Customer Reviews

The Classic Sci-Fi Collection: Volume 2

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would hope someone at Universal reads these reviews in the name of good customer service. Overall this a great set, fantastic restorations and a reasonable price!

But as so many others have written, why make it so difficult to obtain? Would you rather have the vultures drawing huge profits off of YOUR product?! I can't even find these sets on the Universal Home Video website!

Also, what's with the formatting of "The Deadly Mantis"? It is the only late 50's film that's not presented as matted widescreen, yet it is not truly full-frame! It appears to be a pan-and-scan of a matted widescreen master! For those who have the VHS of this film, compare a few shots and you'll see. As this film was run on Monsters HD, I'm guessing the DVD was made from the HD master. So why crop it rather than presenting it as 16:9 like "Cult of the Cobra" and "The Leech Woman". Some may call this OCD, but as someone with both filmmaking and film exhibition experience I notice these things.

Now that the HD DVD battle is over, will Universal be releasing in Blu-Ray and will these titles eventually be included?

Good basic set. Nice transfers, good sound. Some trailers, but no other extras. Limited edition exclusive through Best Buy where I purchased my copy for $17.99. If interested, buy now before greedy scalpers take over with ridiculus pricing!

Perhaps one day when MCA/Universal smarts up, they will place these and their other classsic sci-fi movies in a deluxe box set with plenty of extras, but until then, this set will do.

The Best Buys where I live were not sold out when I discovered this new set was out. Yesterday. They had several in stock. And while I also agree that Universal could've packaged these little nuggets in individual units to protect the discs better, I'm also thankful they're even out at all. No one shows these old gems on TV anymore. I cut my teeth on these flicks growing up and it's thanks to them that I learned to appreciate the sci-fi/horror genres. It's wonderful to be able to pop one in when I'm in the mood for some old time b&w fun (although "Dr.Cyclops" is in Technicolor). The only real classic here is the 1940 "Dr.Cyclops" but "The Leech Woman" with Coleen Gray going full blast is almost worth buying the set for. I will be watching more closely now for volume 3. There's more good stuff from that era waiting to be appreciated again. Enjoy.

Ok, these flicks are not up to the level of EARTH VERSUS THE FLYING SAUCERS or THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (or THEM!, for that matter), but it's a fun collection of Grade B and Below features that will entertain any sci-fi/horror buff. I bought the collection for primarily to own THE LEECH WOMAN, with Colleen Gray and Grant Williams, but it's good to have a copy of the occasionally weird DR. CYCLOPS on hand also. The pictures are very crisp, but it would have been nice to have a few extra added attractions.

I learned about this release a month-and-a-half after it came out, but when I went to Best Buy, it was already sold out. I had to pay 28 buck plus shipping on ebay to get it. Wow!

The same thing that happened with the first one is happening with the second one. In a few months, rip-off artists will be asking for $100 or more for this. Some dirtbag on ebay is already asking 60 bucks for it.

I contacted Best Buy and alerted them to this, that there is a market for both volumes one and two, but that money grubbers bought them in bulk to force them into "out-of-print RARE" status so they can make huge profits.

Universal needs to release these collections again and put these jerks out of business. What's a shame is many people like me have waited years for the titles in both volumes to come out, and when they finally do, the releases are so limited that they sell out within a couple months or less before many people realize they're available.

But what's most perplexing is the fact that, after seeing how quickly Volume 1 went into out-of-print status, Universal does the same thing with Volume 2. Unreal.

It makes me wonder if somebody or some people working for Best Buy, or maybe some people working for Universal, are the ones responsible for this, that some in the know bought up the collections themselves so they can rip off consumers?

