Fox Horror Classics, Vol. 2: 9/9/08
 

Info courtesy of classic flix:

"On the radar for some time, **Fox** has officially announced a September 9th release date for Fox Horror Classics, Vol. 2 . The three disc set will include: Chandu the Magician (1932), Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) and Dragonwyck (1946). It will retail for $19.98"

Best Buy exclusive again?

The Best Buy exclusive sets were from Universal.

Apparently this set was originally supposed to include Fritz Lang's Manhunt, but it seems to have been dropped.

From CHFB here's the extras:

Disc 1 : Chandu the Magician
Commentary by Author Gregory William Mank
Masters of Magic: The World of Chandu
Chandu the Magician Radio Episode
Restoration Comparison
Trailer
Still Gallery

Disc 2: Dr. Renault's Secret
By the Book: Horror, Suspense, and Literary Inspiration
Restoration Comparison
Trailer
Interactive Pressbook
Still Gallery

Disc 3: Dragonwyck
House of Secrets: Exploring Dragonwyck
Dragonwyck Radio Show Starring Vincent Price and Gene Tierney Oct 7, 1946
Restoration Comparison
Trailer
Interactive Pressbook
Still Gallery


Also released the same day is Charlie Chan Vol 5 retail $49.98.

Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum
Murder Over New York
Dead Men Tell
Charlie Chan in Rio
Charlie Chan in Panama
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
Castle in the Desert
Charlie Chan: The Fox Years

While we're on the subject, this is what should happen to Paramount executives for not releasing The Island of Lost Souls (1933) on DVD:

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Universal, not Paramount.

Meaning it's a Paramount film whose rights re owned by Universal. This creates a problem as Universal would hesitate before putting out a boxset with the logo "Paramount Horror Classics" and it probably doesn't think the film would sell on its own.

I'll pick these up. The first volume was great.

No big interest in the Fox Horror set, but this is a must buy. I was wondering if they would try and stretch the Toler films to two more sets, but it looks like they are going to run them all out there and end it.

Universal hasn't been shy in the least regarding the release of its aquired Paramount films. I doubt they would ever market a set of anything that has an existing rival studios name in the title. Not sure why this particular release is in limbo. A lot of what Universal does seems to make no sense to me.

I've been waiting for the CHANDU disc for quite awhile...I can finally discard my "gray market" disc. Its funny that Lugosi is the primary selling image on the cover...not playing the title role after all, but the bad guy in this one. Edmond Lowe is NOT a major selling point it seems.

Universal released them all on vhs under the "Universal Classic Monsters Collection" and don't think they would hesitate to release them on dvd as Universal Horror.

FYI: dvdplanet has this for pre-order for 13.96

Well, I'll be... It's hard to believe they DARED pass it off as an "Universal Monsters" film... But they did! I stand corrected. I guess everything is possible now. But it's a little like Michael Jackson put out an album of the Lennon-McCartney songs he owns the rights to and called it "The Classic Michael Jackson Collection". :D

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...3L._SS500_.jpg

Also part of the Universal Monsters Classic Collection, Paramount's MURDERS IN THE ZOO(1933) and THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL(1941).

They control 1944's THE UNINVITED also.

The source material for Island of Lost Souls is apparently in horrible condition, and Universal won't spring for an expensive restoration. Too bad - it's a great movie.

I had no idea the price of these was so low. They are definitely on my radar now.

I'm not sure how Dragonwyck can be called a horror film, but if it helps sell more copies and encourages the release of the next set, I'm for it.
I haven't seen Dragonwyck for a long time, but I don't recall it as being particularly exciting, although Gene Tierney looks beautiful as always. I'm interested in seeing the other two movies, especially Chandu the Magician.
Island of Lost Souls and The Uninvited are two movies that should be available on DVD, but it's not surprising that Island of Lost Souls needs extensive restoration.

That kinda makes sense, but Universal has restored other lower level films to some degree. I use to have the laserdisc...don't actually remember what kind of picture quality it had. But it was apparently acceptable for a laserdisc release back then...not to mention groups like the UCLA Film Archive or AFI might be willing to take a stab at it. Are we sure this is really whats going on?

I just dug up an old review of the laserdisc double feature...it was paired with MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE. The review said both film sources were in a rough condition, but LOST SOULS looked a to be a bit better than MURDERS.

My suspicion is that they simply never found a way to package it well in a set. Most of the other films have shown up in "themed" sets....KARLOFF COLLECTION, LUGOSI COLLECTION....not to mention the Double Feature discs that paired "siblings" (SON OF DRACULA, DRACULA'S DAUGHTER) or monsters, etc. The only general Universal Horror collection I know of was the Best Buy set with a decidedly "B" film selection...

They show Dragonwyck pretty frequently on FMC. I agree it's not really a horror movie, but I love it and am glad they included it on the set.

Fox played pretty loose with the horror moniker on the last set as well - only The Undying Monster fell into that genre.

My memory of Island of Lost Souls on TV is of a very acceptable picture. Maybe Paramount retained the rights to all technologies other than VHS for the films whose rights they sold to Universal.

I don't remember thinking the laserdisc quality was an bad in any way...I just don't remember the overall quality specifically.

As far as know, Universal bought the Paramount film library from early sound to 1948(?)...don't know of any stipulations. They (Universal) have released a ton old chestnuts on DVD....most of their non-monster classics are in fact Paramount films -smile-....The Marx Bros films and the Cecil B. DeMille Collection...all made by Paramount originally. Its odd...an hard to keep up with who owns what these days.