New "premium Label" for Australia.

The USA and UK are pretty fortunate to have a few labels that do special releases for some films.  Criterion, Arrow Video, Indicator Powerhouse and Eureka are just a few and those who collect a few movies would have no doubt kep their eye on their fuiture releases just in case there was something that ticked their fancy.  Why are these titles so special?  Often they come with booklets, generous extras and a great transfer from film to digital.  A few examples would be 1958's "Touch of Evil" a classic film noir starring Orson Wells (and directed by him), Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, this Eureka "Masters of Cinema" release contains five variants of the movie, 4 audio commentaries and few featurettes and a 56 page booklet.  Another example is Criterion's release of 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" which contains the theatrical release of teh film plus a reconstructed version of the film that comes much close to the original pre-cut running time (197 min for this cut vs the "released" version of about 154 min) however as some film negatives are missing they have peiced it together as much as possible from various sources.  The list could go on with 1995's Waterworld with three versions of the film and so on.  Not all releases have additional cuts but its just the attention to detail that these companies do that make the release worthwhile, should it be a film of your liking.

After years of waiting Australia is finally getting its own Premium Label, Imprint Films (https://viavision.com.au/imprint-films/), which is a division of Via Vision which often bring out good releases.

Their first run of five movies are:

- I married a Monster From Outer Space (1958), A classic sci-fi of about alien invasion.  Yes the title sounds silly but its actually quite a decent film. World first release on Bluray.

- Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), A great film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster.  Again a worldd first on Bluray.

- The Duellists (1977), a film from Ridley Scott about two officers in Napoleon's army.

- Waterloo (1970), an epic film starring Rod Steiger, Christopher Plummer, Orson Welles and Jack Hawkins.  A world first on Bluray.

- The War of the Worlds (1953), the original film based of H.G. Wells novel of the same name.  A world first on Bluray (though Criterion USA have recently announced it for release on 7th July 2020 but extras content differ a little).

Check out the full details including extras at https://viavision.com.au/imprint-films/

A few Disaster films to watch in lockdown - Part 2

We have a few more films/shows to watch that deal with disaster of somekind and some of these are real crackers.  In some ways these shows are benefical to watch as they can help us see things from a different perspective, in particular looking at what is important in life.  So without further delay lets get stuck into it.

Threads (1984)

Ok no messing around here, this grabs straight for the jugular.  By looking at the title you would be excused for thinking this was a dress making show, not an extremely challenging show about nuculear disaster hitting the UK.  This is a show that will stick in your mind for a while.  Its a real sobering show to watch but highly reccomended as it shows the disaster in a way not often seen. 

This amazingly challenging film is shot in such a way that it shows the effect the bomb had in England not just in the time it occoured but also in several time frames after and as can be seen in the above image this show does not mess around.  It can show disturbing images that will stuick with you.  Do yourself a favour and check this out.  

If you are seeking a physical copy of the film (highly reccomended) look for the above shown copy.  This contains the original full screen (that is the copy meant for TV's of that era, 1.33:1 aspect ratio) version plus a new director-approved widescreen version along with a few audio commentaries and documentaries.  This film gets 4/5 tattered and torn ferrets.  It is a very heavy going movie but well worth it.

Chernobyl (2019)

Whilst not a global disaster movie like some others, this had the potential of being a global disaster.  It is also based on a true story which makes it all the more shocking.  The quality of this show is, quite frankly, amazing.  It shows the poor quality government of the time who would not believe the truth, corruption and most importantly the lives of people that were destroyed, and i think that is the hardest thing about the show.  The lives that were thrown away by those in power (similar in ways to the what is shown in the 1981 movie Gallipoli where soldiers were ordered to run accross the battlefield only to get shot down.  So many lived lost.).

A lot of work wasa done to make the show authentic even to the point of having a Ukranian woman ,who lived in that era, check the script to make sure it reflected the speech of the time.  There is one warning i will give from a Christian point of view and that by memory during one scene there is male nudity with workers at the site.  It isnt out of place as such as it is what they did in real life due to circumstances revealed in the show and I dont recall it being for too long.  But that aside you could almost say it was a perfect show.  Very very highly reccomended with 5/5 irradiated glowing ferrets.

Oh did i say it was an awesome show?

