Customer Reviews

The Monster Legacy Gift Set (Frankenstein / Dracula / The Wolf Man)

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

The head busts have a great likeness to the classic monsters and are good items for avid monster movie collectors. However as far as quality DVDs are concerned, this is a step back for Universal. In some cases the picture and audio quality is worse than in the previous editions! Like in Dracula, no picture clean up has been done, and as far as audio is concerned, it hisses and it is noisier than before, and his groans at the end are missing! Why? They were there in the last DVD edition; and in the previous edition a section of music was missing during the opera scene! Couldn't they have gotten it right this time around? Why on the Frankenstein disk do they pause the end credits? That's just strange to me. Compression artifacts are visible on disks with more than one film. The Laserdisc and video versions released in the 1990s had better audio and picture quality (at least no audio was missing from Dracula). This is disappointing because the studio has done nothing to give us superb quality that these classic films DESERVE.

My third review of this set. Amazon was kind enough to have replaced my defective set prior to my returning it. This proved to be helpful and my thanks to Amazon; perhaps others with defective sets can take a tip from my experience.
The replacement set was in much better shape, as least as concerns the quality of the disks themselves--all disks were secure this time. Alas, at least one disk is--predictably--defective: it freezes. However, I can qualify "at least one" due to the fact that because I'd watched the unscratched disks in the first set, I was able to swap its non-defective ones with their equivalents in the new set without having to undergo the arduous task of a second viewing. I noticed that some of the slip covers in the new set were damaged and I switched those as well. Unfortunately, I'm still stuck with one defective disk (its equivalent in the first set is scratched), but now is the time to thank the Amazon reviewer who kindly shared the knowledge that Universal will replace individual disks (these are the kinds of reviews I like). I have yet to hear back from Universal, but it would be nice to not bother standing in line at the Post Office yet again for the sake of one disk that might again prove to be defective. Kudos to that helpful reviewer, to the reviewer who tipped us off about the protruding plastic on the bases of the cases (they're not as bad now, BTW) and to Amazon for being so professional--hisses to Universal for their "penny wise, pound foolish" policies; I'd think twice about getting on rides in their theme parks.
And writing of reviewers, I was rather disturbed at the number who seemed to think that those who've found this purchase an unsatisfactory experience (and c'mon, guys--there are a LOT of us) are a bunch of whiners simply because their own disks LOOK okay (one of my particular favorites was from someone who is presumably an alumnus of the same business school that hosted the current crop of Universal execs--I liked the way he blithely suggested that those of us with defective disks "please be quiet!" and return just the affected individual sets to Amazon, obviously ignorant of Amazon's policy to return complete boxes only, presumably for inventory control purposes). Fellow Amazon reviewers, defective merchandise is a LEGITIMATE basis for complaint, especially when it seems to be the rule rather than the exception; can any of you count? While it's not generally my nature to wish ill, I sincerely hope that these particular reviewers' disks come to display the same problems that so many of us are having, and not just when the moon is full. Their attitudes were mean-spirited, especially given that we were trying to warn future purchasers of what they could probably expect.
As to the box in its entirety, I've now viewed--with the exception of House of Dracula, which was the affected film--all the films (sans commentaries) and all the extras. The sound on Dracula was terrible and there's that issue of the abbreviated death groans (I was lucky enough to find a used copy of Universal's original release which is much better). I covered Frankenstein and "Bride" in my second review, and as to the rest, I'd have to say that I have no complaints. Yes, Universal probably could've done a better job of restoring everything, but the newer films are, predictably, in better shape and nothing in this set was a big-budget production anyway. The sound was fine and the documentaries were very informative and entertaining. The trailers often seemed to cut off rather abruptly (maybe the best source material available?) and Werewolf of London, which was REALLY fun and quirky, BTW, had no final credits. This struck me as a bit odd because all the other films had them and it seems to have been Universal's practice to include them ("A good cast is worth repeating."). I didn't mind the Van Helsing plugging because it was optional, and if its inclusion kept the price down, more power to Universal for doing something right for a change. As stated in my second review, the menus are first-rate and in addition, everything can be fast-forwarded except the introduction to the Spanish Dracula; it can, however, be skipped.
I realize I'm looking at this as a "civilian," but it seems as though it would have been so easy to have made this an almost-perfect set. My current rating breaks down as follows: four stars for the busts (refer to my first review) and the material and its restoration and set-up, and no stars for its being such a colossal pain in the posterior to try to get a complete set that plays properly. If it's indeed true that Universal will replace individual defective disks and you don't mind the possibility that some of the slip covers/inserts might be slightly damaged (I realize that not everyone's as anal as I am), then the set represents terrific value, especially if you don't become annoyed easily. And once again, many thanks to Amazon for their professional and courteous handling of this mess (this can't be easy for them) and to the reviewers who took the time to offer constructive advice.

