Entertainment Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors Michael Giltz Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ Read more Dark Shadows , How I Met Your Mother , Universal Pictures , Warner Bros , Blu-Ray , Horror Films , Entertainment News 0 16 0 1React Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Boo! Universal's Scarily Good Blu-ray Boxed Set of Monster Films MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 Mourdock On Abortion: Pregnancy From Rape Is 'Something God Intended' Was The Whole Donald FOLLOW US Celebrity TV Political Hollywood Features Hollywood Buzz Videos This Might Be The Most Important Vote You'll Cast This YearOctober 24, 2012 Edition: U.S.</p><p> Chip Davis Tavis Smiley James Franco Gov.</p><p> Jennifer M.</p><p> GranholmHOT ON THE BLOG HuffPost Social Reading Like 117 Posted: 10/09/2012 5:59 pm SHARE THIS STORY Submit this storySPONSOR GENERATED POST Recommend 92kMovie Trailers Smarter Ideas iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More Log in Create AccountUNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION ($159.98 BluRay; Universal) DARK SHADOWS ($35.99 BluRay; Warner Bros.) -- When it comes to splatter and gore, you can count me out.</p><p> But when it comes to classic horror films, movies that create believable even moving characters (however misshapen or evil) then I'm in.</p><p> No one did that better than the House Of Horror, Universal Pictures.</p><p> Just as Warner Bros. specialized in gangster flicks and MGM the musical, Universal made its bones in horror films from the silent era on.</p><p> This set contains eight of the crown jewels in their collection, iconic movies presented with care on Blu-ray in smashing style.</p><p> I haven't watched every minute of every movie but everything I've looked at is very impressive.</p><p> Dracula contains both the Spanish version (shot on the same set as the Bela Lugosi film after hours) and the Philip Glass score along with the original film.</p><p> Frankenstein of course includes the original edit.</p><p> It and the superior sequel Bride Of Frankenstein are the peaks for me, two movies brimming with pathos and humor, respectively.</p><p> I've always found The Mummy a bit draggy but Boris Karloff does great physical work under all that makeup.</p><p> The Invisible Man is a stunt and pales quite a bit today, but what a film debut for Claude Rains.</p><p> He became a star just on the power of that mellifluous voice. (And how easily Rains might have been stuck in horror like Vincent Price -- he's in this plus The Wolf Man and The Phantom Of The Opera ).</p><p> Lon Chaney Jr. is no leading man but once he's in makeup, The Wolf Man gains a certain emotional edge.</p><p> Phantom is an overstuffed prestige pic when horror works best without delusions of grandeur.</p><p> And Creature From The Black Lagoon is a bit of silliness but so influential (what a wave of '50s horror flicks came in its wake) that it deserves its place in history and this collection.</p><p> They even include the 3-Dversion here for the first time in ages.</p><p> A slim, compact box (hurrah!) though I always prefer spindles tothe cardboard sleeves.</p><p> Most importantly of all, you're seeing these films in top notch picture and sound,probably better than most people saw them even during their debut runs.</p><p> Maybe Warner Bros. shouldhave let Universal remake Dark Shadows .</p><p> They weren't averse to jokey movies (like Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein ) but there was always a modicum of understanding for the conventions of the genre.</p><p> In Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's indifferent spoof of the cult TV series, not so much.</p><p> Is Burton bored?He certainly seems to be.</p><p> CINDERELLA DIAMOND EDITION ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney) -- Cinderella has always resided in the top tier of Disney films.</p><p> But not for me.</p><p> I appreciate the beauty of the drawings but thebackgrounds are exceptionally static throughout to save money.</p><p> It's not an artistic choice to create acertain look and they surely didn't turn necessity to their advantage.</p><p> That keeps me from ranking thisslight tale higher.</p><p> They do a good job of beefing up the animal characters to flesh out the story (such asthe mice Gus and Jacques) but it's still pushing it to get to 75 minutes.</p><p> Having said all that, it's firmly inthe second tier of solid Disney films and is beautifully presented here.</p><p> A terrific bonus is the short filmTangled Ever After , which not surprisingly stars the horse from Tangled, one of the great animal characters in Disney history and it's all achieved without him speaking a word.</p><p> Trump Announcement A Gigantic, Pointless Bust? Coulter Uses Slur Against Obama Another Day In Polls, Still Neck-And-Neck WATCH: Vivica A.</p><p> Fox SLAMS Stacey Dash's Romney Endorsement 'Grey's Anatomy' Sneak Peek: Cristina's New 'Sex Friend,' Jackson's Lady Troubles & More Allred Goes To Court Over Mitt Romney Divorce Testimony Louisiana Woman May Have Set Herself On Fire In Dubious Race-Related Attack (UPDATED) WATCH: U.N.