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Summary: A classic gets better with each passing year
Review: This is the horror movie that all directors aspire to make. This is a movie with atmosphere, tension, style and true shock value all rolled into a morality tale. Karloff's acting is impeccable to say the least. One cannot find such creativity as this outside of a Wes Craven movie. Though admittedly, the movie strays from the book, it deserves to be in a class of art all its own. See it now if you havent already.
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Summary: James Whale's first masterpiece
Review: This is the movie (along with the inferior "Dracula") that launced the Universal Horror films of the thirties. A masterpiece of movie making which everyone should see once. Masterfully directed by the great James Whale with excellent performances from Karloff and Colin Clive as the good Doctor. Not as terrifying to modern audiences, but still admirable in all respects.
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Summary: AFI top 100 film, Universal's Frankenstein is#1, now on DVD!
Review: Universal Studios made its indelible mark in Hollywood due to its famous mastering of the Horror movie. In 1931 Universals "Frankenstein" changed the film world forever. Even today it remains a very basic classic horror movie. The American Film Institute (AFI) voted it into the top 100 films in the first 100 years of film (1998).Universal gathered the movie genius' and embarked on adapting Mary Shelly's novel to the screen. James Whale was chosen as the director and the make-up master Jack Pierce to create the giant Frankenstein Monster (played by Boris Karloff). NOTE: The movie actually had a opening caution film introduction because of its 1931 unspeakable subject matter. People were genuinely scared, horrified but curious to see this film. Summary: The mad Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) & his hunchback Assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) are robbing graves for bodys to construct a man to bring back to life. The Dr. still needs a brain to fullfill his inventory. Fritz steals a brain from the local medical school. Unfortunately the only one available is an abnormal one. The Dr. creates his monster being with the abnormal brain unknowingly. Through lightning storms, electrical shocks and unbelievable special effects brings the Monster to life! Now the horror is unleashed. This is the first in Universal Studio's "Classic Monster Collection" DVD Series. This collection is the very best of their horror movies completely digitally remastered and uncensored. With lots of special features, photos and narratives. A must have DVD collection of classic Hollywood horror films.
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Summary: A Must Own!
Review: After obtaining this collection for $20 at a local retail store, I knew I was getting more than my money's worth! The films are shown in the best picture form and the sound is very crisp and clear!
Out of all the three Legacy sets, this one has the best selection of films on it.
My only gripe was that mine included a plate of the Van Helsing Frankenstein version and it was GLUED to the collector's box! After wiping the glue off with a damp cloth and quickly drying it, it looks like new. But sadly, the glue with the dampness from the cloth sort of made the front part of my Dracula box bubbly. So be careful when cleaning them if you get a Van Helsing plate with yours! They should have just shrinked wrapped the plates with the film instead of gluing them!
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Summary: He loves dead, hates living
Review: Frankenstein's Monster is probably one of the most misunderstood monster in horror film's history. Wasn't his choice, the Monster was made to be alive. He speaked for himself, "I love dead, I hate living." The Monster wasn't that bad at all, he's just like the Elephant Man, quite sympathetic. The DVD contains 2 disc (1 single sided and 1 double sided) with 5 classic horror films: four sequels of Frankenstein, and one another film called House of Frankenstein. It comes with quite lots of special features like original theatrical trailers, documentary feature, commentary audio track, original poster and photo galleries, English closed captioned, and other substitles, etc. Surprisingly, both picture and audio quality are quite good & clear. Obviously, they are newly remastered for better clarity. It also includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how these original Frankenstein films inspired director Stephen Sommers on his new movie Van Helsing. I don't feel it's an inspiration, I think Stephen Sommers wants to reuse couple classic scenes to show some authenticity of Frankenstein's monster in his new movie. But it seems it's trying to promote his new movie Van Helsing. Besides that, the true & serious fans of Frankenstein should find this DVD as their MUST-HAVE collectible item.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Being born in the 50's and enjoyin the classic Universal Horror Movies in the 60's was a great time for Horror Movies.
The Frankenstien DVD collection is excellent to say the least, especially seeing "House of Frankentstien" again, along with my other favorite, "Son of Frankenstien". It's real nice to see 5 Classic Horror Films on one DVD set. I would highly reccomend this to anyone who remembers the horror movies of the 50's and 60's, and to those who don't? go out and buy this DVD. It puts the new "slice 'em/dice 'em" movies to shame.
Rating:
Summary: Unmissable collection of classic horror
Review: James Whale's brilliant 1931 Frankenstein is here given an excellent treatment, with an accompanying documentary and an informative commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer. Karloff's performance as the Monster, inspiring pathos as well as terror, is unrivalled in the long string of Frankenstein movies throughout the following decades. The film is still genuinely horrifying, even today.
Also in this collection is Bride of Frankenstein, also directed by Whale, but far different in tone. This film is satirical, funny, wildly camp, and yet with a serious undercurrent. This feature also includes a commentary by film historian Scott MacQueen, and a documentary about the film.