Shin Godzilla (2016)

When you see the word "Godzilla" the 1998 or 2014 Hollywood versions probably come to mind.  There are in fact about 36 Godzilla shows, the vast majority of them being Japanese.  To be honest I was initially going to go for the original 1954 Godzilla here but I might go back to that another time so I will stick with what I reckon is one of the best Godzilla movies... Shin Godzilla.  The original is a fantastic movie and in ways out does the Hollywood versions apart from special effects, but i digress, lets stick to the movie in review (which i will no doubt revisit again in a better review).  being a Japanese movie, Shin Godzilla is naturally in Japanese so subtitles will be the norm here.

The original 1954 Godzilla was 50m in height, the 2014 Hollywood Godzilla was 108m tall while Shin Godzilla is 118 terryfying metres high.  Contrary to what you may think this is not al all out action movie but rather a more balanced movie between human (world) response to this creature and the havoc it causes.  If you just want all out action there are other Godzilla movies to hunt down but for a well balanced movie is this one right here.  It also shows a transitioning of the Godzilla in the early parts of the movie and its adapted state as shown above which differs from other Godzilla movies that I have seen.  Really well done I reckon which is what you would expect from a creature living in water for so long.  This scaly terror brings some staggering destruction upon Japan and just like the older movies the government tries all sorts of weapons against it.  Do they succeed? Can they kill this monster once and for all?  

Being Japanese, this has a different feel to the "all action fewer barins" Hollywood movies of this type.  Mind you the 2014 Godzilla and 2019 Godzilla: King of Monsters are not bad movies but just very....Hollywood.  This has more thought behind it than just being an action movie.  For this one there are 4.5/5 cowering ferrets (well actually they are curled up in fetal position screaming their heads off hahaha).  Highly reccomended.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

I wrote full review of the origina 1956 film here and still believe it holds up very well today.  The remake from 1978 is also, unusually for a remake, a solid movie that is just as good as the original and naturally benefits from better special effects but does not over do it.  I couldnt really say which one is better as they are both great movies.  Both present the case, or mystery, then builds upon it throughout the film to the finale.  The ending however is where the new one has its own compared to the original.  I will not go into details as I dont want to spoil it.

Starring the likes of Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and the Sci-fi man himself  Leonard Nimoy (Spock from Star Trek), this movie grabs you and keeps you in till the end.  Its not a gore fest but is classed as a Sci-fi horror (what isnt scary about invading aliens?!) and may keep you on the edge of your seat but does also provide a laugh or two as well.  You shoudl still be able to get the DVD or Bluray but the best copy comes from the UK which has a host of extras.  I must warn however that there are two short scenes of nudity toward the end which is unfortunate so please keep that in mind if intending to view.

Overall a very enjoyable movie and comes reccomended (as does the original 1956 version) with 4/5 freaked out ferrets.  Note:  I still do highly reccomend the original, probably above the remake so by all means check it out!

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
A nice cruise from New York to Greece on a top notch luxury cruise ship......what could possibly go wrong?  Bad fish served at the restaurant?  A dose of sea sickness?  Nah not here.  How about a tidal wave!  Yep a tidal wave.  Imagine the fear and panic that will strick the passengers as they see a huge wave coming directly toward the boat!

This is yet another solid movie from the the golden era of disaster movies (60's to 80's).  The 70's had quite a few such as The Towering Inferno, Airport, The Andromeda Strain, Jaws, Rollercoaster and of course many more.  The acting is great, the sets are great and the suspense keeps you hooked through out its near 2hr runtime.  Its great to see this remastered so well, the image quality is top notch from the bluray and will likely be similar for streamed versions.  Grab a seat and enjoy the trilling cruise!  Comes highly reccomended with 4/5 soaked ferrets!


Hope you enjoy the brief reviews of these films.  There will be more to come soon so keep watchin!

A few Disaster films to watch in lockdown - Part 1

It is an interesting time we currently live in where the Coronavirus is running around the world causing havoc and leaving many people fearful about the future and what the virus will bring with it.  Will the various stages of lockdown ever be taken away?  Will life ever be normal again?  Is it a conspiracy to bring the public under greater control of “big brother”?  Whatever the case you can’t deny that it is a great time to throw a few disaster movies into the mix!

Below are a few movies I have watched that deal with disaster of some kind whether that be diseases, natural events, atomic bombs or anything like that.  These will just be basic reviews without going into too much depth and of course no nasty spoilers.  

