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Preserved by the 'United States Library of Congress' as "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant", this Halloween take a look at the classic horror comedy feature "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948), directed by Charles Barton, with a haunting score by Frank Skinner, starring the comedy team of  Bud Abbott and Lou Costello: 

"...freight handlers 'Wilbur Grey' and 'Chick Young' have their lives turned upside down...

"...when the supposed remains of the 'Frankenstein' monster and 'Dracula' arrive from Europe to be used in 'McDougal's House of Horrors'..."

Click the images to enlarge... 

Perhaps Universal’s most renowned contributions to cinema lie in their horror library. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Invisible Man, if you can name it they probably made it. But until now, that awesome catalogue was unavailable to view in one place. Sounds like the grousing of a spoilt millennial, I know. The fact is that we’ve all become accustomed to having content at our fingertips. Praise be then that a streaming service has today launched to fulfil that demand. Peacock brings Universal’s esteemed horror collection to the masses.

Unlike its rivals, the service has both a paid-for package and a free one (though you’ll have to contend with adverts). Why not take a look at all the horror films currently available for free, though? Trick question, as there’s no reason why not to. That’s why all the horror films currently available for free are listed below.

Master of Horror Greg Nicotero takes us on a stroll through some of his favorite movies, as well as a trip through every home video format you’ve ever heard of… and some you haven’t.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Outbreak (1995)

Creepshow (1982)

The Howling (1981)

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Horror of Dracula (1958)

The Time Machine (1960)

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

From Russia With Love (1963)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Frankenstein (1931)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

Thunderball (1965)

Broadcast News (1987)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Star Wars (1977)

Jaws (1975)

Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)

What’s Up Doc? (1972)

Logan’s Run (1976)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

Dragonslayer (1981)

Aliens (1986)

1917 (2019)

Gravity (2013)

Alien (1979)

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Rotana’s catalogue of 2,000 titles is one of the biggest in the Arab cinema in the world.

Cairo-based Arab cinema distribution and marketing specialist Mad Solutions has struck a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Rotana Media Group to distribute its film library outside the Arab world.

The Riyadh-based entertainment giant owns one of the biggest catalogues of Arab cinema in the world, spanning 2,000 classic and new films dating from 1939 to 2020.

Under the deal, Mad Solutions will market the catalogue at festivals and markets to find international distribution outlets for the titles.

It will kick off the new relationship with an

Before we say goodbye to the month of May, we have one final day of Blu-ray and DVD releases ahead of us, and it’s an eclectic bunch of titles, to say the least. If you missed them in theaters earlier this year, Gaspar Noé’s Climax as well as Neil Jordan’s Greta hit both formats this Tuesday, and for you David Lynch lovers out there, Criterion is showing Blue Velvet some much-deserved love with their brand-new release of the cult classic as well.

Scream Factory is doing the dark lord’s work with their new Blus for both When A Stranger Calls Back and The Alligator People, and Severin Films is bringing home The Uncanny in HD for the first time ever this week.

Other home media releases for May 28th include Double Impact, Near Extinction, Splatter Farm, and a Shark Attack 3-Pack.

The Alligator People

Terror in the Bayou!

Universal has released a superb boxed set of their horror classics. Here is the official press release:

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Universal City, California, August 22, 2018 – Thirty of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces starring the most famous monsters of horror movie history come together on Blu-ray™ for the first time ever in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on August 28, 2018, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring unforgettable make-up, ground-breaking special effects and outstanding performances, the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes all Universal Pictures’ legendary monsters from the studio that pioneered the horror genre with imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror in unforgettable films from the 1930s to late-1950s.

From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases all the original films featuring the most

Thirty of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces starring the most famous monsters of horror movie history come together on Blu-ray&#8482 for the first time ever in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on August 28, 2018, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring unforgettable make-up, ground-breaking special effects and outstanding performances, the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes all Universal Pictures' legendary monsters from the studio that pioneered the horror genre with imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror in unforgettable films from the 1930s to late-1950s.

From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases all the original films featuring the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

In the first “Hotel Transylvania,” Count Dracula’s refusal to conform to the clichés of vampire legend was a mantra for the whole movie, a fast-paced and joke-filled riff on monster mythos that, in its best moments, played like a self-contained Looney Tunes version of “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” After that mildly pleasant surprise, the sequel mostly abandoned the monster hotel conceit in favor of a lackadaisical venture into the human world and Drac’s vain attempt to coax fangs out of his half-human grandson. Now “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,” by far the worst of the series, spends virtually no time in the hotel and runs out of commentary on classic monsters, despite renewing the rivalry between Dracula and the vampire slayer Van Helsing. In the dead of summer, younger audiences won’t likely care that it’s blah, blah, blah, and it seems destined to drain another $150 million out of parents’ pockets.

Talk about a house party gone to hell…

When Freddy vs. Jason stormed theaters in 2003, it not only gave moviegoers the death match they’d been waiting what felt like an eternity to see, but it also marked the end of a decade-long journey of making the film a reality. And, as the more diehard fans reading this are well aware, the studio burned through a number of screenplays over the course of that ten-year period, hoping to find the winning formula.