Son of Frankenstein is the last of the Universal Frankensteins to have profound artistic merit. Full of fascinating images, influenced largely by German cinematic expressionism, Rowland V Lee's film features Karloff in his third and final appearance as the Monster, Basil Rathbone in the title role and Bela Lugosi as the hunchbacked assistant, Ygor.
Ghost of Frankenstein is probably the weakest of the series, but is entertaining nonetheless. Lon Chaney, Jr, plays the Monster here barely adequately. Still, it's all good fun.
House of Frankenstein brings together all the Universal monsters -- the Frankenstein Monster (now played by Glenn Strange), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr), Dracula (John Carradine), a mad scientist (Karloff) and his hunchbacked assistant (J Caroll Naish) -- and it too is good fun, better than its companion piece, House of Dracula (included on the Dracula Legacy DVD).
Nothing here is less than entertaining, and a few in the collection are classics that no film buff should be without.
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Summary: It's Alive!
Review: FRANKENSTEIN - Mad scientist creates the Monster, which escapes and wreaks havoc. Boris Karloff creates an unforgettable creature, and a career, in this classic directed by James Whale. Still manages a scare or two.
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN - The Monster demands that his creator make him a mate. The best Frankenstein story, best horror movie (ever) and a landmark in world cinema. Everything works in this profound work of gothic horror.
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN - Demented villager cares for the Monster while creator's son moves into father's estate. Last appearance of Karloff as the monster, SON teams him with Bela Lugosi as the Ygor with the broken neck. Doesn't have the layered depth Whale brought to the material, but a great gothic horror nonetheless. Seems to be the movie Mel Brooks borrowed most heavily from for YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. After the original and BRIDE OF the Frankenstein franchise take a steep drop in quality.
GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN - Ygor and the Monster find son of Frankenstein and convince him to switch their brains. Lugosi reprises his role as broken-necked Ygor and Lon Chaney, Jr. takes over as the mute Monster. Silly plot - transplanting Ygor's brain into the Monster's body indicates that the franchise was running out of gas fast. A good B-movie, but not much more than that.
HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN - Karloff plays a mad scientist who stumbles across Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein's monster. Veteran stuntman Glenn Strange plays the Monster in a decidedly minor role. Another goofy brains-playing-musical-skull plot doesn't get too much in the way of things, and we're given out last opportunity to watch tortured Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) gradually transform into the Wolfman.
I watched these five movies in sequence and was struck at what a great actor Karloff was. Karloff's Monster was at once more frightening, and more sympathetic, than anyone who preceded or followed him. FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE OF... both have commentary tracks by two different film historians that are thick with detail and information and a real asset and among the best I've ever heard.
Beyond the five-movies, the extras make this two disk (three sided) dvd set a great value. Besides original trailers to most of the movies, The Frankenstein Files and She's Alive! provide a wealth of information about Universal's Frankenstein - focusing primarily, and rightly, on the first two films directed by James Whale.
In all, this is a great collection. Strongly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Frankenstein Is Back!
Review: James Whale's masterpiece FRANKENSTEIN is one of the most amazing films ever made. What more can be said? It is a poignant portrait of humanity, a deep, knowing story written from a literary genius and is commonly regarded as the best monster movie ever. Letting emotions tell the creature's pitiable tale, and not falling subject to Hollywood clichés, this is film-making at it's finest. Boris Karloff infuses his finest role with both wonder and anguish. However it is strange for a film of the genre to features a monster who is deeply human.
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Summary: Monster, Indeed.
Review: I really have to give Universal a big thumbs up for their Legacy dvd collections. Most companies like to rob you blind on dvd gift sets by giving you more dvds in the set while not even filling the disc up to it's capacity. You know what I mean. A dvd can hold alot of info and it just pisses me off when you go to buy a tv series and there are only two episodes per disc and 20 discs in the set, thus costing you more. Universal have finally done it right. These monster sets each have about 4 or 5 movies on them as well as extras, and on two discs! And for a very affordable price at that! Thank you, Universal. I won't review the Frankenstein films coz I'm sure the folks who will buy them are fans. It irks me a little that these sets came out as some kind of promotion for that rotten Van Helsing movie. Why does it always take a rotten film like that to provoke companies to release the good films? I shouldn't complain, coz at least the sets are out. The Frankenstein set includes two 35+ minute documentaries-One about the first film and one about Bride. They're both informative and have interviews with Sarah Karloff, Joe Dante, Clive Barker and a bunch of film historians. There's a short film called Boo! that acts like an old prototype for Mystery Science Theater 3000. There are scenes from Nosferatu and Frankenstein with a narrator making funny remarks. Of course there's the usual trailers and still galleries which are a must for hardcore fans. The feature I don't like is a 15 + minute featurette with Stephen Sommers and his Van Helsing cast talking about how much the old Universal monster movies influenced them. That's the first half of the featurette, the second half has Sommers yapping about his stupid Van Helsing movie. My response is, who cares? I bought this set to watch these good classic horror films I love, not to watch a hack director promote his overblown crapfest, that quite frankly is more of an insult than an homage. This is only a small bit however. You still have five great classic films and two great documentaries. Well worth the money.
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