</p><p> Chief Dances Gangnam-Style DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5 Chip Davis Halloween Is a Night Like No Other Tavis Smiley The Top 20 (Cause 10 Ain’t Enough) Reasons (Excuses) Black Folk Will Give if Obama Loses TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8Like 9k Like 40k Like 207 Like 1k Like 5k Recommend 1k Recommend 32k Recommend 736 Teen Mom's New 16,000 Dollar Face Flight Premiere Fan OverloadMAGIC CITY COMPLETE FIRST SEASON ($54.99 BluRay; Anchor Bay) NEW GIRL COMPLETE FIRST SEASON ($39.98 DVD; FOX) HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER COMPLETE SEASON 7 ($39.98 DVD; FOX) THOMAS & SARAH ($49.99 DVD; Acorn) -- Starz made their critical breakthrough with Boss , destination TV starring Kelsey Grammer that makes the channel a must-get for fans of quality TV.</p><p> They've been knocking on the door with the trashy fun of Spartacus and clearly were swinging for theMOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2 HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3 HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Katy Perry Video Justin Timberlake Pennsylvania Richard Mourdock Social Impact Investing San Francisco Around Town Sharks Marijuana Buy a link here Sponsored Links "Strange Bean Burns Fat" Celebrity Doctor proclaims this strange bean magic for weight loss. www.iconsumerknowledge.org 7 veggies that KILL fat Surprising foods that boost your metabolism TruthAboutAbs.com Better Than A Facelift? Long Island City Doctor Has Lazy Way ToLook Years Younger in 17 Seconds www.consumerproducts.com MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » WATCH: Vivica A.</p><p> Fox SLAMS Stacey Dash's Romney Endorsement The Search for the Real -- October Snoop Dogg Explains Why He's Voting For Obama Lindsay Lohan's Incredible Debate Tweets fences on the drama Magic City .</p><p> It's Mad Men meets The Sopranos, but in Miami so you get more bikinis, which is always a good thing.</p><p> The show leans more towards soap than genuine drama but the cast is handsome and the look of the show top-notch.</p><p> Maybe the writing will catch up to its aspirations (I haven't finished the season yet).</p><p> New Girl has a terrific ensemble and Zooey Deschanel is winning as the title character surrounded by her guy pals including Nick (jake Johnson) who she is totally going to sleep with or date at some point. (Make it soon; don't drag these things out.) But my favorite is the adorkableMax Greenfield.</p><p> I'm still astonished that the bizarre mumbly drawl he created for his character inVeronica Mars was not his real speaking voice.</p><p> Now if they'd just tone down the over the top nuttiness and keep it grounded in reality, the show would be funnier.</p><p> If they're lucky, New Girl will have some seasons as good as the best years of How I Met Your Mother , another solid comedy with a great cast.</p><p> They keep me tuning in every once in a while, even though I've long ago stopped caring about who thereal mother is or frankly the convoluted love lives of our leads.</p><p> If you're heartbroken that DowntonAbbey stole the thunder from the reboot of Upstairs Downstairs and you really want a fix but have already watched the original a gazillion times, well you might try Thomas & Sarah .</p><p> It's a tepid spin-off from the original series and isn't a patch on that classic, but Pauline Collins remains a hoot, even in these lesser circumstances.</p><p> ANNIE ($14.99 BluRay; Sony) -- Annie just began playing previews on Broadway and I'm excited to see it since I've never seen the show in person.</p><p> I've only seen the pretty good 1999 TV movie starring Victor Garber and this stiff 1982 feature film edition starring Albert Finney and Carol Burnett (the best thing init).</p><p> On the plus side, it's been put out on DVD in its original widescreen aspect ratio, instead of thehorribly cropped edition they released on DVD.</p><p> And while it's not remastered, the Blu-ray does lookbetter than that earlier version (not a high bar, believe me, but it does look decent).</p><p> So fans of the movie(especially those who want to enjoy Burnett's excellent work) have an inexpensive option now.</p><p> GERHARD RICHTER PAINTING ($29.95 DVD; Kino Lorber) -- This film doesn't promise to reveal or explain Richter.</p><p> It's not Richter Bares His Soul.</p><p> So you shouldn't be surprised by the alternatelyfrustrating and intriguing glimpse into his work methods.</p><p> I've never heard the artist talk before so I washappily surprised by his amusing comments and attitude.</p><p> You are at a certain remove from the action,but then if you were in his studio and felt constrained about yelling out a hundred questions, this isexactly the experience you would have.</p><p> It's certainly compelling for those fascinated by modern art ingeneral or Richter in particular.</p><p> The uninitiated might feel they were watching paint dry and in a sensethey'd be right.</p><p> But in the proper context, it turns out that can be rather absorbing.</p><p> The extras, especiallya chat with Richter and an art historian that lasts 23 minutes, are solid.THE NIGHT RIDERS ($24.95 Bluray; Olive Films) RED RIVER RANGE ($24.95 Bluray; Olive Films) OVERLAND STAGE RAIDERS ($24.95 Bluray; Olive Films) THREE TEXAS STEERS ($24.95 Bluray; Olive Films) -- I guess there's always more to learn about Hollywood history.