Could Wonder Woman slay Universal's Monster-verse?

[AdamFTF]

I think the main thing we've established here for the past few posts is that 90% of the monster mash-ups from the last 60 years or so have been largely aimed at children. This probably has to do with the Universal Monsters' unique position in being horror characters from the days of the Hayes Code, before the MPAA rating system allowed horror to become the adults only R-rated movie genre it generally is today.

Anyway, here's Mini-Monsters from Rankin-Bass's '80s show The Comic Strip:

[Nate Grey]

Anyway, here's Mini-Monsters from Rankin-Bass's '80s show The Comic Strip:

heh, the only reason I remember them is because out of the three that wasn't TigerSharks they annoyed me the least so I watched them. Any time something other than TigerSharks or Camp Mini Mon came one I changed the channel or did something else.

[AdamFTF]

Speaking of Rankin-Bass . . .

[Angilasman]

I was terrified of horror films as a kid. Couldn't bear watching anything scary until about age 11 or so (at which time I became a big classic horror fan), but I always felt the classic Universal Monsters around during my childhood because Universal decided in the '90s to make them a brand. I remember Universal Monster toys with Burger King kids meals, pinball machines, tie-ins to a few food products (Pepsi was a big one, if I recall), there was a Universal Monster/TMNT mashup toyline, I believe there was even a cartoon show and associated toyline with turned them into superheroes, and the VHS releases had these wonderful matching painted covers of the monsters' faces that made the entire line collectable looking - like a set of really chunky trading cards.

Apparently they were trying to get film reboots of the monsters off the ground all that time, but never managed to make one happen until The Mummy in 1999.

[AdamFTF]

I was terrified of horror films as a kid. Couldn't bear watching anything scary until about age 11 or so (at which time I became a big classic horror fan), but I always felt the classic Universal Monsters around during my childhood because Universal decided in the '90s to make them a brand. I remember Universal Monster toys with Burger King kids meals, pinball machines, tie-ins to a few food products (Pepsi was a big one, if I recall), there was a Universal Monster/TMNT mashup toyline, I believe there was even a cartoon show and associated toyline with turned them into superheroes, and the VHS releases had these wonderful matching painted covers of the monsters' faces that made the entire line collectable looking - like a set of really chunky trading cards.

Apparently they were trying to get film reboots of the monsters off the ground all that time, but never managed to make one happen until The Mummy in 1999.

In a lot of ways, your history seems to mirror my own. Though, the Universal monster movies were my answer to how I could watch horror movies without getting scared. Because it was the blood and gore of modern horror films that I was really afraid of. I still wanted to take part in all the spooky fantasy goodness, though. But I remember the sudden branding. I even remember a promotional at CVS drug stores where they were selling VHS tapes of the movies and bean bag toys of the monsters. They even had display cases shaped like coffins for the toys. I have one of the toys of the Wolf Man. It was maybe a little awkward regarding the VHS tapes, because CVS was selling them just as the VHS format was on the way out.

As for the VHS tapes you're referencing, I just found out about that line and I'm surprised at how expansive it was. They even had stuff like The Mad Ghoul, Captive Wild Woman and a whole mess of less famous titles in the line. There was even a video of Island of Lost Souls, a movie that was not really made by Universal and has frequently been considered lost until recently. Part of the reason I want the Dark Universe to succeed is I want to see them possibly get to the point where they could revisit some of those less famous characters.

[Angilasman]

^ I just hope it means they'll release the lion's share of their classic horror and sci-fi films on Blu-Ray. They've already released complete sets of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, and The Mummy so hopefully we'll get The Creature and Invisible Man sets soonish. I don't know where that leaves their non-monster flicks like The Black Cat and Murders at the Rue Morgue... hopefully a some sort of box set themed around Lugosi and Karloff? I also hope they upgrade their 'Classic Sci-Fi' set to Blu so we can have movies like Tarantula and The Incredible Shrinking Man.

I know Cohen Films is restoring James Whale's The Old Dark House with help from Universal (the film entered the public domain, hence why Universal isn't doing it themselves) for release later this year.

[AdamFTF]

^ I just hope it means they'll release the lion's share of their classic horror and sci-fi films on Blu-Ray. They've already released complete sets of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, and The Mummy so hopefully we'll get The Creature and Invisible Man sets soonish. I don't know where that leaves their non-monster flicks like The Black Cat and Murders at the Rue Morgue... hopefully a some sort of box set themed around Lugosi and Karloff? I also hope they upgrade their 'Classic Sci-Fi' set to Blu so we can have movies like Tarantula and The Incredible Shrinking Man.

I know Cohen Films is restoring James Whale's The Old Dark House with help from Universal (the film entered the public domain, hence why Universal isn't doing it themselves) for release later this year.

I don't know much about Blu-Ray. I'm still rocking the DVD player. I tend to stick with the older format for a while because it tends to be cheaper. You can find a lot of the old movies on DVD, but it takes a little doing. I just got the Universal Horror Archives collection.