Mill Creek Entertainment releases a veritable bevy of 20 films spotlighting the undead and vampires of the sort, all of which is your typical selection you can find literally anywhere online. Sets like this usually consist of nothing but public domain and easily affordable classic horror movies and Television movies, some of which deserve to be shun in to obscurity and others are well worth the re-watch. For any horror buff looking to start their collection, a set like this is the best way to build up the numbers and school yourself in the bare essentials, and with this set Mill Creek gives the consumer four discs, all of which have some rather memorable horror films revolving around the concept of the undead.
Not exclusive to vampires, some of these movies are about zombies and ghouls, and a lot of them are must haves for any library of a respecting fan. There are titles like “The Bat” an entertaining murder mystery about a shadowy killer, a dark mansion, and a hidden treasure all of which combine for a considerable solid horror film revolving around greed, envy, and karma. We’re given the 1926 and 1959 versions, so there’s a good variety for folks who want to go back and forth, or are just not fans of silent films and subtitles. We also get “Horror Express” another very solid horror film set on a train involving a hideous murderous monster with Peter Cushing starring, and there’s “Count Dracula and the Vampire Bride” one of the many Dracula films featuring Christopher Lee and Cushing warring as Van Helsing and the vampire king.
And of course there’s the seminal Vincent Price horror film “The Last Man on Earth” another version of the novel “I Am Legend” where Price plays a man struggling with isolation and loneliness in a world overrun by undead ghouls trying to kill him from every corner of the country. While flawed, it is the superior version of the novel, and Price gives a very good performance. As with all of these sets there’s also the inclusion of “Nosferatu” which is one of the most famous horror films, but I wouldn’t blame you if you skipped it since you can find it literally anywhere for free. These sets are what they are: just bargain bin finds cheapskate horror fans love to indulge in.
They have small touch ups but no real restoration, and I’m shocked that “Night of the Living Dead” isn’t included in this one. But there are films like “Vampire’s Night Orgy,” “The Werewolf vs. Vampire Women,” “Horrible Sexy Vampire,” and many more titles that are probably not as entertaining as they sound. Nevertheless if you’re looking to boost your DVD collection for a small price, “The Undead Vampire Collection” is something worthy of your dollar. Or could just collect the deluxe restorations of these movies for much more money. It’s all up to you, in the end. Believe it or not, there’s a place for box sets such as this in the market in spite of their short shelf life and poor quality, and it’s appealing to anyone looking to save a buck or two. Besides, what’s the harm in watching “Nosferatu” for the ninetieth time, right?