Creature from the Black Lagoon - Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection – Universal Pictures (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1954
Director: Jack Arnold
Cast: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, Whit Bissell, Bernie Gozier

Release Date: October 11th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 79 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono French, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $79.99 (Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection)

"After discovering a unique prehistoric claw fossil on an expedition deep in the jungle, scientists investigate its origins which lead them directly to a mysterious creature. Led by ichthyologist David Reed (Richard Carlson), the men try to capture the monster who has become obsessed with David's assistant, Kay (Julia Adams)."  - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Creature from the Black Lagoon comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD. 

Disc Size: 61.7 GB

Feature: 55 GB

The source used for this transfer is another solid upgrade, and it is easily the best Creature from the Black Lagoon ever looked on home video. Image clarity, black levels, and contrast are solid; there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look. That said, when it comes to processed shots, image clarity is not as strong.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English; a DTS-HD mono mix in French; a DTS-HD mono mix in German; and a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian. For this review, I listened to the DTS-HD mono English track. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss; dialog always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. That said, for a film that’s ninety years old, this audio track sounds excellent. Removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for Creature from the Black Lagoon include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background titled Production Photographs (posters/lobby cards/stills), a trailer gallery: Creature from the Black Lagoon (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), Revenge of the Creature (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), and The Creature Walks Among Us (1 minute 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), a featurette titled 100 Years of Universal: The Lot (9 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), a featurette titled Back to the Lagoon (39 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Tom Weaver.

Included with this release is a Blu-ray that has all the extras that are on the 4K UHD. Also, the Blu-ray only comes with two audio options: DTS-HD mono English and DTS-HD mono French. There are only two subtitle options: English SDH and Spanish.

Also, the Blu-ray is the same as Universal’s 2013 Blu-ray.

Creature from the Black Lagoon is part of Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection, a box set that also has The Mummy (1932), The Bride of Frankenstein and Phantom of the Opera (1943).

Summary:

Directed by Jack Arnold, whose other notable films are It Came from Outer Space, Tarantula, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and Monster on the Campus. One of the three uncredited composers on Creature from the Black Lagoon was Henry Mancini, whose other notable film scores are Touch of Evil, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and The Pink Panther.

Creature from the Black Lagoon is significant when one discusses creature features that rose to prominence in the 1950s. Though creature features are a product of their time. They have a certain charm about them that has made them hold up after all these years despite their limitations.

Content-wise, Creature from the Black Lagoon is equal parts monster and adventure film. The narrative revolves around a group of scientists in the Amazon jungle. Their paths cross with a prehistoric creature that has been lurking.

Though the events that unfold take place in an exotic locale. It is obvious that the "exotic" locale is actually a soundstage or shot on a backlot. Fortunately, when it comes to the monster, this is the one area where "Creature from the Black Lagoon" delivers in spades. Instead of revealing the creature all at once, there is a slow buildup in which the creature's hands or another part of its body are shown. making the moment when the creature is fully revealed all the more potent.

Though Creature from the Black Lagoon has all the hallmarks of a B film, The result is a film that actually far exceeds the sum of its parts. The cast delivers enthusiastic performances, the narrative does a good job building momentum, and Jack Arnold’s direction is solid. Another strength are the underwater sequences, especially the scene where Julie Adams's character is out for a swim and below her, the creature follows her. Ultimately, Creature from the Black Lagoon is a solid B film that fans of creature features are sure to enjoy.

Creature from the Black Lagoon gets a solid 4K upgrade, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer