With the 4th of July behind us, for horror fans, that means it’s time to get ready for the spooky fall season. This includes shopping for new Halloween decor, costumes, and movies. When it comes to this blood-sucking genre, you can’t get any more classic than theUniversal Monster moviesfrom the 30s and 40s. The original cinematic universe that started with 1931’sDraculaandFrankensteinis closing in on the century mark. Now, to honor modern horror’s gothic origins, thefirst two Universal Monsters are getting new 4K steelbooks.
TheseWalmart exclusive4K/Blu-ray/Digital Code combo pack steelbooks are forTod Browning’sDraculaandJames Whale’sFrankenstein. Both releases feature stunning artwork depicting an iconic scene for each respected film.DraculaseesBela Lugosi’s title Countrushing up his castle’s stairs with Helen Chandler’s Mina, whileFrankensteinhasBoris Karloff’s Monsterwith Dr. Frankenstein’s bride-to-be, Mae Clarke’s Elizabeth. The man-made creation is pinned between the angry villagers and the burning windmill. These steelbooks will have the same special features as their original box set and 4K slipcover editions.
The Haunting Legacy of The Universal Monsters
DraculaandFrankensteinwould kick off a universe that would feature a ton of sequels and new terrors of the night, likeThe Invisible Man,The Wolf ManandThe Creature From the Black Lagoon. From their gothic atmosphere to their chilling musical scores to their hypnotic performances, these films not only became the gold standard of the genre, they ushered in a whole new era of film. Dracula and Frankenstein were some of the first sound pictures that left a lasting impact on moviegoers. Their sequels,The Bride of Frankensteinand the underratedDracula’s Daughter, would cement these movie monsters aspop culture icons. The best part is, almost 100 years later, Universal hasn’t forgotten their own ghoulish history. In the last half decade, they’ve honored the past with the critically-acclaimedInvisible ManremakeandLisa Frankenstein. They’ve particularly given a ton of love to Dracula, who has been a key figure inRenfield,The Last Voyage of the DemeterandAbigailfrom the modern horror mastersRadio Silence. The latter of which was a loose reimagining ofDracula’s Daughter. Universal’s next venture into classic horror will be their remake ofThe Wolf ManfromInvisible MandirectorLeigh Whannell,releasing in January 2025. Outside of Universal,Frankensteinwill be receiving two moreadaptationsnext year. This would beMaggie Gyllenhaal’sThe Bride!from Warner Brothers andGuillermo del Toro’sFrankensteinfor Netflix.
Where Can You Stream The Universal Monsters?
The Universal Monsters, includingDraculaandFrankenstein, are available to rent on all major VOD services, like Fandango at Home. You can also pre-orderDraculaandFrankenstein’s 4K steelbooks on Walmart’s website for $26.96 each.They’ll be released on June 05, 2025. That’s just in time for the Halloween festivities and the horror movie marathons to begin.
Frankenstein
Dr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.