      5ive [aka Five] (1951)

      A nuclear war has occurred and at the start we see one survivor, Roseanne, gradually making their way home on foot.  She gets home only to find another survivor living in her house.  They come across another three taking the total known population to five, hence the title.  One interesting twist however is that Roseanne fell pregnant before the bomb went off.  She wants to go into the city to see if her husband also survived to be reunited however whilst the prospect of finding other survivors seems great there is also the risk that radiation may still be strong in the cities therefore posing great risk to the five who have so far survived.

This was quite a bold movie to be made in the 50’s however there was a fear of nuclear war looming now that atomic weapons had been used near the end of WW2 and the era spawned many movies that had that atomic influence in them and the dangers they represented.  Them! (1954), Godzilla (1954) and its many sequels/reboots, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) and so on both with monster creatures and without.  Even movies about alien invasion like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) stemmed from cold war fear.  Some where very successful and others not so successful, however many are making a comeback thanks to re-releases on various media.

     Overall 5ive was an enjoyable film, naturally limited in its effects with its estimated $75k budget but to be honest it didn’t need great effects to be efective and I gave it a 3.5/5 ferret rating.  The DVD is not very easy to obtain and needs to be imported from the USA.

     The War of the Worlds (2019) – tv series

     The original 1953 film was a deadset classic, no doubt about that.  The more recent 2005 remake was impressive with special effects but, I feel, didn’t have the same punch as the original.  The new version of the H.G. Wells book was made into a 3 part tv series that has not really gained a great reputation.  I have not read the book so my views are completely based of what I know from the past two movies.

      The setting is not America but England in 1905.  This really brings out the stark contrast in technology between mankind and the aliens from Mars which adds to the feel of the show.  I don’t intend to mention spoilers to ruin the show for you but there are some matters that seem silly for such a show.  As with many shows there is a romance side going here as well where parts of it could have been done better or different and tha tends to drag the show down a bit.  You will notice two stories being told, one in the present and one set in the future.  This makes it feel kinda weird, no doubt contributing to the beating it has received with ratings.  But I can overlook that and if they do another season it may contribute to the story quite a bit, so I will remain open on that part.

     Overall I enjoyed the series with a more accurate English 1900’s setting (no tanks, no jet fighters etc).  It could certainly be better but could also be a lot worse.  I don’t think its as bad as the silly 5/10 rating on IMDB but will go with a 7/10 or 3.5/5 incinerated ferrets.  If you read the book and are deperate for a faithful adoptation, look elsewhere.  If you can overlook a few odd inclusions check it out.  Its certainly worth a watch. 

         The Andromeda Strain (1971)

     This gets closer to what we are seeing today in 2020 though in a much more contained state.  A couple of workers are assigned to pick up the remains of a millitary satellite that has returned to earth.  As they venture into the town the team realises something is drastically wrong as the people in the town have died.  A group of scientists then investigate what what happened and how they can stop this destruction from spreading.  Sorry, I sound vague but the beauty of this film is knowing little before diving into it 😊

      Based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, we have a very solid film that kept me hooked te whole way through.  Its able to maintain pace through out the 131 minutes as they prob and investigate the issues surrounding the deaths.  Fantastic stuff.

     The Bluray is from Arrow Video (a top notch company that pumps out some great restirations of movies) and was imported from the UK.  The video has been newly restored and looks fantastic for its age.  If you want more than just the movie this release has a ton of extras.  The movie here infects 4.5/5 ferrets.

      Contagion (2011)

      Now this gets a little too close to what we are experiencing now and really hits the nail on   the head. 

      “But right now, our best defense has been social distancing. No hand-shaking, staying   home when you're sick washing your hands frequently.”  Sound familiar?

      A lethal virus rears its ugly head and starts spreading around the world.  As the virus spreads there is a race to find a vaccine before the world as we know it changes forever.

      Steven Soderbergh has made some great movies such as the heist trilogy Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 the cool Out of Sight and continues that tradition with a solid thriller that will no doubt become well known as we venture further into the Conrona situation we are finding ourselves in.  This is another solid film that is begging to be watched during lockdown!  4/5 sneezing ferrets.

Panic in Year Zero (1962)

This is an interesting movie showing what can happen when panic arises.  Most of us have seen something like.  When the threat of Corona hit us here in Australia two things happened.  The media rattled on about it almost non stop and ALL the dunny paper (toilet paper) was purchased from our stores.  Panic.  The world is bcoing infected with a virus and what happens here in Australia?  Every man and his dog buys dunny paper.  Staggering….

