In an age where Marvel made shared universes trendy, it makes sense that Universal would be interested in rebooting Hollywood’s first shared universe, the Universal Classic Monsters.
From the 1920s-1950s, Universal Pictures’ well-known horror cycle kicked off with The Phantom of the Opera. They continued to have success with Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Invisible Man. These core iconic monsters became the foundational fixtures of the brand, and the starting point for Universal’s recent revamp dubbed the Dark Universe. The lackluster reception of the 2017 reboot The Mummy, however, derailed those new cinematic shared universe plans.
Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man looks to bring the iconic monster back to its terrifying roots, operating as a standalone film. Free from the shackles of a shared universe, The Invisible Man can potentially pave the way for future Universal Classic Monster reboots. If it does, there’s two decades worth of material for Universal to dust off and revive.
Many Universal monster movies beyond the core six are worth revisiting. Here are five.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
The first film of several to feature the comedic duo encountering monsters from Universal’s horror catalog. In this instance, Abbott and Costello must contend with Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange), Dracula (Bela Lugosi), and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.). Also, a tease of the Invisible Man (Vincent Price) at the closing hook. Who needs a shared universe when you can assemble an all-star monster team in one movie? The Abbott and Costello monster mashups are loads of fun, bring the horror and comedy in a big way, and offer the perfect gateway into horror for kids. Meaning, an ideal vessel for a reboot. The Abbott and Costello titles are far from underseen on a wider scale, but they don’t get mentioned near enough when discussing classic horror. Besides, the world needs more monster movies, especially ones with heart.
The Black Cat (1934)
Based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, this one sees honeymooners trapped in the Hungarian home of a Satan-worshipping priest after the bride suffers an accident. It stars notable Universal Monsters actors Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, with Lugosi playing a good guy for once. The plot is very convoluted and dense, but it’s such an atmospheric, creepy film that its style more than makes up for that. While it’s not technically a Universal Monsters flick -it is a Universal Horror movie, though- the subject matter is perfect for a modern retelling. Black magic, characters that are skinned alive, sacrifices, and more. It was popular upon theatrical release, and still plays often on TCM; but again, this one could use more love.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
From the director of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Jack Arnold, comes this ‘50s sci-fi horror gem based on Richard Matheson’s novel The Shrinking Man. While on his brother’s boat, a strange cloud passes over and coats Scott’s skin. Cut to six months later, when Scott begins to notice his clothes are far too big. He’s shrinking, and no amount of medical expertise can stop it. Poor Scott keeps getting smaller and smaller, turning his life into a horror tragedy. The title doesn’t do a great job hinting at the bleak hopelessness within. Scott’s stages of grief, and the frightening encounters with things that wouldn’t otherwise be so frightening. It’d be fascinating to see this story translated into a modern setting.
Werewolf of London (1935)
Universal’s first attempt at a werewolf movie became quickly overshadowed by its much more popular and influential sibling, 1941’s The Wolf Man. Much of that had to do with Jack Pierce’s werewolf makeup design, which he intended to use for this film. Except, actor Henry Hull felt that his werewolf needed to still resemble the human underneath for the sake of the plot. Pierce got his second chance to do the makeup he wanted just a few years later, and Werewolf of London became far lesser seen in comparison to The Wolf Man. Hull plays Dr. Glendon, a botanist in search of a Tibetan flower whose bitten by a lycanthrope in the process. This flower can keep lycanthropy at bay. To be blunt, The Wolf Man is the more exciting Universal Classic Monster of the two, but this is still fun, and the world could use more werewolf movies anyhow.
Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
Picking up right after Dracula ends, this sequel follows his daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden). Unlike dad, though, Countess Zaleska doesn’t want to be a vampire. She struggles with her perpetual thirst for blood while searching out possible cures, including burning the stolen body of her father. While the blood-sucking prince of darkness might be the embodiment of evil, his daughter presents a much more compassionate take on the vampire. One that puts her in the same conversation as sympathetic beasts like the Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s Monster.