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Coming back to my Universal Monster movie binge, we bid a sad farewell to the Wolf Man, who honestly didn't get as many sequels as the other guys did. Strange, considering that the Wolf Man is often one of the big three icons of the Universal Monsters. I guess it just goes to show how much people love Lon Chaney Jr.'s performance.
Anyway, my next stop is something... Completely different. Because you can't mention all these monster movies without acknowledging the work and talents of the comedy duo behind "Who's On First?" Yup! We're moving from horror to comedy with the Abbott and Costello monster mash-ups. We begin with the one that started it all: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
It's crazy to think that the best movie to bring the big three monsters together (Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, and the Wolf Man, respectively) was the one designed for laughs. It's like saying Spaceballs was the best Star Wars movie to feature Luke, Han, and Leia. But in 1948, that's what happened with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The film works both as a comedy and as a tribute to the Universal monsters, and it's nice to see Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr. in this one (although it's too bad they couldn't get Karloff for Frankenstein, but Glenn Strange does what he can). This movie succeeds where House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula failed, and the last ten minutes of this film gives fans the monster free-for-all that the Universal franchise needed. The climactic fight between Dracula and the Wolf Man might be the most cathartic fight of Universal monster moviedom. Highly recommended for both comedy and horror fans alike.
Next, we come to the sequel, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. This one has its fans, with some swearing that this is the best of the Abbott and Costello monster movies. I'll respectfully disagree, as I liked the horror-comedy blend of the last movie as opposed to this one, which is just plain ol' comedy. But with that said, I did laugh a lot, and I enjoyed it enough that I'll still recommend it, especially for the ending. Special effects weren't too shabby, either.
Anyway, my next stop is something... Completely different. Because you can't mention all these monster movies without acknowledging the work and talents of the comedy duo behind "Who's On First?" Yup! We're moving from horror to comedy with the Abbott and Costello monster mash-ups. We begin with the one that started it all: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
It's crazy to think that the best movie to bring the big three monsters together (Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, and the Wolf Man, respectively) was the one designed for laughs. It's like saying Spaceballs was the best Star Wars movie to feature Luke, Han, and Leia. But in 1948, that's what happened with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The film works both as a comedy and as a tribute to the Universal monsters, and it's nice to see Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr. in this one (although it's too bad they couldn't get Karloff for Frankenstein, but Glenn Strange does what he can). This movie succeeds where House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula failed, and the last ten minutes of this film gives fans the monster free-for-all that the Universal franchise needed. The climactic fight between Dracula and the Wolf Man might be the most cathartic fight of Universal monster moviedom. Highly recommended for both comedy and horror fans alike.
Next, we come to the sequel, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. This one has its fans, with some swearing that this is the best of the Abbott and Costello monster movies. I'll respectfully disagree, as I liked the horror-comedy blend of the last movie as opposed to this one, which is just plain ol' comedy. But with that said, I did laugh a lot, and I enjoyed it enough that I'll still recommend it, especially for the ending. Special effects weren't too shabby, either.