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Special Features
- Theatrical Trailers for all 10 films
Editorial Reviews
Prepare to be blown away with 10 out-of-this-world adventures from the golden age of Hollywood in The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection: Volumes 1& 2! Loaded with innovative special effects and captivating storylines, these timeless tales will take you into the strange and shocking worlds of Tarantula, The Mole People, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Monolith Monsters, Monster on the Campus, Dr. Cyclops, Cult of the Cobra, The Land Unknown, The Deadly Mantis and The Leech Woman. You can run and you can hide, but you won't want to miss a minute of the fun in this amazing sci-fi showcase!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
225 of 232 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Universal has finally seen the folly of their ways in selling this set exclusively via Best Buy and is re-releasing both volumes 1 & 2 in one set. Included are all ten films in the original sets, but once again there will be no extra features - just the films themselves and some trailers. If you love the great campy horror films of the 1950's you'll love this set. The following is from the press release on the new combined set:
Tarantula (1955, 81 min.)
An experiment to create a growth formula that could end starvation evolves into a nightmare when a contaminated spider grows gargantuan - with an appetite to match!
The Mole People (1956, 78 min.)
Deep below the surface of the earth, three scientists stumble upon a tyrannical tribe of albinos who have enslaved a mutant - and dangerous - race of mole people.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957, 81 min.)
After encountering a mysterious radioactive mist, an ordinary businessman finds his physical size diminishing as his ordinary household becomes a terrifying trap of doom. By the way, who keeps a cat in the house with a six inch tall husband around?
The Monolith Monsters (1957, 76 min.)
In a desperate race against time and nature, a geologist and a scientist must find a way to stop effects of killer outer-space rocks that are literally petrifying people with fear!
Monster on the Campus (1958, 76 min)
Terror sweeps a college campus after the discovery of a prehistoric fish that turns animals and humans that come into contact with it into bloodthirsty monsters.
Dr. Cyclops (1940, 78 min) in COLOR!
A brilliant but deranged physicist shrinks his enemies to one-fifth of their normal size when they begin to challenge his unconventional experiments.
Cult of the Cobra (1955, 80 min)
Vengeance is sworn against six American GI's after they witness a clandestine ceremony worshiping beautiful women who can change into serpents.
The Land Unknown (1957, 79 min)
When a navy expedition crash-lands in a crater thousands of miles below sea level, they encounter a hot, tropical landscape of prehistoric terror filled with ferocious dinosaurs.
The Deadly Mantis (1957, 79 min)
A paleontologist teams up with the military to battle a huge praying mantis when it goes on the attack in metropolitan cities after being released from an Arctic iceberg.
The Leech Woman (1960, 77 min)
Determined to recapture her beauty, a woman discovers a compound that will restore youth - but only when it's combined with fluid taken from bodies of the newly dead.
Tarantula (1955, 81 min.)
An experiment to create a growth formula that could end starvation evolves into a nightmare when a contaminated spider grows gargantuan - with an appetite to match!
The Mole People (1956, 78 min.)
Deep below the surface of the earth, three scientists stumble upon a tyrannical tribe of albinos who have enslaved a mutant - and dangerous - race of mole people.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957, 81 min.)
After encountering a mysterious radioactive mist, an ordinary businessman finds his physical size diminishing as his ordinary household becomes a terrifying trap of doom. By the way, who keeps a cat in the house with a six inch tall husband around?
The Monolith Monsters (1957, 76 min.)
In a desperate race against time and nature, a geologist and a scientist must find a way to stop effects of killer outer-space rocks that are literally petrifying people with fear!
Monster on the Campus (1958, 76 min)
Terror sweeps a college campus after the discovery of a prehistoric fish that turns animals and humans that come into contact with it into bloodthirsty monsters.
Dr. Cyclops (1940, 78 min) in COLOR!
A brilliant but deranged physicist shrinks his enemies to one-fifth of their normal size when they begin to challenge his unconventional experiments.
