Fifty Before '50: Universal Horror Monsters & Curiosities Box Set

 by JB

Who is this for?

The quick answer is ME. Is there a single Universal Horror release I have ever passed on? That’s not a rhetorical question. I’m thinking... (day turns into night...hours turn into days...leaves redden and fall... I finally qualify for Medicare...) Fortunately, the completist in me already ordered this, already received this, and was glad I did when it quickly sold out and went out of print. Gotcha, sucker!

So why am I wasting your time writing about something you cannot buy? Because Umbrella Entertainment announced last week that it is doing a repress that will street on October 9, so as it turns out, you can buy one... if that's the kind of thing you like to do in this economy.

The main reason to own this set is value. It’s selling for about $250, and it contains 45 films. Boy Howdy, that’s around $5.50 per film... and these are Blu-rays. Most of the transfers are pristine. I would quibble with The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but does a pristine print of that film exist anywhere? I think not.

For the casual fan looking to “stick their toe” into the Black Lagoon (ha, tricked you! Creature is not included in this set) you could do worse. My problem is that this attractive little box could easily have saved me oodles of shelf space, IF Umbrella Entertainment had chosen to port over the various commentaries and featurettes from the movies' original Universal discs. They have not.

INSTEAD, Umbrella planned a panoply of new featurettes. Yet Dave Lee, the producer of this boxset, explained on a YouTube video that Universal refused to approve any of Umbrella's bonus material. All of the planned featurettes were vetoed (though shortened versions of their scripts appear in the accompanying hardback book). This is very disappointing because when Shout! Factory released some lesser Universal Horror titles on Blu-ray in a terrific series of boxsets a few years ago, Universal gave Shout Factory! permission to include all sorts of nice new featurettes and commentaries.

What does Universal have against Australians?

SO NOW I own a boxset that contains no unique special features aside from the aforementioned hardcover book and ten miniature lobby card reproductions. On the plus side, it does contain four films that I do not already own on disc: The Last Warning, Horror Island, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and The Land Unknown. That changes the essential “bargain equation” to about $62 a film, if you're purchasing at full price (I purchased at a significant pre-order discount.) Egads.

If I was but a fancy lad and starting out on this journey we call “Universal Monster Fandom,” Umbrella's Universal Horror Monsters & Curiosities Boxset would be awfully attractive for the reasons listed above. To the cranky, curmudgeonly collector I have become... meh.

NOTE TO SELF: Hey, Self! Ready to buy more boxsets of Universal movies you already own, including some on the underwhelming boxset you just wrote about? While this column will be published on October 6, you are writing it on September 25, so don’t forget to pre-order the new 4K Frankenstein and Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection sets from Universal, which won't drop until September 29, i.e., four days from the now that is exactly a week ago. These sets contain all eight Universal Frankensteins in 4K, all seven Universal Wolf Man pictures in 4K, and the chance to own Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein in 4K for the third and fourth time, respectively. Self, if you don't pre-order this 10 days ago from now, you'll never forgive yourself... in a week ago.

Happy Scary Movie Month.

BONUS SPECIAL FEATURE OF THIS COLUMN: If you are reading this and you do not already own a 4K copy of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, DM me on the Instagram or the Blue Sky with a mailing address... I MAY be able to hook you up.