The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Rating: ★★★★½
Jul 1, 2001Disfigured Madman Beneath the Opera House
The first and still the best version of the story. Made when The Phantom was a horror story rather than a weepie romance, everything from Lon Chaney's performance to the amazing Gothic design and directorial set-pieces is classic

Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein (1931)
Rating: ★★★★
Dec 1, 2003Universal Frankenstein Adaptation
The classic version of Mary Shelley's tale that left the indelible image of Boris Karloff as the dull monster with bolts in its neck. Director James Whale draws on German Expressionist designs to create one of the landmark classics of the genre

Dracula (1931)

Dracula (1931)
Rating: ★★
Jun 28, 2002Universal Dracula Adaptation
The classic adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel that made Bela Lugosi into a horror icon and created the image of the vampire in dinner-suit and with East European accent. For all its stature, it is a dull and talky film and Lugosi is overwrought

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Rating: ★★★★
Mar 7, 2000Universal Frankenstein Sequel
The first sequel to the 1931 Boris Karloff Frankenstein, which many prefer to the original. Director James Whale comes into his element and provides a whole other level of droll humour that the first film did not have