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The "best" Universal Horror films

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  • PNGwynne
    Master of Fowl Play
    • Jun 5, 2008
    • 19444

    The "best" Universal Horror films

    Mulling over this today and decided to list my picks for the best Universal horror films by "era"--which quite conveniently falls amongst decades, too:

    1. The Silents ('20s): The Phantom of the Opera
    2. The Laemmles ('30s): The Bride of Frankenstein.
    3. Slick "Bs" ('40s): The Wolf Man
    4. Sci-Fi ('50s): The Creature from the Black Lagoon

    Honorable mention: The Black Cat (1934): Strong performances in the leads, striking visuals, and perverse thrill-ride of a script--underrated IMO.

    What say ye?
    WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.
  • phil
    Persistent Member
    • May 11, 2007
    • 2078

    #2
    Given the way you broke it down into eras I agree with you. I also agree that The Black Cat is a great film.

    Comment

    • enyawd72
      Maker of Monsters!
      • Oct 1, 2009
      • 7904

      #3
      Mine are:

      Silent era: Phantom of the Opera
      Laemmle era: The Mummy
      New Universal: Son of Frankenstein
      Sci-Fi era: Creature From the Black Lagoon

      Comment

      • wayne foundation 07
        Time to feed the cat
        • Dec 30, 2007
        • 5705

        #4
        does this one count ?

        Comment

        • Hedji
          Citizen of Gotham
          • Nov 17, 2012
          • 7246

          #5
          My list is the same as PNGwynne except I might put Frankenstein vs Wolf man in the 40s slot.

          Comment

          • MIB41
            Eloquent Member
            • Sep 25, 2005
            • 15631

            #6
            1) 20's era - Nosferatu
            2) 30 era - Frankenstein - Note: Bride is probably a better film as a whole, but Karloff never looked better when he was thinner and had to act with no benefit of dialogue. Plus I didn't like the lack of continuity Bride made by casting the doctor's bride as a brunette after Mae West did such an outstanding job in the first film. That was strange to me.
            3) 40's era - Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein - The greatest horror/comedy of all time.
            4) 50's era - Creature from the Black Lagoon.
            5) 60's era - Curse of the Werewolf - ***Yes, this is a Hammer film, but did you know Universal distributed it? I found that interesting.
            6) 70's era - Jaws - 'Nuff said
            7) 80's era - Halloween II - The sister storyline started here.
            8) 90's era - Jurassic Park
            9) 00's era - King Kong

            Comment

            • madmarva
              Talkative Member
              • Jul 7, 2007
              • 6445

              #7
              Originally posted by PNGwynne
              Mulling over this today and decided to list my picks for the best Universal horror films by "era"--which quite conveniently falls amongst decades, too:

              1. The Silents ('20s): The Phantom of the Opera
              2. The Laemmles ('30s): The Bride of Frankenstein.
              3. Slick "Bs" ('40s): The Wolf Man
              4. Sci-Fi ('50s): The Creature from the Black Lagoon

              Honorable mention: The Black Cat (1934): Strong performances in the leads, striking visuals, and perverse thrill-ride of a script--underrated IMO.

              What say ye?
              Hard to argue with your opening list. But Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein would probably be my honorable mention. Nothing against Black Cat all of the Lugosi/Karloff films are great.

              Comment

              • Goblin19
                Talkative Member
                • May 2, 2002
                • 6108

                #8
                Your list is spot on with my tastes, though Frankenstein and Bride are very close for me.

                Comment

                • PNGwynne
                  Master of Fowl Play
                  • Jun 5, 2008
                  • 19444

                  #9
                  "Bride" gets higher marks from me for style, black humor, and Dr. Pretorius.

                  I love "The Mummy"--best Dracula remake ever.

                  I didn't really consider "A&C Meet Frankenstein"--it's in a class by itself.
                  WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

                  Comment

                  • TrekStar
                    Trek or Treat
                    • Jan 20, 2011
                    • 8354

                    #10
                    I do agree about Nosferatu for the 20's, very creepy, 1930's very close between Dracula and Frankenstein
                    and those were both released in 1931 also enjoyed Son of Frankenstein, for the 1940's the war years
                    brought some memorable classics, Ghost of Frankenstein, Chaney's Mummy, Frankenstein meets the Wolfman,
                    but my favorite was a movie called Return of the Vampire, Lugosi played a vampire but was not called Dracula,
                    and there was a talking Werewolf with some cool cemetery/grave yard scenes. 1950's I enjoyed Revenge of the Creature.
                    Last edited by TrekStar; Jun 16, '15, 11:04 AM.

                    Comment

                    • MysteryWho
                      Persistent Member
                      • Dec 16, 2008
                      • 1046

                      #11
                      Those are likely the top film of each of the four decades or eras. I've only seen a couple of the silents but I have seen Phantom and it's great.
                      I can think of at least one honorable mention for each era, particularly Incredible Shrinking Man, which nearly beats Creature as an overall film.

                      Comment

                      • Earth 2 Chris
                        Verbose Member
                        • Mar 7, 2004
                        • 32498

                        #12
                        I can't argue with that initial list. Those are the ones I'd pick as well. As Tom pointed out, Universal distributed a lot of Hammer's output, and my favorite among the ones I know that fall under Universal would be either Curse of the Werewolf as he pointed out, or Brides of Dracula, which despite the absence of Sir Christopher Lee, is a fantastic outlet for Peter Cushing's Van Helsing.

                        If you go into the 70s, Frank Langella's Dracula was a Universal picture. I feel that movie is really underrated. Sure, there is some 70s excess (the James Bond opening credit/sex scene sticks out like a sore thumb now), but Langella's performance is a nice update of Lugosi's charming lothario, with a lot more overt sensuality. Plus, that John Williams score is epic (of course it is, it's John Frickin' Williams!).

                        Chris
                        sigpic

                        Comment

                        • Hedji
                          Citizen of Gotham
                          • Nov 17, 2012
                          • 7246

                          #13
                          ^ YES to the 79 Dracula. The Williams score is fantastic, and long out of print, so someone please re-release it. Growing up 70s, this was our big Dracula - The Movie of the post Star Wars era. Shame the director blanched the color out of all the home video versions, because it is looking very pale in its latest blu ray incarnation.

                          Comment

                          • PNGwynne
                            Master of Fowl Play
                            • Jun 5, 2008
                            • 19444

                            #14
                            To revisit:

                            Yes, there's a lot I like about Dracula '79. Actually, there's a lot I like about Dracula '92, especially the production design and effects.

                            Regarding Uni-Hammer horror: Phantom is tepid but egad, I never tire of Curse of the Werewolf--it's fantastic IMO.
                            WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

                            Comment

                            • Werewolf
                              Inhuman
                              • Jul 14, 2003
                              • 14616

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Hedji
                              Shame the director blanched the color out of all the home video versions, because it is looking very pale in its latest blu ray incarnation.
                              It's my favorite Dracula movie. Even ahead of the Lugosi version. The desaturated color of the DVD and blu ray versions is a real thorn in my side. The movie was lit and shot specifically for vibrant Technicolor. It's absolutely ridiculous that the theatrical version is not available.
                              You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

                              Comment

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