</p><p> Until these Blu-rays came out, I'd never heard of The Three Mesquiteers , a Western spin on The Three Musketeers (but minus D'Artagnan).</p><p> That's not surprising until you hear they made 51 of them from 1936 to 1943 and that eight of them starred John Wayne.</p><p> Here are four of Wayne's movies.</p><p> Naturally, I'd prefer they put out all eight of Wayne's flicks in one cheap set, but Olive is a small companyrescuing films from the vaults so that's just not possible.</p><p> On the plus side, these all look pretty terrific.The Night Riders is atypical because it's set not in 1939 (when it was released) but in the 1800s with the assassination of President Garfield as a plot twist.</p><p> Hilariously, they do good in this film while donning thecostumes also worn by the KKK.</p><p> No allusion is intended and there's certainly no racial subtext to the filmbut it's rather amusingly off-putting to see them help ranch hands and farmers while wearing such a vilesymbol of hatred.</p><p> The other three are more standard fare, with Overland featuring silent film icon Louise Brooks in her last screen appearance.They're all under an hour and only John Wayne completists or B-Western nuts need apply.</p><p> But I'm thrilled: Since 1939 is always touted as the best year in film history, I'll watch anything made from that year and this gives me three more flicks to add to my list.</p><p> THE WAR OF THE ROSES SIGNATURE SERIES WALL STREET SIGNATURE SERIESTHE BROTHERS MCMULLEN SIGNATURE SERIESSHE'S THE ONE SIGNATURE SERIESTHE FRENCH CONNECTION SIGNATURE SERIES ($24.99 each BluRay; FOX) -- Five films in the Signature Series, which guarantees that the director has overseen the remastering of the film and itspresentation on Blu-ray.</p><p> Michael Douglas shines in Wall Street of course but his even better work in The War Of The Roses has gone unappreciated, much like the film itself.</p><p> It's a black comedy about divorce that is Danny DeVito's crowning achievement as a director.</p><p> Edward Burns is represented with his twobest films: his breakthrough The Brothers McMullen and his romantic drama with Jennifer Aniston, an actress who should have made the transition to film easily but somehow didn't.</p><p> Finally, there's WilliamFriedkin's best film by a country mile, the gritty action film The French Connection.</p><p> Oh for the days when a regular Joe like Gene Hackman could be a movie star! ***** Most titles listed here will be available in multiple formats and in multiple combinations, includingDVD, Blu-ray, digital download, video on demand, streaming and the like.</p><p> The format listed is theformat provided for review, not all the formats available.</p><p> It is often the most expensive version with themost extras.</p><p> Do check individual titles for availability in all their various guises and price points.</p><p> Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast thatFOLLOW ENTERTAINMENT Vivica A.</p><p> Fox Rips Stacey Dash's Romney...</p><p> Lindsay Lohan & The Debate: Actress Live- Tweets... 'Red' Sales: Taylor Swift Could Top 1... 'Iron Man 3' Trailer: Some Thoughts On...reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It's available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog .</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and alsoavailable for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.</p><p> Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free copies of DVDs and Blu-rays with the understanding that he would be considering them for review.</p><p> Generally, he does not guarantee to review and he receives far more titles than he can cover.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz Buy a link here Sponsored Links OVERSTOCK iPads: $33.93 Get New Apple iPads for $33.93! Limit One Per Customer.</p><p> Get One Now! www.BidCactus.com/iPad Boost Testosterone Levels How to Quickly Boost Free Testosterone So You Feel Great Again www.nugenix.com Joint Relief For Ages 55+ GNC’s #1 selling joint product is helping people in New York in days... www.everydaylifestyles.com Tone All Your Abs At Once Celebs & Pro Athletes share their ab toning secret – watch the video www.TheFlexBelt.com More in Entertainment... 02:41 PM on 10/10/2012 Recency | Popularity sc00byLike 78k GET ALERTS Comments 1 Pending Comments 0 View FAQ Post Comment Preview Comment Post to Facebook.</p><p> Post to Blogger.</p><p> Post to Twitter.</p><p> Post to WordPress.</p><p> Post to TypePad.</p><p> Post to Tumblr.To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directlyunderneath the comment you replied to.</p><p> Share your Comment: View All 87 FansMichael, re: Universal Classic Monsters.</p><p> I would have removed "Phantom Of The Opera" and actually added "Abott & Costello Meet Frankenstein".</p><p> But thats just me, I grew up in the 60'swatching this stuff on Saturday afternoons.</p><p> Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | About Our Ads | Contact Us Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.</p><p> All rights reserved.</p><p> Part of AOL-HuffPost EntertainmentPermalink | Share it
