The Bela Lugosi Collection is an odd name for this DVD compilation of little-seen Universal movies, particularly due to the fact that Boris Karloff received higher billing than Lugosi during the theatrical runs of many of the films collected here. Though really, it’s hard to quibble with having such fine films available on DVD at such an affordable price; The Bela Lugosi Collection includes Murders in the Rue Morgue, a Poe adaptation packed with strange subtexts, The Raven, a Poe adaptation in name only which features some classic mad science, The Invisible Ray, a science fiction thriller heaped with more primo examples of mad science, and Black Friday, a bizarre body-swapping crime caper. The crowning jewel of this collection has to be The Black Cat, which is easily the most stylish of the films in this collection due to the almost Expressionist backdrops and strange, Symbolist characters. Though Bela Lugosi doesn’t get as much screen time in these films as you might expect from the title, these lesser-known gems are all well worth the price of admission.

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