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| Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 (Tarantula/Mole People/Incredible Shrinking Man/Monolith Monsters/Monster on the Campus/Dr. Cyclops/Cult of the Cobra/Land Unknown/Deadly Mantis/Leech Woman) | 
 enlarge | Directors: Edward Dein, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Francis D. Lyon, Jack Arnold, John Sherwood
Actors: John Agar, Mara Corday, Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, Albert Dekker
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $59.98
Buy New: $30.24
You Save: $29.74 (50%)
New (28) Used (5) from $30.24
Avg. Customer Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 5064
Format: Box Set, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 6
Running Time: 789
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.5 x 1.3
MPN: MCAD61104061D
UPC: 025195033015
EAN: 0025195033015
ASIN: B0013XZ6SY
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New! Factory Sealed! US Retail DVD! Customer service is our #1 priority. Thank you for choosing MediaThrill.
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Product Description
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 05/13/2008 Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 The big, the small, the lost and the shifty December 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the early days of talkie films, many of the major studios carved out their own niches: MGM did the spectacular movies and the musicals, Warner Brothers did the social issue and gangster movies and Universal did the monster movies. By the 1950s, Frankenstein and company were generally played out, so Universal switched from the supernatural to the "scientific" monsters. These films were for the most part B-movie fare and generally fun, but also formulaic enough to merit parody, most notably on Mystery Science Theater 3000. In fact, at least three of the ten movies in The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection were redone on MST3K.
These ten movies fit into four categories, each with two or three films: the big, the small, the lost and the shifty. The "big" films deal with oversized monsters: Tarantula, The Monolith Monsters and The Deadly Mantis. Tarantula, one of three in the set directed by Jack Arnold (of Creature of the Black Lagoon fame) deals with an oversized arachnid that terrorizes a small town. Guns can't stop it, dynamite can't stop it: is the world doomed? B movie stalwart John Agar leads the cast, while Clint Eastwood appears briefly in one of his earliest roles (His first role? A cameo in Revenge of the Creature (not part of this set)). The Deadly Mantis (parodied on MST3K) features a thawed out giant insect that heads south from the Arctic. The Monolith Monster feature the monster that is simultaneously the most interesting and the most boring: giant rocks that tear up the landscape and multiply when wet.
The "small" films are the closest to classics in the bunch. Dr. Cyclops is unique in this set for three reasons: it is not only the only one not made by Universal (but by Paramount instead), it is the only one not made in the 1950s (it was made in 1940) and it is the only one in color. The story focuses on the title character, a mad scientist who creates a device that can shrink animals, including some people who get too close to his secrets. The Incredible Shrinking Man has the title character facing doom as he gets smaller and smaller, ultimately winding up in mortal battle with a spider.
The "lost" films deal with lost worlds. The Mole People (another MST3K victim) has archaeologists (including future Ward Beaver Hugh Beaumont) finding an ancient Sumerian civilization living underground. They are distrusful of outsiders, but are so sensitive to light that a flashlight is blinding and sunlight can kill. The Land Unknown has a group of people finding a lost world in Antarctica, complete with dinosaurs and carnivorous plants.
The "shifty" movies deal with people transforming into beasts. In Monster on the Campus, the main character changes into a primitive savage after being "bitten" by the fossil of an ancient fish. In Cult of the Cobra (the one really supernatural movie in the bunch), some ex-soldiers run afoul of the title group, which sends a woman after them, one who can transform at will into a cobra. Finally, The Leech Woman has a middle-aged woman who can turn young briefly, but only if she kills. Despite being another film that MST3K spoofed, it does stand out in one respect: it stars B-movie beauty Coleen Gray. While the actresses in the other films are little more than eye candy who scream at appropriate times, Gray is exceptional in her more human character. It is little wonder that Gray is the only actress in the set to have a decent career (including films like Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, Kansas City Confidential and The Killing).
It'd be a little much to say these are great movies, but they are all fun to watch. The low-budget effects, the cheesy writing (except for the Richard Matheson penned Incredible Shrinking Man) and the often wooden acting do not hurt these films but somehow enhance them. There aren't many extras (only movie trailers), but this is still a nice set, and with no movie topping 81 minutes, these films are quick and entertaining.
Great Deal. You Can't Go Wrong. December 27, 2008
There is no much to add to the existing reviews. It is just a great collection.
Nice collection of B SciFi Films for cheap money December 2, 2008
This is a very nice collection of B Sci-Fi films from the late 50's and early 60's and would serve well as a 'starter' pack for new afficionados of the genre. Though the inclusion of "Cult Of The Cobra" is a puzzle (it's really a supernatural horror story), by in large, a majority of the films are quite enjoyable and the print quality is excellent on all of them.
Personal favs in the collection are "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "The Monolith Monsters", "Tarantula" (keep an eye open for a VERY young Clint Eastwood as an Air Force pilot), "Monster On Campus" & "The Deadly Mantis".
"Dr. Cyclops" is the oldest of the set being released in 1940. Though the effects are somewhat dated, the plot holds your interest unlike the abysmal "Leech Woman". I've always wondered why collections such as these are seemingly required to include a 'dog' like "The Leech Woman" though I suppose on one level it helps one to appreciate the others.
This collection is highly recommended and I'm looking forward to seeing what The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Volumes 3 & 4 look like.
BEST Sci-Fi package EVER! December 1, 2008
This is the best Sci-Fi package ever, since several of my favorite ones from my childhood are included. "Tarantula!", "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "Cult of the Cobra", etc. All included films helped make my childhood more interesting and the time pass by questioning the diversity of our universe, not to mention the active mind of man. "...Shrinking Man" is perhaps my top favorite for the questions it raises about mankind and his quest for self-destruction, nuclear energy's negative side, and the beauty of profound philosophical thought as well as our smallness in the universe. It has stayed with me always and I thank Richard Matheson, daily, for his gift - his many gifts to me(us) . The others all caused thought to engage, actively. What a wonderful package this is! I bought it as soon as I knew it to be available - not just to stir my childhood memories, but to stir some new adult ones. To those who produced it, A GRATEFUL, THANKS!
Prepare to be blown away November 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ten classic science fiction flicks from Universal proves you can run, but you can't hide. A giant tarantula, the monolith monsters, a monster on the campus, a giant praying mantis, a leech woman and a mad scientist meat half of these films.
Transfer quality is great. Trailers for these movies are included. That's it. No commentary, no documentaries, no rare features. Still, the picture quality and the price is worth it.
Small trivia to look out for. The script for "The Land Unknown" was scripted by radio script writer William N. Robson trying his hand at a screenplay. "The Incredible Shrinking Man" was scripted by Richard Matheson, from his novel of the same name -- the same man responsible for "The Omega Man / The Last Man on Earth." The airforce pilot who saves the day in "Tarantula" remains hidden in the suit and helmet but take my word for it -- that's Clint Eastwood! The Universal Studios backlot was featured prominently in "The Monolith Monsters" so look out for that Back to the Future clock!
This set is a lot of fun, so be prepared!
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