Anyway back to the movie.  The Baldwin family decide to head out on a holiday on an ordinary day.  As they get some distance away they notice a bright flash and upon pulling over on the roadside they see the evidence that Los Angeles has been hit with an atomic bomb.  This naturally encourages them to head further out into the country to escape the  radiation, but many others also have the same idea.

This is a real interesting movie about how ordinary people can change when the going gets tough.  How far would you go to protect your family?  

Don’t be fooled, this black and white movie was made in 1962 and the lack of colour seems to add to its bleek feel.  The image quality is excellent thanks to remastering of the film.  The Bluray viewed here is imported from the USA and is locked to Region A so a multi region bluray player is required, however you can get the DVD which should play in the majority of DVD players here as many are multi region (please check and confirm your player is multi region before attempting to order this movie).  4/5 ferrets glowing in the dark.

Coming up next are a few more movies that are real crackers.  Stay tuned for a few more movie suggestions for lockdown!

Note:  As a Christian disasters such as what we are experiencing is something we are told to expect as the days draw closer to the end.  Whilst these movies are about disaster of various kinds I take them just as that.....movies.  I am not in anyway trying to bring fear to people nor am I fearful my self.  God is bigger and greater than these issues that surround us and the improtant thing is that i keep my eyes on the One who is true, the Creator of all things and that same One who has the power to save.  Jesus Christ.

The Lost Islands (1976) – TV Series

For those growing up in the 70’s and 80’s there were some interesting TV shows for the young inquisitive minds.  I was never one who got into “Hey Hey It’s Saturday” nor really into music video shows like “Countdown” (even though I had the occasional viewing hoping to see my favourite songs at the time – “Wouldn’t it be Good” by Nik Kershaw with his glowing white suit that would reflect images comes to mind).  But we had some fascinating shows like Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century (gotta love the Looney Tunes spinoff “Duck Dodgers in the 24^th and a half Century”), The Goodies, Dr Who and our series in review “The Lost Islands”.  What sets this apart from the others listed is that it was an Australian co-production with the USA studio Paramount and surprisingly it became quite popular overseas even to cult status in some areas.

The opening theme song basically tells the story, so if you missed it on the first episode, you’ll catch it again and again across the whole 26 episodes.  A sailing boat called “United World” holding 40 teenagers from around the world nearly gets sunk by a hurricane.  All of them are rescued except five who remain on the boat which gets battered across a reef and becomes stranded in a lagoon on a small island called Tambu.  The island is ruled by a “200-year-old” called “Q” and the inhabitants live in a community resembling the 18^th Century with basic living standards who all have surnames beginning with the letter “Q”.  Among the five teenagers is one Australian, one from China, one German, One from England and one from the USA and together they try to help some of the town folk with their problems and try to get them to overcome some of the fears relayed down the years by their tyrant leader “Q”.  

Sadly, the show only got one season of 26 episodes (about 25 minutes each) but during this time they get into all sorts of mischief with the island’s leaders and also find ways to use the technology they have to help out the town people.  Mark (England) has a tendency to get into trouble, Anna (German) is the caring helpful one, Su Yin (China) is more hands-on and takes a few more risks, Tony (Australian) is the brave one and David (USA) the man of science.  Naturally the government thinks they are a threat as they know the truth about the “real world” away from the island so the kids build themselves a treehouse in the “forbidden” area of the island which is also where the damaged ship is hidden. 

Surprisingly the show has gathered up a rating of 8.4 on IMDB and 7.8 on TV.com which may sound a bit ambitious for some, but it is a solid 70's show that gives some relaxing fun.  Sometimes the acting is a bit fake but overall its ok considering the kind of show it was for a younger audience.  I remember seeing this show often as a kid and one episode stuck out to me even after all these years (gee I sound old!) is where they fund an army duck discarded from WW2 and they use that to cause havoc with the town leaders.  I couldn’t remember the name of the show for years and every so often I would try to find out what the show was called but I recently tracked it down and found a legit copy to buy.

