Movies:

Here's a list of the movies you get along with some brief info. They are in alphabetical order, but the actual DVD order seems to be completely random or, maybe based on runtime (pairing the unusually long Metropolis with the unusually short Maniac, for example).

 

Sometimes the movies in these collections will change (rights issues and such cause them to get pulled). I haven't heard of that happening with Horror Classics, but that's not to say it won't. So be careful if you're buying it for any one or two specific titles.

 

-The Amazing Mr x: A young widow is haunted by her late husband. A psychic offers his assistance in unlocking the mysteries of the other side while her sister and fiance look on with worry. They are all in for some big shocks. This is quite a good movie and well worth the effort to find.

 

-The Ape: A doctor trying desperately to cure a particular disease needs spinal fluid for his experiments. The escape of a violent ape makes a way for him to collect what he needs. How for will he go for the cure he so badly wants to find? It shows promise but ultimately fails to live up to it. Boris Karloff does a nice job with his role.

 

-Atom Age Vampire: A mad scientist restores the face of a disfigured girl and becomes obsessed with her to the point of murder. A weak narrative with bad acting, this would be a movie to skip if sold by itself.

 

-Attack of the Giant Leeches: People are disappearing in the swamp. The game warden suspects something monstrous, but the sheriff won't put up with such nonsense. He's going to find him a human to blame it all on. While plagued by some cheesy monster effects this is a surprisingly good movie.

 

-The Bat: A bank robbery leaves a million dollars up for grabs if anyone has the wherewithal to figure out where it’s hidden. In the mix are a wily doctor, a mystery writer who happens to be renting the house that supposedly contains the stolen stash, and a mysterious killer who calls himself The Bat. This is a pretty good flick made all the better with Vincent Price as part of the cast. Agnes Moorehead also stars.

 

-Beast of Yucca Flats: A Russian defector (Tor Johnson) is mutated by radiation into a monster who likes to roam the land killing random people. This is one of the worst movies in the set (which really says something). It plays off like a bad documentary. It's slow, tedious, and has nothing to redeem itself.

 

-Black Dragons: A mysterious visitor brings death to a number of men amidst a Nazi and Japanese plot to undermine the US war effort. This one is more like a spy movie but with plenty of shadowy murders to keep a foot in the horror genre. Bela Lugosi, not Boris Karloff as stated in the package summary, stars in this one.

 

-Bloodlust: A group of young vacationers decide to explore a tropical isle. Turns out a reclusive millionaire lives there and enjoys a pastime that will prove dangerous to the visitors. Can the youngsters outwit a trained killer and escape? Or will they end up the latest trophies in the hunter's display? While really nothing more than a teen scream flick this one is surprisingly good.

 

-Bluebeard: A serial killer is on the loose. Will he give up his evil ways for love? It depends on the outcome of the plan to entrap him. This one really isn't much worth seeing. John Carradine stars.

 

-The Brain That Wouldn't Die: When a doctor's girlfriend is injured in a car accident he removes her head keeping it alive with machines. Now he's out to find a suitable body to attach the head to. The head isn't too happy about the current conditions, and sets a plan of her (its?) own in motion. Considered by some to be a cult classic I think this one is overrated.

 

-Carnival of Souls: A young girl survives an auto accident and is plagued by ghostly visions from then on. A slow paced movie with good characters, this will either draw you in or bore you.

 

-The Corpse Vanishes: Women are dropping dead during their weddings, and their bodies disappear with alarming regularity. A young reporter on the trail of the culprit may become the next victim if she's not careful. One of the worst movies in the set despite starring Bela Lugosi.

 

-Creature From the Haunted Sea: A smuggler trying to double-cross his partners in crime uses the legend of a sea monster to cover up murder but has his hands full when the real monster picks that exact moment to show up. A Roger Corman comedy, this serves up a few laughs but also plenty of groans and boring moments with very little to keep it in consideration for a collection of horror movies.

 

-Dead Men Walk: A vampire is bent on destroying the life of his still living, nobler brother. He may well succeed, too, as the townsfolk are increasingly convinced of the living sibling's evil nature. This is a decent, old vampire movie that manages to not be a carbon copy of Dracula. George Zucco plays 2 roles.

 

-Dementia 13: Lady Haloran hasn’t been in her right mind since the drowning death of her daughter. She holds an annual memorial, and some of the family members believe the girl haunts the castle. They seem to put up with their mother as much because she has all the money as any other reason since she’s not entirely sane and not very nice. The lure of money has driven some to villainy and at least one person as far as grisly murder. Can anyone live long enough to figure out who the culprit is? This one comes closer to scary than most in this set. A good, chilling offering from Francis Ford Coppola.

 

-Doomed to Die: Part of the Detective Wong series with Boris Karloff this one involves the murder of a shipping magnate. He was opposed to his daughter marrying the son of his business rival, and the case seems pretty clear seeing as how the would-be husband was seen to be the only person in the room arguing with the victim literally seconds before the murder. Such an impossible case is prime material for the great Wong. I have yet to see a Wong film I didn't like. While nothing close to horror this is well worth seeing.

 

-Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: This is the silent film with John Barrymore based on the classic novella. Jekyll uses science to create an alternate personality so that he can keep his saintly persona pure while delving into debauchery with the other. It's an OK movie with some impressive but also some not so impressive elements.

 

-The Fatal Hour: Detective Wong investigates the murder of a cop in conjunction with a smuggling ring. An unwise romance may be the death of them all. This is mystery rather than horror but is very good. Boris Karloff is Wong.

 

-The Giant Gila Monster: A giant reptile is attacking cars and other vehicles causing accidents that result in people disappearing. The small-town sheriff and a bright young mechanic/singer set out to investigate. This is an entertaining but forgettable movie that seems to forget that it is supposed to be a horror.

 

-The Gorilla: This is a Ritz Brothers suspenseful comedy that has a hard time delivering on any aspect. Perhaps there's a reason I've never heard of the Ritz Brothers. A gorilla hitman has warned a wealthy businessman he's about to die. The victim-to-be calls in 3 bumbling detectives (the Ritzs) to save his hide, but they couldn't save a beached minnow 2 inches from water. While only suspenseful enough to barely keep its head above water it fails on the comedy. Not the worst of the collection, but not worth much effort either.

 

-House on Haunted Hill: One of my all-time favorite black and white horror movies for many many years now, I've owned this in one form or another longer even than other favorites like Frankenstein. Starring Vincent Price, one of the best movie stars to ever grace the screen, this is a cat and mouse game of death between an eccentric, wealthy man and his venomous wife. Locked in a haunted house with a group of strangers as part of a weird party Price (as Loren) must uncover the secrets that the ghosts guard before all his guests end up dead... assuming he himself is not the killer. Whether you see this in this Horror Classics set or not it's well worth the effort of finding.

 

-The Hunchback of Notre Dame: This is the classic tale of a clash between a society of nobles and gypsies. The beautiful Esmeralda is caught in the middle taken by force by a lustful noble then framed for murder when she refuses him. The deformed man, Quasimodo (Lon Chaney), in the sanctuary of the local church becomes both the villain and the hero that will change the course of all the plotting going on. This is an impressively complex story especially considering that it's a silent movie. The visual quality is terrible, but it's a movie worth seeing.

 

-The Indestructible Man: An executed criminal is given new life and impossible strength thanks to scientific experiments. He uses his new abilities to take revenge on those that got him caught and executed. It's a decent flick with a pretty good performance from Lon Chaney, Jr.

 

-The Invisible Ghost: A man who lost his wife in an auto accident goes on a murderous rampage every time he sees her ghostly visage in the window. His daughter's fiance is executed for the crimes, and the guy's twin shows up to clear his name. Though it has gaping plot holes this is mostly enjoyable. Bela Lugosi stars.

 

-Killer Shrews: A group of people is trapped on an island in the middle of a raging storm with mutated shrews trying to eat them. It's a silly movie not good for much else other than making fun of.

 

-King of the Zombies: A plane crash leaves 3 men stranded in an island jungle. The island is controlled by a man with a legion of zombies under his control. As the heroes dodge the undead they search for a way to communicate with the outside world and hunt for clues to the whereabouts of a U.S. admiral that vanished in the same location. This is a horror comedy that delivers some laughs by way of Mantan Moreland but skimps on the scary.

 

-The Last Man on Earth: This is the classic Vincent Price version of the I Am Legend novel. It's about a man trying to eek out an existence amidst a world that has become bloodthirsty vampires. He's managed to find a routine that allows survival, but his world about to be turned upside down once again. While a bit slow paced this is a good and thought-provoking movie.

 

-Last Woman on Earth: Less classic than The Last Man on Earth this one is about the inexplicable death of everyone in the world save for two guys and a girl. Who gets the girl, her husband who doesn't treat her well or the more caring other man? While not awful I wasn't terribly impressed with this one. Mostly it's too slow.

 

-Little Shop of Horrors: Truly a horror classic this is a tale of a boy and his man-eating plant. Just how many people will this kid kill to satisfy his veggie friend? Campy and silly this is nonetheless worth seeing. Jack Nicholson has a small but memorable role.

 

-The Mad Monster: A mad scientist is experimenting with creating a werewolf. When he succeeds he sets the murderous monster after the other scientists who mocked this idea. While an OK movie this one is hurt by a bad transfer. George Zucco stars.

 

-Maniac: The assistant of a mad scientist takes over his mentor's life upon the man's untimely death. The imposter, trying to carry out Frankenstein-esque research, falls into madness trying to keep up the ruse. It's an interesting attempt at shock-value cinema. It has little merit beyond that.

 

-Metropolis: The classic silent movie - a struggle between economic classes leads to the creation of a human-like robot to lead the rebels into a self-destructive rampage. While classic for a good reason, the music track for this version leaves a lot to be desired. There is a pricier and probably better presentation out there.

 

-Monster From a Prehistoric Planet: It's a Godzilla-like Japanese movie about giant monsters wrecking up the place in search of their little tyke who has been taken from his home. The creatures look like an awful cross between a dinosaur and a bird. It would be better with Godzilla in it.

 

-The Monster Maker: A mad scientist is obsessed with the daughter of a famous pianist. He will use his knowledge to force the girl to be with him by turning her father into a raving monster. This is another one that shows more promise than it actually delivers. It's not too bad but really could have been a lot more.

 

-The Monster Walks: This is a semi-suspenseful tale of murderous intrigue. Can a girl's friends and family save her from a deadly monkey? Maybe she's just imagining the whole thing. Bad acting and the overuse of primates in old movies hurt this one severely.

 

-Night of the Living Dead: The classic zombie movie – this is about a group of strangers coming together to survive an onslaught of the living dead. They don't always, or actually ever, agree on what is the best course of action. Who is right and who is wrong? An incorrect answer brings death. This is a great movie and worth seeing for fans of old horror.

 

-Nightmare Castle: An evil count murders his wife and her lover then marries his sister-in-law in an attempt to drive her insane and inherit the family estate. The murder victims enact a revenge plot from beyond the grave. While not the best, this is a decent ghost story.

 

-Nosferatu: The classic silent film and unapproved adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel Dracula – this one is about a vampire who moves to the city in order to have more people to prey upon. The pretty wife of the real estate broker that brought the monster to town may now be their only hope of salvation. If you ever want to watch one silent movie just to say you've seen one Nosferatu is probably the best one to try.

 

-One Body Too Many: An insurance salesman is mistaken for a detective and called upon to watch after a corpse in a house full of untrustworthy people. Though reluctant the needs of a pretty young girl have a way of persuading him to help. This is mostly comedy seasoned with murderous plots. It's very enjoyable with a small but great role for Bela Lugosi.

 

-Phantom from 10,000 Leagues: This one centers around an oceanography lab. There’s a beam of radiation shooting up from the sea floor and a sea serpent that looks an awful lot like a guy in a goofy mask “guarding” it. Corpses and rowboats are washing ashore on a regular basis, scorched by radiation. An FBI agent and a scientist try to figure out what’s going on and who’s behind it all. It verges on being interesting but never quite nails it.

 

-The Phantom of the Opera: This is another classic silent movie tale with Lon Chaney. A strange, disfigured man lives beneath the opera house and haunts it like a ghost. He has taken a liking to one particular singer and will do anything necessary to possess her. This one suffers from being hard to follow and too long.

 

-Revolt of the Zombies: The military is investigating the application of zombification techniques in battle. A researcher uncovers the secret on the heels of being spurned both by his lover and his employer. The focus of this one jumps around a lot. It's not a terrible movie, but could be better with a better melding of the elements.

 

-The Screaming Skull: A man's new bride is plagued by strange events. Could her husband's dead first wife be coming back to show her jealousy or is she just losing her mind? This is one of my favorite movies in this collection. It leaves a good deal of ambiguity about where the human element ends and the supernatural begins. It's a bit like House on Haunted Hill in that respect which is maybe one reason I like it so much.

 

-A Shriek in the Night: A pair of dueling reporters investigate a series of murders the police deem solved. Can they get past their rivalry and their sexual tension long enough to find a killer? It's a slow-paced, choppily-edited flick worth skipping.

 

-Swamp Women: A police woman goes undercover to help recover a stash of stolen diamonds. She aids in the escape of a women's gang in prison then tags along as they set out to retrieve the loot. Things get sticky when the group runs across innocent people in the swamp and takes them prisoner. It's not that great of a flick.

 

-The Terror: An officer separated from his regiment happens across a beautiful but mysterious girl he's certain needs his help. He begins an investigation into the dark secrets of a nearby castle run by a reclusive, old Baron. A pretty good ghost story for the most part this one doesn't quite deliver as well as I'd hoped in the end. It's one of the few Roger Corman movies I like. Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson star.

 

-Tormented: The ex of a husband-to-be shows up before the wedding to blackmail him. When he lets her die her ghost comes back to make his life miserable. How far will he go to protect his secret of what has transpired? It's a fairly good ghost story.

 

-The Vampire Bat: Villagers are dying in their homes at night and the town is panicking. Only the local investigator and his girlfriend avoid the hysteria in order to uncover the truth. It's a different take on vampires than the norm with some good characters, but several weaknesses as well.

 

-White Zombie: A well-to-do man in Haiti falls for a woman who already has a man in her life. The would-be lover turns to a voodoo master to make the woman his love slave. While understandably influential and worth seeing I think this one is overrated. Bela Lugosi plays the villain.

 

-The World Gone Mad: A District Attorney is murdered after uncovering a massive stock fraud then framed for the very crime he was investigating with his reputation as a husband simultaneously tarnished. His circle of friends included a detective and a reporter who have set out to clear their late friend’s name and close his case. It has its weaknesses, but this is a decent flick.