The Universal Monster movies: often referenced, rarely watched.

Submitted by SpankAPlankton t3_yg91ef in movies

How many times have you seen a character shout "It's Alive!"? Or imitate Dracula by doing an Eastern European accent? Or be menaced by a torch-and-pitchfork-wielding mob?

Now how many times have you watched the original Dracula or Frankenstein (1931)? Or any of the Universal Monster movies? Have you not even seen one?

Between movies, books, TV, toys, video games, commercials, and all other forms of media, the Universal Monster movies and their versions of the titular characters are probably the most referenced ever, but a lot of people haven't seen them, unless they're serious movie buffs. I'm not ranting or anything, it's just interesting to me that everyone knows what you're referencing if you allude to these films, but not many people have actually seen them. Why do you suppose this is?

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jeremy-o t1_iu7jl28 wrote

I think you're underestimating how many active filmmakers literally grew up on this stuff. Even in the 80s and 90s they'd get frequent runs on cable TV (which was far less diverse than our modern media landscape).

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SpankAPlankton OP t1_iu7k7it wrote

Filmmakers, yes. Absolutely. But when I bring these movies up to average joes, most haven't watched them or have only seen one. Or they'll say they've seen one, but can't remember which one it was. This happens even with older people.

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jeremy-o t1_iu7kfpu wrote

It's because they have cultural cache.

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jakefromjake t1_iu7tdxp wrote

Well no shit. Why would most people want to watch some old ass black and white movie with rubber masks? Add on shitty dialogue where women are objects and subtract any diversity.

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PawgWarrior t1_iu7xlcv wrote

Lol how dismissive and close minded. Go watch some recent half baked horror diversity quota characters lecture the audience directly with their social justice holier-than-thou messages if you makes your feel better, cupcake

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onebadmex66 t1_iu7kbj8 wrote

I suppose it depends on your age and/or your desire to see the origins of modern horror films.

I am 56 and I have watched them all as well as the Abbott & Costello Meet the Monsters films. These are movies I grew up watching (on KCOP 13 and KTLA 5 out of Los Angeles) and knew them by heart by the time I was 7 or 8.

Even though many folks born in the 80s may not know the originals, lots of films show snippets of these famous monsters so they are exposed on a superficial level.

Hell, even my my nieces and nephews (in their mid 20s) know them because I would force them to watch them with me during holidays. Nothing better than a Universal Monster Marathon on Halloween.

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SpankAPlankton OP t1_iu7lj0x wrote

>Nothing better than a Universal Monster Marathon on Halloween.

I wholeheartedly agree.

I guess I'm an outlier when it comes to fans of these films, because I'm around your nieces' and nephews' ages. I don't just know them, I enjoy them.

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TheBigNook t1_iu7kqbz wrote

Average joe’s typically have very little cinema experience. At least in my region.

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NoDisintegrationz t1_iu7mp12 wrote

I’ve seen most of the main ones twice, and several of the lesser ones once. I bought the sets a couple years ago and try to squeeze some in October.

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Marvel_plant t1_iu7r82v wrote

I’ve watched Lugosi’s Dracula, bride of Frankenstein, Invisible Man and Creature from the Black Lagoon dozens of times. I’ve probably seen Dracula 10 times at least. I love these films.

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Low_Staff_5028 t1_iu7kgwb wrote

Yeah, as a fairly big movie buff I have to say that sadly I have not seen any of the old classics

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Free_Mr_Dressup t1_iu7w0zj wrote

A self proclaimed movie buff who hasn’t seen any of the classics.

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bekilledoff t1_iu7p351 wrote

Now think about the film artifacts of the last 20-40 years of cinema. What monsters will have tons of cultural cache in another 50 years?

Will it still be Dracula and the Wolfman and Frankenstein? Or will new "Universals" take the podiums?

I'm nominating Hannibal Lecter to replace Dracula. Maybe the Terminator will replace Frankenstein... It's fun to imagine the pop culture of the future this way...

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Marvel_plant t1_iu7re22 wrote

Lecter and the Terminator have both got quotes that are just as iconic as “children of the night” and “I never drink wine.”

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Free_Mr_Dressup t1_iu7vwq1 wrote

The are all on the criterion channel app right now FYI

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fart-debris t1_iu7xt9v wrote

I mean, most of the Universal monster movies are almost a hundred years old - of course they're not going to be seen as often as they used to be with so many more sophisticated horror films in their wake (to say nothing of how younger folks think that the pacing of even just 80s horror movies are intolerable - if they think A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 is slow, there ain't no way in HELL they're gonna be able to sit through Karloff's The Mummy).

Anyway, I watch all the core Universal monster flicks every Halloween, especially since the fantastic Blu-Ray box set containing those movies was released a decade ago. In fact, I'm listening to the fun commentary for Creature From the Black Lagoon as I type this.

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MovieMike007 t1_iu8qc4z wrote

They are iconic films and have seeped into movie and television culture down through the years.

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