A message to Michael Chiaro of Lodi,New Jersey wrote a scathing review on the availability of these box sets. Don't blame Best Buy or the "vultures" who are buying these DVD's up to sell at a higher price. Blame Universal for putting out such limited quantities to very popular movies that hundreds of thousands of us across America enjoyed as a child. Can you imagine if Paramount put out 5000 copies of The Godfather? Would that be fair to the hordes of people who love that movie? Absolutley not. So why would Universal put out first 5 incredible Sci-Fi movies like The Mole People, Incredible Shrinking Man, Tarantula in such limited quantities, and now movies like Deadly Mantis and Land Unknown and Dr. Cyclops knowing these movies would sell whether or not they were limited. I understand Michael's anger, however I think it's misguided. It should be aimed at Universal Studios for not making these widely available.

Dr. Cyclops (1940)
The brilliant physicist Dr Thorkel (Albert Dekkar) summons four explorers to Peru. They discover a rich source of radium and a half-mad Thorkel who shrinks them down to one-fifth their normal size when they threaten to stop his unorthodox experimentation.

Cult of the Cobra (1955)
While stationed in Asia, six American GIs witness the secret ritual of Lamians (worshipers of women who can change into serpents). When discovered by the cult, the High Lamian Priest vows that "the Cobra Goddess will avenge herself". Once back in the United States, a mysterious woman enters into their lives and accidents begin to happen. The shadow of a cobra is seen just before each death.

The Land Unknown (1957)
On a naval expedition to Antarctica, three men and reporter Maggie Hathaway (Shirley Patterson) crash-land in a crater 1000-m below sea level. There, they encounter steamy tropical forest, dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, and human footprints, as Maggie's clothes become more and more abbreviated.

The Deadly Mantis (1957)
The calving of an Arctic iceberg releases a giant praying mantis, trapped in suspended animation since prehistoric times. It first attacks military outposts to eat their occupants, then makes its way to the warmer latitudes of Washington and New York. A paleontologist (William Hopper) works together with military units to try to kill it.

The Leech Woman (1960)
A faded beauty (Coleen Gray) leaves a trail of murder from Africa to the United States when she discovers a compound that will restore her lost youth--when consumed with fluid from the pineal gland of the newly dead! I've been waiting for this Saturday Afternoon Matinee favorite for years! Seeing this on the Saturday afternoon's "Shock! Theater" which aired a different classic Sci-Fi/Horror movie each weekend, I never forgot the cool scene where the old woman is transformed from a decrepit hag to a ravishing beauty!

Grab some snacks! Get comfortable and kick back for some cool `50's sci-fi b-movie classics that will give you a few chills and more than a few chuckles! I highly recommend this dvd collection to fans of classic sci-fi and `50's camp! I recently just got my dvd set from Best Buy for only $19.99! Check it out! You may still be able to get this awesome set for just under $20.00 bucks before the inventory runs out!

I MISSED THIS ONE WHEN IT CAME OUT. I AM SURE GLAD A SELLER OFFERED IT. THE MOVIES WHERE MORE HORROR THAN SCI-FI. THE PICTURE QUAILTY WAS VERY GOOD AS WAS THE SOUND. I HAD NOT SEEN THE CULT OF THE COBRA BEFORE, AT LEAST I DONT REMEMBER IT. COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE BACK SEAT AT THE DRIVE IN.. GRIN GRIN.

And years later and still no Volume 3. Why? Come on guys you had to seen the cult following of the first two volumes. Anyway below would be my picks for Volume 3. Little more on the Sci-fi side as oppose to horror.

Green Slime 1968
Cyborg 2087 - 1966
Godzilla -v- Mothra(The Thing) 1964
Superman and the MoleMen 1955?
Black Sunday (Barbara Steele) 1960

Yeah, I know these aren't all if any Universal Pics, but I'd buy this if it were in a collection and I'd think others would too.

I've wait so long for "Dr. Cyclop" because I haver never seen it. I'm careful to buy movies on DVD. Any DVD's are in really cheapy and in terrible quality in sound and picture. I was really surprised about this DVD release. They have wonderful remastered picture, clear and "Dr. Cyclop" is in wonderful Technicolor. He looks like he was filmed yesterday!