It’s hard to overestimate the impact of Universal’s classic monster movies. They brought the themes and techniques of German Expressionism straight to Hometown U.S.A. and forever defined our notion of horror movies in the process. Every Halloween decoration ever made owes them some debt. Every onscreen boogeyman and misunderstood outcast can trace their roots back to them. They’ve become so ingrained in pop culture that we scarcely acknowledge their existence anymore… save during moments like this one, when they make the leap onto a new medium. As part of their 100^th anniversary celebration, Universal has packaged eight of them into an “Essentials” Blu-ray collection, a handsome set that nonetheless stumbles into a number of expected pitfalls. Hit the jump for my full review.

Universal is prepping the Blu-ray release of Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection on October 2.  The box set features Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera, and Creature from the Black Lagoon.  There are 12 hours of bonus features and a 48-page book with behind-the-scenes photographs and original posters.  Notably,Creature from the Black Lagoonis presented in 3D as it was filmed.  Basically, if you are a fan of the Universal monsters, this sounds like a godsend.

Hit the jump for the press release with details on the special features that accompany each movie and a look at the box art.