But as any general moviegoer knows, the first seed for the crossover was planted at the end of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, which saw Freddy Krueger’s glove emerge from the depths in order to claim Jason Voorhees’ hockey mask in a joining of iconic wardrobe pieces. However, there were whispers of a mashup even before that happened and, believe us, what could’ve resulted would’ve been True horror.

The Howling, 1981.

Directed by Joe Dante.

Starring Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone, Patrick Macnee, Robert Picardo, Dick Miller, John Carradine, Elisabeth Brooks, Dennis Dugan, Belinda Belaski, and Kevin McCarthy.

Synopsis:

A female reporter is attacked by a notorious murderer so to get over her trauma she is sent to The Colony for relaxation. And then her problems really begin…

After meeting up with notorious killer Eddie ‘The Mangler’ Quist (Robert Picardo – Star Trek: Voyager) in a dark porno theatre as part of a police sting, television reporter Karen White (Dee Wallace – E.T./The Lords of Salem) starts to experience strange visions, resulting in her distancing herself from husband Bill Neill (Christopher Stone – Cujo) and being unable to do her job. On the advice of her doctor George Waggner (Patrick Macnee – A View to a Kill), Karen and Bill are sent to The Colony, Waggner’s coastal retreat where Karen is advised

Even lesser Abbott & Costello movies are still comedy gravy to the avid fans of the fast-talking duo. Their first film deal away from Universal yields a so-so production graced with a string of their patented old-time comedy routines. And the transfer beats anything we’ve yet seen.

The Noose Hangs High

Blu-ray

ClassicFlix

1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 77 min. / Street Date August 15, 2017 / available through ClassicFlix / 24.99

Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Joseph Calleia, Leon Errol, Cathy Downs, Mike Mazurki, Fritz Feld, Murray Leonard, Ellen Corby, Russell Hicks, James Flavin, Minerva Urecal, Fred Kelsey.

Cinematography: Charles Van Enger

Film Editor: Harry Reynolds

Assistant Director: Howard W. Koch

Original Music: Walter Schumann

Written by John Grant, Howard Harris from an earlier screenplay by Charles Grayson, Arthur T. Horman story by Julian Blaustein, Daniel Taradash, Bernard Feins

Produced and Directed by Charles Barton

A few famous movie comedy teams prospered with good will and parted with hugs,

Undoubtedly, one of the most beloved genre movies to come out of 1987 was Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad, a perfect blend of humor, heart, and affection for the classic monsters so many of us grew up on. And while it may not have done great business at the box office when it was released in August of that year, The Monster Squad has deservedly become a true cult classic, and remains a brilliant gateway horror experience for younger viewers who are just becoming initiated in the ways of genre cinema.

With The Monster Squad’s 30th anniversary nearly upon us, and with our “Class of 1987” celebration currently in full swing, I thought this would make for a splendid opportunity to chat with the actors who put the “Monster” in “The Monster Squad” in the first place: Tom Noonan (“Frankenstein’s Monster”), Duncan Regehr (“Count Dracula”), Tom Woodruff Jr. (“the

Sad news hit Universal Pictures this summer when their adventure thriller The Mummy flopped at the box office. It was supposed to ignite a sprawling monster franchise known as Dark Universe. But this first outing starring Tom Cruise was not the summer blockbuster hit the studio was hoping for. They have Bride of Frankenstein next on the docket. But many fans believe that this series, based on classic horror movies of yesteryear, is doomed. Well, guess what? It doesn't have to be that way. Universe can turn this sinking ship around, and we're confident that Dark Universe can live and thrive in today's modern cinematic landscape. But how you might ask? Let me explain.

With big movie franchises like Despicable Me, Jurassic World, Fast and Furious, The Bourne series, as well as the Fifty Shades of Grey films, one would think that Universal Pictures would be happy. This isn't to

Last June, a rumor surfaced that Universal Pictures was courting action superstar Dwayne Johnson to portray The Wolf Man in their growing monster reboot universe, which the studio revealed last week will be called Dark Universe. Between then and now, Universal hasn't provided any updates whatsoever regarding their Wolf Man project, but a new report claims that rumors about Dwayne Johnson starring as The Wolf Man are still prevalent, although nothing is set in stone quite yet. The studio's Dark Universe is set to launch next week with The Mummy, so it's possible that the studio could unveil more details about this universe soon.

The Hollywood Reporter has an extensive report on the future of this Dark Universe franchise, where they mention the Dwayne Johnson rumors, although no further information is given. As of now, The Wolf Man reboot doesn't have a release date or a director quite yet, and

The 2016 blu ray release of the Frankenstein and Wolf Man Legacy Collections was a moment of celebration for movie and monster lovers everywhere, bringing together all the golden age appearances of Frankenstein’s misbegotten creation and Larry Talbot’s hairy alter-ego. Universal Studios treated those dusty creature features to luminous restorations; from Bride of Frankenstein to She Wolf of London, these essential artifacts never looked less than impeccable and, at times, even ravishing. Colin Clive’s frenzied declaration, “It’s Alive!”, never felt more appropriate.

