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Originally Posted by FryeDwight
Well, thanks for the info. TBS is a great film!
DRACULA (1931). For Xmas, my Supervisor got me a six pack of the Classic Universal Monsters, saying to me how he was "...taking a chance You might have these!" The set includes D, FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, THE INVISIBLE MAN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE WOLF MAN. While I do have all of them, this edition does have real sharp picture quality and additional Special Features, which will make this a keeper.
As I've said before, DRACULA is a well made film with SO MANY good moments and then so much dullness...so incredibly stagey and showing Director Todd Browning's inexperience/unease with Talkies. But the good is so good (particularly in the Castle) that I'll just usually read while the dull stuff is playing and still throw out the  for Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye. **1/2
Next up is FRANKENSTEIN.... |
That's a very nice Universal set of films! I'm sure that wasn't cheap. Well, at least that wouldn't have been cheap in the recent past. What kind of special features do they have? I wonder if these directors or actors ever did a commentary on the films? Probably wouldn't have been recorded while they were watching the film (like they do today) but a smart guy could line up commentary during the film that fits (although I'm sure there wouldn't be commentary for every scene).
I think 2.5 (out of 5?) is the lowest I've seen you give Dracula. It has some slow spots, and I think Harken, the father, Mina and Lucy are rather drab, but Bela, Frye and Van Slone are really good, and they drive the film. I tend to go by my first viewing, which was during the day with my mom, and I was riveted. I'd never watch the film late night when I'm sleepy, unless I want to sleep there, and get woken up with a scream.
I watched THE SET-UP (1949), and maybe I was checking it out too late at night, but found it a little humdrum... I really liked the first 30min setup or so, the couple, the boxing life of the new guy and mental degradation of the older boxer, and the manager taking the bribe. But the boxing sequences are pretty lame to be going on so long. The ending seemed a bit anticlimactic, in the sense what happened was about what I expected, and not very dramatic or dynamic, and the the ending seemed pretty abrupt. Maybe it sounds silly, but I wished they had condensed the film into an hour and then the next 30 mins into their new life.