A lesser entry in the Halloween release schedule this year is nonetheless most welcome as it features Boris Karloff in four of his lesser films. Karloff always elevated any material he lent his talents too and fans will take great pleasure in watching him do so here. Gothic melodramas like The Black Room were always his greatest strength. My favorite of that bunch is The Black Castle. But that’s what makes this collection must have for any classic horror fan. The Invisible Ray and House of Frankenstein are Karloff’s greatest mad scientist turns but offered here are The Man They Could Not Hang, The Boogie Man Will Get You If You Don’t Watch Out and Before I Hang showcasing him as the mad doctor everyone has imitated for decades in cheesy comedy routines. The lack of extras is a shame as the poverty row output of Karloff and Lugosi form a fascinating chapter in Hollywood’s early horrors. The packaging though is very nice using a similar font as the Universal Boris Karloff Collection.
