Six Coffins in One

What's better than a vampire movie? Answer: more vampire movies. That's what Universal is giving now. Specifically, this is the Dracula Legacy Collection, containing all six of the Universal films featuring the one and only Count Dracula.

 

Dracula (1931) started it all, introducing the classic image of a vampire that is still foremost in many people's minds today. Bela Lugosi became a star with his powerful, sly performance as the king of undead. Tod Browning directs with class and atmosphere.

Dracula's Daughter (1936) picks up where Dracula left off, as a beautiful female vampire seeks love and normality. Gloria Holden plays the title role, seeming to suppress more than just her vampiric urges.

Son of Dracula (1943) places Lon Chaney Jr. in the Count's shoes, seducing and destroying the unsuspecting residents of Louisiana bayou country. For the first time, we see humans become bats, and the now-famous name switch trick.

House of Frankenstein (1944) is the first of Universal's wartime "monster rallies," featuring not only Dracula, but the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, and a mad scientist played by Boris Karloff who wants to control them all. This was John Carradine's first time playing Dracula, very effectively with his Shakespearean flair and commanding voice.

House of Dracula (1945) has almost all of the monsters return, including Carradine as Dracula, with more screen time. It also provides a possible scientific explanation for vampirism and lycanthropy.

Finally, there is Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), a fitting swan-song for the classic Universal monsters, blending horror and humor. Bela Lugosi returns to the role that made him famous, as Dracula seeks to place Lou's brain in the Monster's skull.

This one has more bonus features than you can shake a wooden stake at, including a seventh film, the Spanish-language version of Dracula. Shot on the same sets as the Lugosi version, the film's makers tried to outdo Tod Browning.

Two commentary tracks are available on Dracula: one by film historian David J. Skal, one by historian/screenwriter Steve Haberman. They almost duel each other, so you're sure to get the whole picture. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein has a commentary track by Gregory Mank which is almost as funny as the movie.

There are three documentary featurettes: one for Dracula and one for A&C, and a biography on Lugosi himself. There's also an alternate audio track for the 1931 film with a new score by Phillip Glass.

So what are you waiting for?