Cult of the Cobra (1955, 80 min)
Vengeance is sworn against six American GI's after they witness a clandestine ceremony worshiping beautiful women who can change into serpents.
The Land Unknown (1957, 79 min)
When a navy expedition crash-lands in a crater thousands of miles below sea level, they encounter a hot, tropical landscape of prehistoric terror filled with ferocious dinosaurs.
The Deadly Mantis (1957, 79 min)
A paleontologist teams up with the military to battle a huge praying mantis when it goes on the attack in metropolitan cities after being released from an Arctic iceberg.
The Leech Woman (1960, 77 min)
Determined to recapture her beauty, a woman discovers a compound that will restore youth - but only when it's combined with fluid taken from bodies of the newly dead.
86 of 90 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Although I bought both these sets at Best Buy when they were released, I'm delighted that folks who may have missed out on them can now own these great films on DVD.
To be honest, only a couple of the films might be considered bona-fide sci-fi classics, which occasionally rise above the limitations of typcial fifties "B" movie material. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN is one the most thought-provoking and existential films from the period. And THE MONOLITH MONSTERS rises above its low budget with some simple yet impressive effects, and better-than-average performances.
TARANTULA and THE DEADLY MANTIS are entertaining parts of the wave of Giant Killer Bug movies that ruled the screens in the 1950's. MANTIS sports one of the more ridiculously memorable critters of the era. CULT OF THE COBRA and THE LAND UNKNOWN incorporate the then-popular sub-genre of "jungle thrills" into their scripts.
The real oddity of this collection is DR. CYLCOPS. It's the only film here made in color, and was actually made in the forties. But the miniaturization effects are first-rate, and are every bit on-par with those of SHRINKING MAN, made some 15 years later.
Rounding out the collection are THE MOLE PEOPLE, THE LEECH WOMAN, and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS. . .all fine examples of drive-in shocks on a limited budget. I personally find these three to be the least of the bunch, but there's really not a bad film in the whole collection.
The only extras here are theatrical trailers for most of the films, leading to my only minor complaint: The trailer for SHRINKING MAN is not the famous one narrated by Orson Wells, but a short teaser which really reveals nothing of the film itself. I've seen the Wells trailer on t.v. many times over the years, so I would think Universal could have gotten their hands on it. But like I said, it's a minor quibble from an admitted Serious Sci-Fi Geek.
And hey, even if you're NOT a Serious Sci-Fi Geek, this impressive set may just convert you.
To be honest, only a couple of the films might be considered bona-fide sci-fi classics, which occasionally rise above the limitations of typcial fifties "B" movie material. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN is one the most thought-provoking and existential films from the period. And THE MONOLITH MONSTERS rises above its low budget with some simple yet impressive effects, and better-than-average performances.
TARANTULA and THE DEADLY MANTIS are entertaining parts of the wave of Giant Killer Bug movies that ruled the screens in the 1950's. MANTIS sports one of the more ridiculously memorable critters of the era. CULT OF THE COBRA and THE LAND UNKNOWN incorporate the then-popular sub-genre of "jungle thrills" into their scripts.
The real oddity of this collection is DR. CYLCOPS. It's the only film here made in color, and was actually made in the forties. But the miniaturization effects are first-rate, and are every bit on-par with those of SHRINKING MAN, made some 15 years later.
Rounding out the collection are THE MOLE PEOPLE, THE LEECH WOMAN, and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS. . .all fine examples of drive-in shocks on a limited budget. I personally find these three to be the least of the bunch, but there's really not a bad film in the whole collection.
The only extras here are theatrical trailers for most of the films, leading to my only minor complaint: The trailer for SHRINKING MAN is not the famous one narrated by Orson Wells, but a short teaser which really reveals nothing of the film itself. I've seen the Wells trailer on t.v. many times over the years, so I would think Universal could have gotten their hands on it. But like I said, it's a minor quibble from an admitted Serious Sci-Fi Geek.
