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
