Monday, August 9, 2021

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS IN 4K COMING FOR HALLOWEEN


I have to ask myself, do we really need to watch our classic Universal monster movies with a sharper picture than Blu-ray? I mean, will they be any better in 4k ultra-high definition? Call me a fuddy-duddy but I say not -- well, they'll be "better", but is it worth opening your wallet again for films you probably already have at least 2 versions of? I am reminded of Jeff Goldblum's line in JURASSIC PARK, when he warns that just because we can do something (like clone dinosaurs), doesn't mean we should. 4k is modern film restoration on steroids and, with the exception of a few cases, I'm not sure it serves any better purpose -- at least for the vintage Universal films -- than to sell us yet another version of the films we have been enjoying as they are for many years. At least we could get some new extras, but it appears that the ones that accompany this new box set are re-treads we already have in previous versions. Still, if you feel you must always have the latest and greatest, knock yourself out.

Universal Monsters Classics Collection Gets 4K Blu-Ray Release in Time for Halloween
The monsters are coming home, in ultra high definition.
By Lacy Long | August 3, 2021 | collider.com

Some of the best classic horror films are being released by in 4K Ultra HD format for the very first time by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Universal Monsters Classics Collection will be released in 4K on October 5.

The collection will feature Universal Studios’ 1931 classic Dracula, featuring Bela Lugosi and Frankenstein, featuring Boris Karloff; both films will be released in time for their 90th anniversaries. Other films included in the collection are The Invisible Man starring Claude Rains and an 80th-anniversary edition of The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr.

Universal released these horror classics previously on Blu-ray with their Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection pack in 2012. In 2018, the studio released a Complete 30-Film Collection in Blu-ray format along with a re-release of Essential Collection that included a new set of artwork designed by comic book artist Alex Ross, who is famed for his work in Marvel Comics.

Dracula is a classic to watch for all your blood-thirsty needs. The story follows a real estate agent who dares to enter the castle inhabited by Count Dracula despite warnings from terrified Transylvanian villagers. As one can imagine, horror ensues. Dracula and the real estate agent, now under control by the vampire, travel to London where the Count attempts to blend in with society while searching for victims during nightfall.

Here are some of the many bonus features included in the collection:
  • The Road to Dracula
  • The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
  • Karloff: The Gentle Monster
  • Monster by Moonlight
  • The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Now viewers can experience these genre-defining classics in the best quality they have ever been when Universal Monsters Classics Collection​ gets released this October 5. 


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