Now Universal has turned their attention to their other legendary franchise players, Dracula, the sharp-dressed but undead ladies’ man and Im-ho-tep, the cursed Egyptian priest who loved not wisely but too well.

Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection

Blu-ray

Universal Studios Home Entertainment

1931, ’36, ’43, ’44, ’45, ’48 / 449 min. / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date May 16, 2017

Starring: Actors: Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. , Boris Karloff, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello

Cinematography: Karl Freund,

Universal Pictures’ classic monsters are available now on Blu-ray in four bonus-packed box sets; The Mummy Legacy Collection, The Frankenstein Legacy Collection, The Dracula Legacy Collection and The Wolf Man Legacy Collection. And we have two complete sets on Blu-ray to giveaway… Yes, Two!!

The Mummy Legacy Collection

All 6 Films From The Legacy Of The Original Mummy Includes: The Mummy (1932), The Mummy’S Hand (1940), The Mummy’S Tomb (1942), The Mummy’S Ghost (1944), The Mummy’S Curse (1944), and Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955)

The original Mummy is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. The Mummy: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 6 films from the original legacy including the terrifying classic starring Boris Karloff and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of the ancient Egyptian monster and continue

As Universal Pictures prepares to launch its shared Monster universe with the upcoming release of The Mummy, the studio has opened the vault and unleashed the Classic Monsters with the release of the Legacy Collections, four Blu-ray box-sets for The Mummy, Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man, which features 27 classic movies, 22 of which have never been released on Blu-ray before.

Here’s the full product details for these rather fantastic collections…

The Mummy Legacy Collection

– The Mummy (1932)

– Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy* (1955)

– The Mummy’s Hand* (1940)

– The Mummy’s Tomb* (1942)

– The Mummy’s Ghost* (1944)

– The Mummy’s Curse* ((1944)

Special Features

– The Mummy Feature Commentary with Film Historian Paul Jensen

– Mummy Dearest Featurette

– He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce

– Universal Horror (narrated by Kenneth Branagh)

– Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy

The Frankenstein Legacy Collection

– Frankenstein (1931)

– Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

– Son of Frankenstein* (1939)

– Ghost of Frankenstein

Last fall, Universal Studios Home Entertainment gave horror fans an early Halloween treat with their Complete Legacy Collection Blu-ray box sets for Frankenstein's monster and The Wolf Man. This spring, two more Universal Monsters will get their due, as Dracula and The Mummy are also getting the Complete Legacy Collection Blu-ray treatment.

The respective Complete Legacy Collection Blu-ray box sets for Dracula and The Mummy are scheduled for a May 16th release. Although the full list of films for each collection have not been announced, it's likely that they will contain the same films featured on the DVD versions:

Dracula Complete Legacy Collection:

Dracula (1931) Dracula's Daughter Son of Dracula House of Frankenstein House of Dracula Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Dracula (1931) - Spanish version

The Mummy Complete Legacy Collection:

The Mummy (1932) The Mummy's Hand The Mummy's Tomb The Mummy's Ghost The Mummy's Curse Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy

And for additional details,

[Hello, readers! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we here at Daily Dead thought it would be fun to do things a little different this year. We're putting the spotlight on our favorite horror-loving characters from genre cinema, people who have represented our own fandom on screen and, in many cases, helped bring our passion for horror into the mainstream. Be sure to check back here on Daily Dead every day through Valentine's Day for our tributes to some of the greatest horror fans to ever grace the big screen.]

The history of horror movies is full of Monster Kids—those young boys and girls obsessed with all things horror who are, sooner or later, able to put all of their knowledge gathered from hours spent in front of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man to good use. From Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter to Paula in Neon Maniacs, the genre knows that the quickest way to our horror-loving hearts is through representation and identification: us fans love seeing some version of ourselves on screen acting out the fantasy of standing side by side with axe murderers and fantastic beasts. There are few things more satisfying to a young horror fan than seeing one of our own go toe to toe with a nasty creature and come out on top.

There is no better example of this in all of horror cinema than Sean Crenshaw, the

[This feature originally appeared in the "Class of 1986" issue of Deadly Magazine.]

In 1985, Jason Voorhees was dead. Despite the death of a horror icon, Friday the 13th fans still flocked to see the Jason-less A New Beginning in theaters that April, but while the box office numbers would justify a sixth film, many moviegoers were less than pleased by the lack of Voorhees behind the hockey mask, pining for the return of Crystal Lake’s former camper who only wanted to make mommy proud.

And so, Paramount Pictures began their search for a Dr. Frankenstein, someone who could bring the hockey mask monster back to life. As someone who grew up on Universal Monster movies and filmed his first feature in a mausoleum, Tom McLoughlin turned out to be exactly the bolt of lightning the studio needed to get Jason back on his feet.

“I said, ‘Well, if you’re going to do a sixth one, I can’t take it seriously,