Bowery at Midnight

Rating:
Summary: Poor Film and Transfer Saved by Extras
Review: This is volume 2 of the proposed 15 volume "Bela Lugosi Presents" series, which are presented by the Estate of Bela Lugosi himself. It is a step down from volume 1, "The Devil Bat."
For starters, "Bowery at Midnight" is a very bad movie. The only redeeming value in it is the presence of Bela Lugosi. The plot is boring and formulaic, the characters cardboard, and the acting never better than mediocre.
The damaged source print is made worse by a sub standard transfer, with signs of compression and flashing. The picture is sometimes too dark and blurry to make out, and along with the wavery sound, is little better than any public domain disc or video.
The extras are enjoyable, though. The most valuable is an old radio show in which Bela Lugosi made a guest appearance. He plays a deranged Pyromaniac named Nick. While not an excellent radio show by any means, it is definately an enjoyably guilty pleasure.
Next we have a commentary by Bela Lugosi Jr. and historian Ted Newsom. As in "The Devil Bat," the two barely scratch the surface of the movie (they helpfully point out that it is not a Bowery Boys comedy), but some of the childhood memories Junior has are entertaining, and there's even a little info about Ed Wood!
The promised intro by Bela Lugosi Jr. is little more than an ad for the "Bela Lugosi Presents" series.
Rounding out the extras are the always reliable photo gallery, trailer collection, and movie poster insert.
Bottom line: poor film and transfer saved by extras.