And hey, even if you're NOT a Serious Sci-Fi Geek, this impressive set may just convert you.
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
In the early days of talkie films, many of the major studios carved out their own niches: MGM did the spectacular movies and the musicals, Warner Brothers did the social issue and gangster movies and Universal did the monster movies. By the 1950s, Frankenstein and company were generally played out, so Universal switched from the supernatural to the "scientific" monsters. These films were for the most part B-movie fare and generally fun, but also formulaic enough to merit parody, most notably on Mystery Science Theater 3000. In fact, at least three of the ten movies in The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection were redone on MST3K.
These ten movies fit into four categories, each with two or three films: the big, the small, the lost and the shifty. The "big" films deal with oversized monsters: Tarantula, The Monolith Monsters and The Deadly Mantis. Tarantula, one of three in the set directed by Jack Arnold (of Creature of the Black Lagoon fame) deals with an oversized arachnid that terrorizes a small town. Guns can't stop it, dynamite can't stop it: is the world doomed? B movie stalwart John Agar leads the cast, while Clint Eastwood appears briefly in one of his earliest roles (His first role? A cameo in Revenge of the Creature (not part of this set)). The Deadly Mantis (parodied on MST3K) features a thawed out giant insect that heads south from the Arctic. The Monolith Monster feature the monster that is simultaneously the most interesting and the most boring: giant rocks that tear up the landscape and multiply when wet.
The "small" films are the closest to classics in the bunch. Dr. Cyclops is unique in this set for three reasons: it is not only the only one not made by Universal (but by Paramount instead), it is the only one not made in the 1950s (it was made in 1940) and it is the only one in color. The story focuses on the title character, a mad scientist who creates a device that can shrink animals, including some people who get too close to his secrets. The Incredible Shrinking Man has the title character facing doom as he gets smaller and smaller, ultimately winding up in mortal battle with a spider.
The "lost" films deal with lost worlds. The Mole People (another MST3K victim) has archaeologists (including future Ward Beaver Hugh Beaumont) finding an ancient Sumerian civilization living underground. They are distrusful of outsiders, but are so sensitive to light that a flashlight is blinding and sunlight can kill. The Land Unknown has a group of people finding a lost world in Antarctica, complete with dinosaurs and carnivorous plants.
The "shifty" movies deal with people transforming into beasts. In Monster on the Campus, the main character changes into a primitive savage after being "bitten" by the fossil of an ancient fish. In Cult of the Cobra (the one really supernatural movie in the bunch), some ex-soldiers run afoul of the title group, which sends a woman after them, one who can transform at will into a cobra. Finally, The Leech Woman has a middle-aged woman who can turn young briefly, but only if she kills. Despite being another film that MST3K spoofed, it does stand out in one respect: it stars B-movie beauty Coleen Gray. While the actresses in the other films are little more than eye candy who scream at appropriate times, Gray is exceptional in her more human character. It is little wonder that Gray is the only actress in the set to have a decent career (including films like Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, Kansas City Confidential and The Killing).
It'd be a little much to say these are great movies, but they are all fun to watch. The low-budget effects, the cheesy writing (except for the Richard Matheson penned Incredible Shrinking Man) and the often wooden acting do not hurt these films but somehow enhance them. There aren't many extras (only movie trailers), but this is still a nice set, and with no movie topping 81 minutes, these films are quick and entertaining.
These ten movies fit into four categories, each with two or three films: the big, the small, the lost and the shifty. The "big" films deal with oversized monsters: Tarantula, The Monolith Monsters and The Deadly Mantis. Tarantula, one of three in the set directed by Jack Arnold (of Creature of the Black Lagoon fame) deals with an oversized arachnid that terrorizes a small town. Guns can't stop it, dynamite can't stop it: is the world doomed? B movie stalwart John Agar leads the cast, while Clint Eastwood appears briefly in one of his earliest roles (His first role? A cameo in Revenge of the Creature (not part of this set)). The Deadly Mantis (parodied on MST3K) features a thawed out giant insect that heads south from the Arctic. The Monolith Monster feature the monster that is simultaneously the most interesting and the most boring: giant rocks that tear up the landscape and multiply when wet.
