Universal
Monsters: Icons Of Horror 4K Collection, Volume Two
(1932 - 1954/Mummy
(1932)/Bride
Of Frankenstein
(1935)/Phantom
Of The Opera
(1943)/Creature
From The Black Lagoon
(1954)/4K Ultra HD Blu-rays w/Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A Picture: B+ Sound: A Extras: C+
Films: A
The
Academy Award winning Universal Classic Monsters are some of the
greatest motion pictures of all time (whether you are a hardcore
horror fan or not there is PLENTY to appreciate in every last one of
these classic films), and we have reviewed the films on various
formats on this site in the past. However, all of those past
versions fall very short of the beautiful 4K transfers on 4K UHD disc
that are slowly getting released annually from the good folks at
Universal Studios, who do a good job of recognizing that their past
is just as important as their present.
Last
Halloween 2021, we got Volume
One
of the Universal
Classic Monsters Icon of Horror Collection
featuring the original Dracula,
Frankenstein,
The
Invisible Man,
and The
Wolfman.
Here's
my review of that first 4K set:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15993/Universal+Monsters:+Icons+of+Horror+Collection
And
my review of The
Complete 30 Film Collection
which is on Blu-ray / DVD only as of this writing:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15265/Universal+Classic+Monsters+Complete+30-Film+C
Now,
this second set of Classic
Monsters Icons of Horror Collection
on 4K UHD / Blu-ray combo features The
Mummy,
Bride
of Frankenstein,
The
Creature from the Black Lagoon,
and The Phantom
of the Opera.
These horror classics are truly timeless and I personally sleep
better at night knowing that they have been upgraded in this fashion
as they are some of my favorite films of all time and important
viewing for anyone who loves cinema.
The
Mummy
(1932) - Boris Karloff stars in one of the most iconic monsters in
horror: The Mummy! More of a weird love story than the action packed
Mummy movies of the modern era, there are plenty of hair-raising
moments in this film! This is one of my favorite Karloff
performances and the scene where the Mummy is revealed to be alive is
one of the greatest scenes ever!
The
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935) - One of cinema's greatest sequels and directed again by James
Whale, The Bride is played by Elsa Lanchester (in a duel role) with
Colin Clive returning as Dr. Frankenstein. This movie is so iconic
and pitch perfect, it must be seen by anyone who loves cinema and
especially those who enjoy horror. Never (as of this writing) has it
been remade or replicated and will continue to stand the test of
time.
Phantom
of the Opera
(1943) - The big budget Technicolor remake of the silent Phantom
of the Opera
stars Claude Rains as The Phantom and gorgeous production design and
costuming. While it may be a little slow for some, it's an
interesting piece of cinema even if it doesn't quite hold the charm
of the original 1925 Lon Chaney Sr. version. It looks incredible on
4K UHD disc and is really an incredible motion picture in every
aspect!
Creature
from the Black Lagoon
(1954) - My personal favorite of the Monsters and arguably my
favorite film. While nobody has dared to remake it outright (and not
for a lack of trying), there certainly wouldn't be a Shape
of Water
without it. Julie Adams gives a classic heroine performance as Ricou
Browning. The story centers on a group of explorers who encounter a
bizarre creature in the Amazons. There is so much to say about this
amazing film and now that it is captured in 4K, it can be even more
appreciated! The two sequels are also tons of fun and suggested
viewing if you haven't seen them.
The
Universal Classic Monsters films here are presented here in native 4K
(2160p from new scans off of the original 35mm nitrate negatives, et
al) on 4K UHD disc with an HEVC/H.265 codec and original aspect
ratios of 1.37:1, HDR (high dynamic range) and (repeating the Blu-ray
releases) lossless English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless
mixes (48kHz, 24-bit). The biggest improvements over the (also
included) 2012 issued 1080p Blu-ray discs is definition and detail.
There's more detail in the image and heavier contrast levels that
punch up the black and white image considerably with and the HDR
brings out another level of detail. You can see some flaws a bit
more clearly now as something things were a bit more undefined on
lesser formats.
The
Phantom of the Opera
transfer is considerably eye popping in this release with a lot of
detail that really heightens the full color/3-strip, dye transfer
Technicolor-photographed film and the stunning results are worth of
4K Technicolor releases like The
Wizard Of Oz
and Singin'
In The Rain,
except that this is not a musical. Note the slightly darker look;
the makers knew their genre. The Creature
From the Black Lagoon
also looks great, however the 3D version is Blu-ray only (also
included) still stuns, but none of the Blu-ray 3D discs have 2160p
definition, so you get some unreal, sharp, deep focus shots without
glasses that will stun viewers when they come up. All four films in
this set look fantastic and really are an improvement over the
already nice looking Blu-rays. The
Bride of Frankenstein
and The
Mummy
both you can tell a lot of work was done on and the films are both
considerably sharper than previous iterations, the studio continuing
to take top rate care of some of the most important films they ever
made!
Special
Features include extras carted over from the previous releases on
Blu-ray (listed in the older coverage,) Archival Interviews, Trailers
and Documentaries (et al) from previous releases on disc, and the
priceless 3D version of Creature
(on the regular 1080p Blu-ray only).
These
Universal Monster classics have been refreshed and refined in this
incredible release that brings out realism and density from these
films only seen before on the best, most pristine 35mm and 16mm film
prints. That absolutely makes them worthy of buying them over again.
Like the best 4K releases, it really is not ever having seen them
before when they look this amazing. It's too bad there aren't any
new extras to accompany these releases, but I'm happy with what we
are given. Let's hope this Universal Halloween tradition continues
until every last Universal Monster film is released in 4K!
-
James Lockhart
