Universal Horrors: The Studio’s Classic Films, 1931-1946, 2d Ed

Very good book

I love all of Weavers stuff, he is one arguably the best writer working in the horror genre today, both in terms of his style and his in depth knowledge of the subject. With Universal Horrors, however, he is tackling a well trodden path and, though he doesn’t make the same mistake recent writers do with Hammer- going for increasing obscure areas- there isn’t so much here that is new. It is very well written, well structured and informative- up to a point.

I’d recommend it for anyone with an interest in the subject, and I’d also recommend the author’s DVD commentaries. If you are already a student of the period and want something that pulls it all together, it’s a good buy. If you are new to all this, then you won’t find a better introduction.

A great and fascinating read from the ever knowledgeable Tom Weaver now available for your Kindle Reader. This is the best of Universal’s offerings from the golden days of horror cinema featuring all the greats: Karloff, Lugosi and Chaney. Jam packed with information about all the productions on the famous backlot, insightful and fascinating for anyone interested in classic horror cinema! Great reading that will keep you glued to the screen. Tom Weaver is a veritable fountain of information and he knows everyone that was involved with the Universal classics. Buy this and learn about what it took to make cinematic history; they sure don’t make them like this anymore!

This is one absolutely unbelievable book. I think McFarland & Company publishes fantastic books. You check their website to see more interesting titles. Universal Horrors is one big book with many pages of fantastic texts. It covers every movie starting with Dracula (1931) and finishing with The Brute Man (1946). You get many background production informations for every movie, little tidbits on crew and actors. There are also some black and white photos inside but nothing special. What makes this book important is coverage of so many movie in one volume. I think if you want to start with something light to give you an overview of the classic monsters than first get Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror and then go ahead with this book, but don’t miss it. It is fantastic peace of work. Enjoy 🙂

I have been a fan of the Universal Monsters since my father introduced them to me when I was 7. He talked of going to see Bride of Frankenstein at the movies when he was a boy. It was with a great deal of joy that I found this book. This is the complete bible for fans of the Universal Studio in its heyday of monster flics. The wealth of inside information about the cast; the making of the movies; comments by the actual actors in those precious old pictures brings to the fan a new side that we have so often wanted but never had. The book covers the rise of the monster flixs year by year including complete casts, crew, time of release and how long the movie is. There is respect that comes from the authors writings that let you know that they are also fans. This does not, however, keep them from being less than professional as they will often times critique the productions and the casts. This often times is deservedly done and is seen as some one that wishes the film or actors or production could have been better. I highly recommend this book to any fan of the Universal Monsters. You will not be disappointed.

I’ll echo what a lot of other reviews have said. This is an excellent book and essential for Universal Horror fans. There is a wealth of information, behind the scenes pictures and poster art. I will agree that much of the commentary is snarky and cynical. You would think the authors didn’t like the genre or the movies they were writing about. The downside is that it’s very expensive for a rather cheaply made paperback that will not hold up to use as a reference book. For $40 it should be hardbound or at least made of sturdier paper.