Welcome back to the Month of Terror! For the first Friday in our horror movie marathon I decided to do something special and talk about the classic Universal Monsters. You all know them, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman, The Inivisble and the Creature from the Black Lagoon (aka The Gill-man), they’ve endured for decades as some of the most iconic monsters of all time. Culled from a larger list of 24 films, here are my personal ten favourites from the Universal Monster canon. We have a lot of ground to cover so let’s begin.
10. The Invisible Man Returns
The first sequel to the Invisible Man takes a slightly different approach but ends up being a pretty good film in its own right. The Invisible Man in this film differs from the original in that he’s portrayed as a more sympathetic character who goes invisible in order to escape being executed for a crime he didn’t commit. The film portrays a constant battle to maintain sanity as the effects of the invisible serum begin to take hold. It may be a bit lighter on the scares than most other films on this list but it’s a worthy successor to the original Invisible Man and deserves a look for anyone who wanted to see more.
9. Creature from the Black Lagoon
The last of the classic Universal Monsters to pop up, the Creature from the Black Lagoon (otherwise known as the Gill-man) stays true to the Universal Monster legacy while also updating for the times. Released in 1954, the film has much more in common with the then recent wave of sci-fi horror films which would typically feature aliens, botched science experiments and monsters on the loose, than it does with the other Universal Monsters. While being the odd one out, there’s still a lot to like about the Creature from the Black Lagoon including a menacing (although admittedly silly looking) monster, some great suspense and good looking underwater shots. I don’t think it would be too well-remembered today without the Universal Monsters branding, but it’s still a fun time. Just avoid the two sequels that came out after as they are both complete garbage.
8. The Mummy
The original Mummy from 1932 is quite a bit different from what you might expect. It doesn’t feature a silent, shambling Mummy going around killing people and the titular Mummy ditches his bandages quite early on. Instead, what we have here is a very coherent Mummy (played by horror legend Boris Karloff) returning from his tomb in order to resurrect the woman he loves. There’s a deep backstory for the villain in this movie which isn’t something you saw too often back then. I really like the mythology of The Mummy and how it gives us an understanding of his motivations. It’s also really nice to see Boris Karloff playing a monster with some actual lines for once and while his Mummy isn’t as iconic as his Frankenstein, it’s still a very memorable performance. Definitely a classic that has stood the test of time unlike the 2017 version which is only a few months and has already been forgotten.
7. Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman
It is often said that the Universal Monsters comprised the first ever cinematic universe and that wouldn’t be a false statement. While the continuity between films is a bit shaky, they do connect and the individual series even cross-over with each other. The first film to establish a connection between the series is Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, the first ever monster mash-up. Truth be told, this is much more of a follow-up to The Wolfman than it is a Frankenstein film, but it does right by both monsters. It’s great to see these two worlds collide and the final fight between Frankenstein and The Wolfman is one for the history books. While this wouldn’t be the last time the monsters crossed over, it’s still the most memorable hence why it earns a spot on the list.
6. The Wolfman
Of all the Universal Monsters, I find The Wolfman to be the most relatable. Larry Talbot isn’t a shambling, mute monster or an evil mastermind out for blood, he’s a regular human being who just so happens to have the worst luck in the world. Larry doesn’t revel in his transformation into a werewolf, he is tormented by it as he knows that when the moon turns full, he’ll lose control of himself and potentially hurt some innocent people. The Wolfman is easily the most tragic of the Universal Monsters and his inaugural film is easily the best of the bunch.
5. Son of Frankenstein
Without a doubt the Frankenstein series is the most consistent of all of the Universal Monster series which is why you’ll see him most well-represented here on the list. The second sequel to the original Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein is a great film worthy of its’ series pedigree. Basil Rathbone plays a fantastic son to the original Dr. Frankenstein but it’s Bela Lugosi who steals the show as the sinister Ygor. The addition of Ygor on its own is enough for Son of Frankenstein to take a spot on the lsit as he is one of the greatest characters to spring from the Universal Monsters line-up. My only gripe with the film is in how the monster is portrayed. After receiving some actual character development in Bride of Frankenstein, the monster regresses back to being a mindless brute which while fine for this film, is a shame given his evolution from the last film. It’s a minor thing but it prevents Son of Frankenstein from reaching any higher on the list.
4. Dracula
What can I say about Dracula that hasn’t been said already? It’s a classic, Bela Lugosi’s performance is arguably the most iconic of all of the Universal Monsters (possibly in the horror genre altogether), it features a great creepy atmosphere and basically wrote the rule-book for vampires in film. I really don’t have much more to say, with some of the earlier entries I had to at least justify my self a bit but with a classic like this, who would argue?
3. Frankenstein
Yet another all-time classic that I feel most people have seen. Once again we have an incredibly iconic performance from Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster and a plot that was seen as so shocking for the time, the film begins with a warning to the audience. It’s the monster himself that bumps Frankenstein up above Dracula on this list. He’s essentially like a child in the body of a giant and every time he kills, it’s usually due to a lack of understanding or a mistake that he’s made. You actually feel a bit sorry for him when the townspeople turn on him as he really meant no harm. The film also has an incredible ending which is unfortunately undermined by an additional scene right before the credits. That aside, it’s Frankenstein, what more do I need to say?
2. Bride of Frankenstein
Well I guess I do have a bit more to say. Bride of Frankenstein is the rare sequel that surpasses the original. This time around, the monster is given a lot more character development as he begins to learn and develop some intelligence. The monster is much more sympathetic this time around as he is met with fear and hatred despite his attempts to learn and grow as a human being. The film also features some pretty impressive special effects for the time and an ending that gives much better closure to the story (despite being continued in further sequels). It seems unfair to split up the first two Frankenstein movies on this list as for me, they’re two halves of a much larger story. The definitive Frankenstein experience would be to watch both the first one and Bride back to back as it’ll give you a full arc for both the monster and the scientist and a proper conclusion. So you’d probably think that all of those good points I listed above would earn Bride of Frankenstein the top spot right? Well, there is one more monster you don’t want to count out just yet.
1. The Invisible Man
For me it was no contest that The Invisible Man would take the top spot. The story of a man going completely insane while also going invisible makes for the best and most horrifying of all of the classic Universal Monster films. The Invisible Man himself is the most frightening villain in the entire Universal Monster canon. Think about it, this is a man who you won’t be able to see coming and who is going completely insane. He can’t be reasoned with nor can you defend against him, how’s that for scary? Adding to the scare-factor of the monster is Claude Rains’ fantastic performance in the title role. You will really believe that this man is going insane and hearing him speak with no physical form leaves you in suspense as to what he’ll do next. The special effects used to bring The Invisible Man to life are also fantastic and must’ve been groundbreaking for the time. Without the use of CGI, they’ve achieved something truly special that will leave you scratching your head as to how they pulled off certain shots. While he may not be as iconic as Dracula or Frankenstein, The Invisible Man is another classic that stands the test of time and is my personal favourite of the bunch.
Well there you go, I’d like to stress that this list isn’t the end all be all for Universal Monster movies. There are a ton of great monster movies put out by Universal from back in the day and this list only scratches the surface. I recommend going through the catalog yourself and discovering your own favourites.
