Three classic Universal monster pictures have finally found their way onto UK Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka. All three have been available on Region A in the US for some time but even if you have those versions the new extras here may well tempt you to double dip. So let's see what we've got:
Man Made Monster (1941)
'Dynamo' Dan (Lon Chaney Jr) is a circus performer whose act has him playing with electricity and having sparks jump between his fingers. That's all the incentive Mad Dr Paul Rigas (the unparalleled Lionel Atwill who is always Mad with a capital 'M') needs to use Dan as a guinea pig in his experiments to create a race of electrically-powered supermen who can kill with just a touch. They just need to be careful of sharp metallic objects that can earth said electricity.
Titled THE ELECTRIC MAN on its original UK release (the censor objected to the use of the word 'Monster'), MAN MADE MONSTER is a brisk (the running time clocks in at about an hour) and thoroughly entertaining mad scientist picture.
The extra on Eureka's disc is a commentary track from Stephen Jones and Kim Newman which is entertaining, fact-packed and compliments the commentary by Tom Weaver and Constantine Nasr that can be found on the US Blu-ray as part of Volume Three of Scream Factory's Universal Horrors Collection.
The Monolith Monsters (1957)
Universal had forsaken gothic horror for science fiction a couple of years prior to the arrival of THE MONOLITH MONSTERS, which offered a different kind of threat from giant arthropods or bug-eyed space monsters. This time mankind has to fight rocks that grow rapidly into tall columns when they come into contact with water. The columns fall, the rock shatters and the process begins again. THE MONOLITH MONSTERS is an interesting and successful attempt at depicting a different kind of alien invader, and it's all helped immensely by everything being played dead straight.
The new commentary here is from Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby. Those who already have the US disc with its two commentaries should be advised that Lyons and Rigby manage to include enough different material to make this track invaluable too and as always with their work it makes for engaging and entertaining listening.
Monster on the Campus (1958)
The least of the films in Eureka's set has Arthur Franz's college Professor discovering a specimen of prehistoric fish. Through the usual 'mad science' (this time it's gamma rays) the blood of the fish causes him to turn into a hairy apeman who goes on the rampage. Not Universal's finest 77 minutes, MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS nevertheless benefits from the direction of Jack Arnold (THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, TARANTULA and many others) and if nothing else is a good example of the kind of 'B' movie programmer that tended to be the inspiration for later satirical subjects.
Stephen Jones and Kim Newman are back for the commentary track for this one and approach the material with just the right mix of respect and irreverence. Again, their track nicely compliments the two available on Scream Factory's Region A disc.
The bottom line: If you don't have these films and harbour any love for or interest in the old black and white Universal monster movies then this set is essential. If you already have the US discs then you may well want this set as well as there's enough material here to make them worthwhile double dipping for. The set also comes with a slipcase and a booklet with new writing on the film from Craig Ian Mann.
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