bensonmum2 Universal Horror is a look back at how Universal got started in the horror movie business. The film includes a heavy dose of very welcome film clips and some interviews with experts on the subject, famous fans, and a few stars that actually worked at Universal in the 30s. Having been a fan of Universal horror films for about 45 years, I was already familiar with most of the information presented in the movie. However, I did learn a thing or two and find some bits interesting. There's also a lot of information presented on non-Universal horror. There are big chunks dedicated to German films, silent films, and King Kong. I appreciate this. Universal didn't exist in a vacuum and drew its early inspirations from a variety of sources. I'm glad these inspirations were given screen time. A few things that stuck out to me: 1. The Cat and the Canary (1927) – I'm a bit surprised how much time this non-Universal movie was given, but it looks great. I've seen the 1939 film, the 1979 film, and others inspired by this movie, but not the 1927 film – something I intend to take care of shortly. 2. The clips of the Universal films look fantastic. It's easy to forget how good these movies look, even though they were made 80+ years ago. I also enjoyed the comparisons to German expressionist films of the 20s. Very enlightening. 3. Fay Wray – I was a bit shocked to see an extended interview with Fay Wray as she never appeared in a Universal horror. Her recollections of filmmaking in the 30s is a highlight of the movie. She was a real looker back in her day. 4. Finally, I was a bit surprised that the Universal history presented in the film ended prior to The Creature from the Black Lagoon. I know it came out way past Universal's heyday, but it was just as about as important and impressive a film for its time as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Co were for theirs.As with all documentaries, I rate them based on two criteria – was it effective and was it entertaining. Effective – somewhat. If you're a longtime fan of Universal like I am, there's not a lot of new ground covered here. If you're new to these films, however, it would probably be hugely informative. I'll give it a 7/10 for effectiveness. Entertaining – I always enjoy seeing clips from these old films. Here, they've cherry-picked the very best scenes. It's a lot of fun. I'll also give it a 7/10 for entertainment value. So, it should come as no surprise that I've rated Universal Horror an overall 7/10.

moonspinner55 Comprehensive documentary produced for cable-TV's Turner Classic Movies, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, covers not only the history of Universal Studios (their humble beginnings as a factory of B-level fright films right up through the 1930s), but also the silent pictures which inspired the classic monster movies we know today as well as the offshoots made by other Hollywood studios, such as RKO's "King Kong". Priceless interviews with science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury, actors James Karen, Gloria Stuart, Lupita Tovar, Gloria Jean and Nina Foch, and Boris Karloff's daughter Sara give both a tantalizing glimpse of activity on the Universal lot and also the impressions, inspirations and childhood experiences of watching "Dracula", "Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man" in movie theatres. A must for film buffs!

Leofwine_draca This is a great documentary chronicling all of the major Universal Horror releases from the 1930s, plus all of the major actors and directors of the period. It's obviously made by people with a great love of the genre, and the affection shines through at every moment. The documentary consists of a number of people sharing anecdotes (it's surprising how many of the actresses - Gloria Stuart, Fay Wray, etc. are still alive) interspersed with loads of clips from the best bits of the films. About half of the stories I had heard already through general reading, but there are a wealth of lesser known snippets among them too.While the film clips highlight all the expected best bits from things like Dracula, FRANKENSTEIN, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, and THE WOLF MAN, there are also a number of lesser-seen moments too. For example we get to see test footage of a green Frankenstein monster, plus many clips from a lot of rare silent films starring Lon Chaney from the 1920s which are great to watch. Other, less talked-about films are discussed like THE BLACK CAT and THE RAVEN. Author David J. Skal pops up to talk about his love of the films, along with actor James Karen, author Ray Bradbury, Sara Karloff, Forrest J. Ackerman, and scriptwriter Curt Siodmak. UNIVERSAL HORROR is a reverential documentary which has been put together nicely, never outstays its welcome, and really makes you appreciate all those old horror films.

Michael_Elliott Universal Horror (1998) *** 1/2 (out of 4)This Kevin Brownlow documentary has Kenneth Branagh doing the narration as we're told the history of the Universal Studios monsters. The documentary clocks in at just over ninety-minutes and if you're unfamiliar with the studio and their monsters then it's certainly a must see.We get interviews with historians as well as people who actually worked at the studio and in some cases in the monster movies themselves. The likes of Ray Bradbury, Nina Foch, James Karen, Carla Laemmle, Sara Karloff, Gloria Stuart, David J. Skal, Fay Wray and Lupita Tovar among others are interviewed for the documentary.Again, I think the people unfamiliar with the studio are going to be the ones who enjoy this the most since the story is aimed more at people who might not be experts on the studio and the films. I say this because the documentary mainly looks at the higher known pictures like Dracula, FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE WOLF MAN. Yes, the sequels as well as some of the other films are discussed but the documentary doesn't go into great detail about some of the smaller or lesser known pictures.Still, the interviews are certainly priceless today as many of the people here are now deceased so getting to hear their thoughts on the studio will be great for history. I did have a few issues with the film including the fact that a good portion of the start takes a look at Lon Chaney who wasn't a Universal star. There's no doubt he was important to the genre but I would have preferred hearing more about the lesser known Universal horror films over Chaney and his work at MGM.