenstein and 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics), the Bride of Frankenstein Archive, audio commentary (by film historian Scott MacQueen) and a trailer gallery.

The Wolf Man (1941) - 5 featurettes (Monster by Moonlight, The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth, Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr., He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot), the Wolf Man Archives, audio commentary (by film historian Tom Weaver) and a trailer gallery.

Phantom of the Opera (1943) - 2 featurettes (The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot), a Production Photographs gallery, audio commentary (by film historian Scott MacQueen) and the theatrical trailer.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) - both the 2D and 3D versions of the film, 2 featurettes (Back to The Black Lagoon and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot), a Production Photographs gallery, audio commentary (by film historian Tom Weaver) and a trailer gallery.

One thing that makes this especially pleasing for me personally is that a couple years ago at a Blu-Con conference up in Hollywood, I was having a nice conversation about the BD format with USHE president Craig Kornblau and I mentioned specifically that one thing fans were really waiting for on Blu-ray from Universal was the Uni Classic Monsters titles. He was a little on the fence about the idea of releasing them on Blu-ray though because (historically) they've never sold well on disc - even on DVD. Fans always SAY that want them, but then don't actually buy them. So I suggested that the studio should consider putting all the big titles together in one Blu-ray box set and make it a special Halloween-timed release. That way fans who really are serious about wanting them in HD can get them all in one shot for one price, rather than trickling them out a few each year over a longer period (with the risk that the studio might stop before releasing them all). Then the studio can always release the films as singles later. Craig really seemed to warn to the suggestion. And indeed, that appears to be exactly what they've now done - all the big titles will finally appear in one box (and I'd bet that by Halloween next year you'll be able to get them as BD singles too). I'm not sure if our conversation planted the initial bug in his mind or not, but I'm certainly pleased at the news today. In any case, if you guys have been talking about buying these films on disc, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. That probably goes for all these deeper catalog classic films on Blu-ray from all of the studio - if you want more of them, you need to show the studios that there's a real demand for them.

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[> Re: Universal Horror Blu-Ray set on 10/2/12 -- Tim, 12:41:27 07/07/12 Sat [1]

Dracula - The Restoration

Video clip posted July 5, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXGnOvTZSIg


Tim


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