Between 1923 and 1960, Universal Studios invested in making a series of monster movies that are now better known under the name "Universal Horror." These films include Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man, and my personal favorite, Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Aside from creating a film genre within themselves, these pictures helped to carry Americans through the Great Depression. They gave people something fun to do on the weekends at a relatively small cost.
After the success of their first few monster movies, Universal decided to continue with their scary theme, and in the span of the next few years creates some of horror's most well known conventions -- the creaking staircase, the cobwebs, swirling mist, and mobs of peasants carrying torches.
This Halloween, run to your local Hastings or Half Price Books and grab a couple of the classics! Your DVD player will thank you for it.
