Fans of Universal's movie monsters will be getting a perfect Halloween present this year. Universal has announced that movies featuring Universal icons such as Dracula and Frankenstein's monster will be coming to Blu-ray in the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection set. The collection hits shelves on October 2nd, packing in restored versions of eight films, over 12 hours of bonus features, and a 48-page collectible booklet.
The Essential Collection includes all the classic creatures: Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Phantom of the Opera, and everybody's favorite gill-man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The line-up alone should be enough to tempt any true fan, but each film has also been digitally restored, so you'll get to see all the Universal classics with high-def picture and sound. You can check out a short featurette about the restoration of Dracula below, and then we've got the full rundown of each film's bonus features.
Dracula (1931)
- Dracula, the 1931 Spanish version, with Introduction by Lupita Tovar Kohner
- The Road to Dracula
- Lugosi: The Dark Prince
- Dracula: The Restoration -- New Featurette Available for The First Time!
- Monster Tracks: Interactive Pop-Up Facts About the Making of Dracula
- Dracula Archives
- Score by Philip Glass performed by the Kronos Quartet
- Feature Commentary by Film Historian David J. Skal
- Feature Commentary by Steve Haberman, Screenwriter of Dracula: Dead and Loving It
- Trailer Gallery
Frankenstein (1931
- The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
- Karloff: The Gentle Monster
- Monster Tracks: Interactive Pop-Up Facts About The Making of Frankenstein
- Universal Horror
- Frankenstein Archives
- Boo!: A Short Film
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Rudy Behlmer
- Feature Commentary with Historian Sir Christopher Frayling
- 100 Years Of Universal: Restoring the Classics
- Trailer Gallery
The Mummy (1932)
- Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
- He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
- Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy
- The Mummy Archives
- Feature Commentary by Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns and Brent Armstrong
- Feature Commentary by Film Historian Paul M. Jensen
- 100 Years of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era
- Trailer Gallery
The Invisible Man (1933)
- Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed
- Production Photographs
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Rudy Behlmer
- 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
- She’s Alive! Creating The Bride of Frankenstein
- The Bride of Frankenstein Archive
- Feature Commentary with Scott MacQueen
- 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics
- Trailer Gallery
The Wolf Man (1941)
- 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
- The Wolf Man Archives
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Tom Weaver
- 100 Years of Universal: The Lot
- Trailer Gallery
Phantom of the Opera
- The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked
- Production Photographs
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Scott MacQueen
- 100 Years of Universal: The Lot
- Theatrical Trailer
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
- The Creature From The Black Lagoon in 3D
- Back to The Black Lagoon
- Production Photographs
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Tom Weaver
- 100 Years of Universal: The Lot
- Trailer Gallery