The "small" films are the closest to classics in the bunch. Dr. Cyclops is unique in this set for three reasons: it is not only the only one not made by Universal (but by Paramount instead), it is the only one not made in the 1950s (it was made in 1940) and it is the only one in color. The story focuses on the title character, a mad scientist who creates a device that can shrink animals, including some people who get too close to his secrets. The Incredible Shrinking Man has the title character facing doom as he gets smaller and smaller, ultimately winding up in mortal battle with a spider.
The "lost" films deal with lost worlds. The Mole People (another MST3K victim) has archaeologists (including future Ward Beaver Hugh Beaumont) finding an ancient Sumerian civilization living underground. They are distrusful of outsiders, but are so sensitive to light that a flashlight is blinding and sunlight can kill. The Land Unknown has a group of people finding a lost world in Antarctica, complete with dinosaurs and carnivorous plants.
The "shifty" movies deal with people transforming into beasts. In Monster on the Campus, the main character changes into a primitive savage after being "bitten" by the fossil of an ancient fish. In Cult of the Cobra (the one really supernatural movie in the bunch), some ex-soldiers run afoul of the title group, which sends a woman after them, one who can transform at will into a cobra. Finally, The Leech Woman has a middle-aged woman who can turn young briefly, but only if she kills. Despite being another film that MST3K spoofed, it does stand out in one respect: it stars B-movie beauty Coleen Gray. While the actresses in the other films are little more than eye candy who scream at appropriate times, Gray is exceptional in her more human character. It is little wonder that Gray is the only actress in the set to have a decent career (including films like Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, Kansas City Confidential and The Killing).
It'd be a little much to say these are great movies, but they are all fun to watch. The low-budget effects, the cheesy writing (except for the Richard Matheson penned Incredible Shrinking Man) and the often wooden acting do not hurt these films but somehow enhance them. There aren't many extras (only movie trailers), but this is still a nice set, and with no movie topping 81 minutes, these films are quick and entertaining.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vols. 1 & 2
Anyone for Cult Classic night? I'm in. Got this for my daughter, like me loves the old classic Sci-Fi/Horror movies.
Published 10 days ago by Shirley Hobbs, Iowa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding
A couple of movies I hadn't seen but the overall transfer of the material is outstanding. Far, far better than most sci-fi transfers.
Published 25 days ago by J. Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great collection
I used to watch Chiller on Saturday nights on channel 13 out of Charleston, WV as a child. These movies were what I saw. Terrifying to a kid, but nostalgia now.
Published 29 days ago by W. KY
4.0 out of 5 stars
10 B Horror\Monster Movies
The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Volumes 1 & 2 is a total of twelve hours and fifty - nine minutes. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michael Patrick Boyd
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good
Very good collection of these old movies. Cannot believe how good of condition of such old movies. Thank you for saving.
Published 1 month ago by Carl Beasley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Collection
These movies are all treats to me. I watched them all when i was a kid in the 60's and they are all worth watching again. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Terry Kling
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Collection of Claasic Sci-fi
I recently picked this up and was thrilled at every film in the set. No techincal difficulties. Some are better than others, but no real turkeys, unlike many other boxed sets... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Minilith
5.0 out of 5 stars
just a great collection
I love these movies! They popped up on tv way back now & then, theyr'e just great fun! Now, I can watch them whenever I Want!
Published 1 month ago by john christman
3.0 out of 5 stars
An average sci-fi collection of the classic period
I've seen every classic B grade sci-fi and horror movie under the sun and I love the genre, but to be honest with you this collection is only ok, but still probably worth the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Eric
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old Movie Fan
I'm a fan of old monster/scifi/horror movies, it arrive timely and in great condition, looking forward to buying more movies.
Published 3 months ago by Ronnie