Even if, like myself, you purchased the original Universal Monster discs a few years ago, you still need to get this set. Mainly, of course, because it is the first time HOUSE OF DRACULA has been released on DVD. But beyond that, the package itself is a great way to condense so much material into only 6 discs. And the Sideshow busts have to be seen to be fully appreciated. Like the other licensed Universal products the company offers, the attention to detail in these polystone treasures is remarkable.

If I have one minor quibble, it's that the way the films and features are laid out on the discs can be confusing. No matter which of the 3 sides of a particular collection (Frankenstein, Dracula or Wolfman) you pop in the player, the initial menu offers your choice of any of the 4 or 5 films. Unless you carefully examine the back of of the box for the contents, you'll find yourself having to put in another disc about 2/3 of the time. And die-hard Wolfman fans take note: The only thing missing from the set is the trailer for The Wolfman (which was available in the previous single-disc release). Well, that, and there is still no trailer for Son of Frankenstein.

But these are minor points, when one considers what you are getting for the money. That's 14 undisputable classics of the Golden Age of horror (well...13, maybe. She-Wolf of London is, hands-down, the nadir of the studio's output of the period). You also get a wealth of first-rate documentaries and commentary tracks, some brief but informative interviews with VAN HELSING director Stephen Sommers, and did I mention that no monster fan can live without those lovingly-crafted busts?

Order it now!!

Somewhere down the list one reviewer said everyone giving this set a bad rating was merely whining. Angry would probably be more accurate. I exchanged sets three times before finally finding one that contained discs that were all playable (though even that set had three loose discs). Your best bet is to pick this up in a store so you can shake the box and listen for loose discs before purchasing---but even this method isn't foolproof: a friend bought a box that didn't rattle only to find that two of the discs were still scratched and another froze on every single DVD player he tried it in (six DVD players, just for the reviewer who said everyone with defective discs actually had defective DVD players).

As for the quality, the films are washed-out and nowhere near as crisp as the original DVD releases. The busts are cool, but the packaging is done in the funky green tint without reprinting the great original posters in color. And as everyone has pointed out, Drac's death groan is gone, and that alone should turn away all serious horror buffs. And you still have to buy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein to complete your collection (just as I had to buy this set to complete my collection since this is the first time House of Dracula has been released on DVD).

Yes, the price is low, but I would have been willing to pay more to get these classic movies in the the condition they deserve to be in. What I did was pay 60 bucks for a glorified Van Helsing trailer.

The Mummy, Creature From the Black Lagoon, and The Invisible Man all get their Legacy treatment on Oct. 19. I hope Universal has learned its lesson and doesn't send out more rush-jobs!

This has nothing to do with this set, but since everybody is asking where the mummy, creature and invisible man are I feel compelled to share this: according to several sites I have read that another monster legacy set will be released on Oct 5, but that date could change. I hope this is correct:

Creature from the Black Lagoon - The Legacy Collection
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
- Revenge of the Creature (1955)
- Creature Walks Among Us, The (1956)
+ Back to the Black Lagoon (2000)

Mummy, The - The Legacy Collection
- Mummy, The (1932)
- Mummy's Hand, The (1940)
- Mummy's Tomb, The (1942)
- Mummy's Ghost, The (1944)
- Mummy's Curse, the (1944)
+ Mummy Dearest - A Horror Tradition Unearthed (1999)

Invisible Man, The - The Legacy Collection
- Invisible Man, The (1933)
- Invisible Man Returns, The (1940)
- Invisible Woman, The (1940)
- Invisible Agent (1942)
- Invisible Man's Revenge, The (1944)
+ Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed! (2000)

This is a gorgeous dvd gift set for true collectors! Besides those three gothic monster legacy DVDs (you may find my reviews on each DVD separately), this gift set includes three exclusive museum quality collectible busts featuring authentic portraits of Frankenstien, Dracula, and The Wolf Man. Each unique collectible is hand-cast in heavy weight polystone and hand-painted to the highest standard from the award-winning Sideshow Collectibles Creative Team (www.sideshowcollectibles.com). You will be amazed the professional details and perfect paint jobs done on these exclusive busts. They're definitely not toys but for serious quality collectors. If you're one of the classic monsters fans, this is a no doubt irresistible gift set you should own.

After waiting two months for this item, imagine my disappointment that the Werewolf of London disk was full of pixalations and drop outs! I talked to my brother, who also got a set, & he said his Frankenstein disk wouldn't play. When he examined the disk, and said that it was full of deep scratches and looked like someone used it for a hocky puck.
I read the reviews of others and it appears that Universal really goofed on this one. They also cut corners by making double sided disks, which are prone to damage.
Amazon has promised to replace my set--but geez, how many sets do I have to sit and watch to find the bad disks? Quality control isn't my job. Universal has created an inferior product all dressed up in a fancy package. They should have saved some money on the slick packaging and painted busts and made a product wasn't defective and that you could actually watch all the way through.
Buyer beware. It took all the fun out of it for me!

I have been waiting since late February when I first heard this was being released, my husband pre-ordered it as a birthday gift for me. I got it 4/29/04 and my Wolfman bonus disc is ALL SCRATCHED UP! It looks like something is streaked across it back and forth, like a glue or something but it will not come off AND WON'T PLAY!! I am VERY dissapointed after waiting so long for this! Needless to say it will be exchanged but the experience was ruined and has left a bad taste in my mouth! Now I have to go through the hell which is exchanging something through the mail!! Arrrghhh!!!

I also had the same problem as a previous reviewer. I bought 2 sets (not from Amazon) and had severe scratches on several of the DVDs. I brought them back to the store and had to open 4 other packages in the return counter until I found 2 packages that I was happy with.

Other than that, this is an incredible DVD set.

I haven't bothered to watch any of the material on this collection because I'm not sure yet of how to proceed with exchanging for a non-defective set--return the whole box or just the two defective components?
The Amazon reviewer complaints started pouring in AFTER I'd pre-ordered my set, so I kept my fingers crossed. Sure enough, one of the disks in the Dracula set had, if you will, "broken loose of its moorings," and was horribly scratched (due in part, I'm sure, to the "protruding plastic" on the beds on which the disks rest). In addition, the program sheet in the Wolf Man set was mangled and ripped; it hadn't been placed properly in its sheath. To add insult to injury, I've read reviews stating that, unlike the initial release, Dracula's death groans are missing. And let's not forget the complaints about compression and Universal's negligence with regard to remastering. Tsk, tsk--did they think no one would notice? I now have to wonder if the Van Helsing plugging I've read about is optional, since commercials can't be skipped on Universal's Double Secret Probation release of Animal House.
Go to Universal's website and let them know about your displeasure with their cheeseparing, self-promoting policies. This really is unacceptable; demonstrate your displeasure where it hurts--in their wallets.
For what it's worth, the figurines are great and are what saved this from being a one-star review. If I ever manage to acquire a non-defective set, I'll review the disks with regard to quality.