Unfortunately, one of the reasons this show remains mostly unknown today is because of its availability.  Being an Aussie show, the budgets would not be there to bring it out on DVD as they would likely deem it unprofitable.  However, thanks to the German studio Pidax Film Media, we are able to get a copy of this great show.  You can scrounge around for it on Youtube but the quality isn’t that good however the 4-disc DVD set is really quite good considering the materials and budget used to make the show.  Whilst there may have been a little bit of restoration work done it naturally doesn’t match up to the more popular and expensive shows so expectations need to be toned down a little (after all it would have been recorded initially on video tape).  Having said that though, the quality of the image is really quite good, in fact probably the best its ever been especially when you consider the lower resolution it would have been shown on the old CRT TV’s back in 1976.  The German name of the show is “Die verlorenen Inseln” and you can order it direct from the studio website https://www.pidax-film.de/ for about 22 euro. 

The image is in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio (4:3 ratio so you will have the black bars to the left and right of the image on our widescreen tv’s) and as stated above is really quite good considering its age.  As seen from the title image this is actually the German print so the title does not display “The Lost Islands” however the audio comes in two flavours German by default and English when selected in the menu.  The menu’s are also in German and each time you pop the disc in you will need to change the language once you hit the menu.  There are no extras.

Overall this is a great show that will bring a smile to the faces of those who remember watching it.  The kids of this generation may find it interesting for a while but would probably get bored after a few episodes compared to the “special effects” rich time we live in which is a shame as the show has some good ideas and is overall a lot of fun even with the occasional dodgy acting.  Recommended for those who remember the show.  Check out the opening sequence below which just may jog your memory!

The Lost Islands Intro

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Stagecoach (1939)

Marshal Curly Wilcox: Come busting in here - you'd think we were being attacked! You can find another wife.
Chris: Sure I can find another wife. But she take my rifle and my horse. Oh, I'll never sell her. I love her so much. I beat her with a whip and she never get tired.
Dr. Josiah Boone: Your wife?
Chris: No, my horse. I can find another wife easy, yes, but not a horse like that!

Director:  John Ford
Producer:  John Ford (uncredited)
Main Cast:  Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell
Runtime:  96 minutes

Usually when the name John Ford is mentioned visions of Monument Valley come to mind (My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon) usually with John Wayne somewhere in the foreground.  John Ford is famous for shooting his movies on location in picturesque Monument Valley and here in Stagecoach is no different.  It’s a movie that set a new standard for the Western genre and even shot John Wayne to major star status.  Interesting to note that this was John Ford’s first sound western and John Wayne’s 80^th movie.  Hard to believe.

In a nutshell, nine people board a stagecoach to travel from Tonto Arizona to Lordsburg New Mexico.  They become aware that the fierce Apache Indian leader Geronimo is in the area which forces them to work together in a hope to get to their destination safely.

Don’t let the year of production put you off.  This is not classed as a landmark Western for nothing and its quality story and acting will likely surprise you, not to mention the beautiful scenery (John Ford’s first movie filmed in Monument Valley).  Local Indians were also hired to play their parts which also adds to the realism of the film (no face painting here folks).

Overall, I really enjoyed the film and if you like Westerns, especially older ones, you’ll love this.  Yes, you can tell that some scenes were shot in a studio but remember this is 1939 and to be honest they would likely do the same these days but with a green screen.  There are also stunts and some sequences that they would not do these days (thankfully in some cases) for various reasons but it’s really the story, acting and location which make me give this the big thumbs up.  It’s just a well-made quality landmark film that is worth watching.

Copies of the film are sadly limited in Australia.  There was a DVD released some time back however I am unsure of its quality.  The Bluray used in the review was imported from Germany as it was on sale and from what I understand it appears to be the same quality transfer as the USA Criterion version (Region A locked, but comes with several extra features) which is excellent news. The image quality varies but overall is very good considering the age of the film and materials used.  There is some film damage right near the end however this is more of an issue with the film source used as opposed to the transfer to disc and I am sure that all efforts were made to correct as many of the issues as possible. Audio is more DVD quality but is sufficient, though an uncompressed audio would have been more ideal.  No extras are included.

Highly recommended for fans of Westerns and/or John Wayne/John Ford.  It was much better than I had anticipated.  There is also a 1966 remake that is good in its own right, though not as good when compared to this version but still worthwhile.

