Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection [Blu-ray]

Just got in the U.K. coffin edition of this set (which cost $64.88 Canadian in total and arrived in less than a week, was sent on Tuesday and received it on Friday).

So the good news is that the discs are housed in a gatefold packaging and on plastic trays, the downside though is that they are double trays which means that one disc is set on top of another (not touching though) which is a tad annoying but at least the discs aren't slid into cardboard sleeves to be scratched upon removal, and the plastic holding, center hubs release the discs easily (not having to bend the discs in half to free them) and lock back on with ease as well.

The gatefold is itself slid into a cardboard case that has room for the included booklet and the poster cards and then this slides into the coffin, but here too is a slight problem, as the disc case is just a sliver too big for the coffin which creates a tighter fit that makes you worry that either the disc case will mark up or the coffin will eventually split at a seem (it's not a HUGE issue, but it is a tad irksome).

And now for the question that all awaiting this set wants to know, how is the new Dracula restoration?

Well, the picture quality has been improved and Renfield's first meeting with Dracula on the cobwebbed staircase now doesn't look like there's a snow storm taking place (due to all of the white specks and scratches usually visible during this scene in all of this movies other incarnations).

But there are still image issues, such as the close-up of the old ladies hand holding the cross at the beginning of the movie, which is a blurry, out of focus mess (and not done for esthetic purposes nor due to the camera's inability to take sharper close-ups, as the close-up a little later on showing Renfield's cut finger and then the cross falling into view, are so crisp and clear that you can actually see that Renfield's thumb nail has an oddly shaped cut to it) and for all of the talk in the restoration featurette about the removal of the background hiss, it's still there it's just that now, instead of the sound of a waterfall or heavy shower ever present in the background, you hear a lighter, spring shower, but it's still there and still an annoyance (which I don't understand, as the very first foray onto DVD of Dracula, the one with the original 1930's poster artwork on the cover, there's no discernible background hiss at all, but then it's next two incarnations on DVD had insane amounts of it, so why couldn't they have just used the soundtrack from the first DVD on this set?).

Also, there's still an exorbitant amount of image flux, where you can see grain or a lightish gray film, cascade across the image, most noticeable in the scene where Renfield is in his room with Dracula at the beginning of the movie, and really prevalent during the London fog scenes (and no, it's not visible because it's suppose to be fog, it's visible over the fog, like a slight rippling pulse effect, kind of like the camera was filming through sheet rain that wasn't lit to be seen, but a ghost of it is still visible on the image, if that makes any sense).

As for the other films in the set, I haven't gotten to them as yet, but seeing as no restoration was done to these, I'm assuming that the picture quality will be pretty much what you got with the original DVD's of these films as well, as i can't see them being any worse.

Oh, and one more thing, the menu is really annoying, as instead of the usual "Play", "Chapters", "Extras" options we're treated to cryptic symbols, and not cool, monster movie themed symbols either, no, we get these stupid white indiscernible symbols which you really can't judge just by looking, what they do, so you have to play around with them for a bit to figure them out (hint, DO NOT click on the house symbol unless you want to go through the WHOLE disc start up screens again, you know, the stupid screens that you can't skip through but have to sit through to get to the main menu again; I speak from frustrated experience on this one).

Well, I hope this helps some.

P.S. oh, and even though the Dracula restoration quality leaves a little to be desired, it's still worth the upgrade for the overall improved picture quality, but like I mentioned, it could have been better.

These movies have been wonderfully restored and are well worth buying. Even if you already have DVD copies, these are so much better.

«Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection» is a fantastic product. As many Canadian buyers, I decided to buy the less expensive UK version that also offer more language flexibility than the North American set. For me, as a French speaking person, the fact that these films are now presented with a French language track is a very good news. With the North American set, I could see the movies with the English or the French soundtrack but, unfortunately, I could not have the possibility to see the movies with the English track with French subtitles, what I can do with the UK set.

All this to say that I am really happy with this film collection and I even discovered an unexpected gift on the «Dracula» French speaking track : a new musical score. We all know that in 1931, when the Tod Browning «Dracula» was made, it was not common practice to compose original music to accompany movies (it will become standard procedure a few years later). So, I was under the impression that no music whatsoever exist to accompany that film until Universal asked Philip Glass to compose his score in 1998. I was wrong. Yes my friends, this is not a mistake. You can listen to original music on the French and Italian tracks of «Dracula» on the UK version of «Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection» (the exact same music is used on both language tracks). I read a lot about the history of that film and I never saw any mention about the existence of that score. I have to say that this is a very pleasant surprise. I have a master degree in musicology and from my knowledge of classical music and film music in general, I can tell you that the composer who created that piece did a very good job.

There are no information on the blu-ray disc about the French and Italian dubbing tracks and this new score but they were probably made around 1960 and part of the same production. The name of the composer is not mentionned anywhere but the music seems to be influenced by Bela Bartok. I would say that this music is more modern that what you would find in Hollywood at the same period. This is why I suppose the composer was European and was commisionned around 1960 to write music to accompany the new langage tracks.

At first, I was shocked by this new music because it really transforms the original Tod Browning movie but finally the result is quite interesting. I would even say that this musical score do a better job than the Philip Glass music. Not that the Philip Glass composition is not well crafted. It is an excellent concert piece but utilized as film music it is so intrusive that it distracts the viewer from the movie. On the contrary, the new score on the French and Italian language tracks helps to create the right mood at every important moment in the film, what any good film music should do.

So, if seeing the Tod Browning «Dracula» with a new musical accompaniment is of special interest for you, you will find that music on the French and Italian tracks of the UK set. The three other languages (English, Spanish and German) don't have any music to accompany their speaking tracks. I suppose that you may also find that score on the French track of the North American set.

I would appreciate to have information about the creation of that composition : who the composer was, when it was composed, why Universal have commissioned this music and why the company use it on some language tracks but not on others.

Even if French is my mother tongue, for me the French version of the 1931 «Dracula» will never replace the original English version of the Tod Browning movie with Bela Lugosi enigmatic voice. But to discover a new musical score to accompany that classic movie is a gift from Universal and I thank them for that.