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The Invisible Man (1933)

The Invisible Man: All right, you fools. You've brought it on yourselves! Everything would have come right if you'd only left me alone. You've driven me near madness with your peering through the keyholes and gaping through the curtains, and now you'll suffer for it! You're crazy to know who I am, aren't you? All right! I'll show you!
[the Invisible Man removes his rubber nose and goggles and throws them at his spectators]
The Invisible Man: There's a souvenior for you, and one for you. I'll show you who I am - and WHAT I am!
[the Invisible Man, laughing maniacally, removes his bandages and fake hair]
Const. Jaffers: Look! He's all eaten away!
The Invisible Man: Eh? How do you like that, ay?

Director:  James Whale
Producer:  Carl Laemmle Jr.
Main Cast:  Claude Rains, Gloria Stewart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers, Una O’Connor
Runtime:  72 minutes

I will say up front, that I am not really a horror fan, but many of these older “horror” films are just a thriller these days without the usual rubbish that comes along with that genre especially in more modern years.

There have several more recent attempts at making an invisible man movie with the 1992 “Memoirs of an Invisible Man” (Chevy Chase and Darryl Hannah) and the 2000 “Hollow Man” (Elizabeth Shue and Kevin Bacon) instantly coming to mind however that old familiar saying comes back “they don’t make them like they used too”.  To be fair the 1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man movie was a more comical take and didn’t really take itself too seriously and was really enjoyable because of that.  The 2000 Hollow Man was more of an effects movie without the meat (no pun intended) so it seemed more like a pointless movie that had a lot of potential.  So perhaps going back to where it started would be an interesting move.  The film in discussion here came out in 1933 and again blew away the minds of audiences with its fantastic special effects and test of imagination (he could be anywhere…even here in the room!).  Just like the 1933 King Kong, I either dismissed it or never really noticed it existed but having now seen it, I can see how it has stood the test of time. 

Without giving much of the movie away, Dr. Jack Griffin (wonderfully played by Claude Rains), heavily clothed and bandaged, goes into an old Inn during a snow storm to seek refuge and solitude to work on a solution to his invisible state.  The drugs he took to make him invisible also affects his mind which causes him to start on bit of a rampage in Britain.  In its day it was classed as a horror film but most of that would simply be due to how mysterious and creepy it would be to have someone who is invisible around,  It is also what they call a “pre-code” movie and therefore didn’t comply with what should and should not be allowed in a movie (this Hayes Code was introduced in 1930 at the start of the sound era but became enforced in July 1934 and essentially tried to force movie makers to adhere to a type of “code of conduct” when it came to movies.  The Hays code ended in 1968.).  That’s where the horror part comes in which is unlike more modern horror themes which seem to take things too far, but that’s another story.  These days we would just call this movie a thriller, probably mild at that.

Contrary to the images above we do see him with the bandages off or more accurately the invisible person and/or its effects, and to be honest for a movie of this vintage the effects are very convincing.  No green screen or CGI here (obviously), just the old fashion techniques and they come off wonderfully.  As Claude is invisible, be that under wraps or in a more literal sense, we don’t “see” him act, but the acting he does is with his voice where you can sense his expressions and feelings in his tone and he really does the job perfectly.  Apparently they wanted to get Boris Karloff (who played the Mummy from 1932 and Frankenstein in the original 1931 film) but after much dispute Claude ended up playing the role and to be honest he suits it to a T. 

The Bluray disc reviewed forms part of a boxset called “Universal Monsters: The Essential Collection” which has a number of horror movie firsts, being Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941), Phantom of the Opera (1943) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), the last movie of which comes in both 2D and 3D editions for this boxset and Dracula has both the English and Spanish versions of the film.  All movies have naturally been fully restored and each movie has its own set of extras.  Personally I am not a fan of some of the horror movies at all such as Wolfman and Dracula and personally would not reccomend them at all from a Christian point of view.  Invisible Man and Creature from the Black Lagoon are really quite good, especially Invisible Man and is the main reason I purchased this boxset which ended up being cheaper than buying those two movies by themselves (Black Lagoon only comes in 3D for this boxset too).

The Bluray for The Invisible Man is impressive in its quality with any issues more likely being related to the source material as opposed to the disc or transfer itself.  It retains a good level of contrast and is sharp considering the age and of the film.  As with many of the older movies on Bluray, I would say that this is the best you’re going get when watching these movies particularly if they have had the restoration treatment.  The extras include a commentary and documentary. 

Overall I highly recommend watching the movie if you like the invisible man thriller movies.  Its engaging and keeps you in and also has a spot of fun in it as well.

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