5/5 ANOTHER GREAT COLLECTION FROM UNIVERSAL!!
  by Ghoulchick (Bronx, New York United States)
From the silent era to the late 1940's no other studio could do horror and mystery films like Universal. The lighting, shadows, great sets, music, awesome camera work and actors gave their films a very distinct atmosphere. They gave us Dracula, The Mummy, The Old Dark House and the Wolfman making legends of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr. Now Universal has opened up their movie vaults once more, to give us another classic collection. The Inner Sanctum films were based on the popular radio series of the same name.

The Inner Sanctum Mysteries Complete Movie Collection set includes the following films:

Calling Dr. Death (1943)
Weird Woman (1944)
Dead Man's Eyes (1944)
The Frozen Ghost (1945)
Strange Confession (1945)
Pillow of Death (1945)

Check out their upcoming Karloff Collection as well!




5/5 Who Woulda' Believed It ????
  by Rondell Gunn (Lawrenceburg, Tennessee United States)
I purchased these on VHS years ago. And, over the years, I have watched them several times. They are some of Universal Studios best short movies and well deserve wide distribution. I must admit that I am a great fan of Lon Chaney, Jr. and the additional talents of Evelyn Ankers in any Universal production is a definite plus. Without previewing each episode, I will summarize in saying that these short movies are well worth the money, the time, and I am grateful to Universal for releasing them. They are a treasure and a collection of movie history.

5/5 Horror is Universal (and so is Mystery!)
  by A. Gammill (West Point, MS United States)
Once again, the folks at Universal have given us something to get excited about. Here are all 6 of the studio's "Inner Sanctum" mysteries in one low-priced set. Fans of Lon Chaney Jr. who were disappointed with Image's recent "Lon Chaney Collection" will certainly find much to love here. I'll readily admit that he lacked the acting chops of his contemporaries like Karloff and Lugosi, but his roles here are varied and give this "black sheep" of Universal horror a chance to shine.

Remember, these feature-length (well...most of them clock in at just over an hour) films were based on the popular radio series of the same name. As such, they tend to be a bit "talky." But the production values are high, and a couple of the stories actually generate some suspense. In addition to the sharp black & white photography, the best thing about these films is probably the supporting cast. Frequent Chaney co-star Evelyn Ankers, as well as Universal players Anne Gwynne and J. Carroll Naish are on-hand to lend support to the affable Chaney. Some of the humor hasn't aged well, but that's hardly uncommon for films of this period.

I hope Universal will continue the trend set by this and the "Boris Karloff Collection," and release more of their lesser-known films from the vaults, such as Man Made Monster and Night Monster. For now, we can enjoy these almost-forgotten gems from Hollywood's Golden Age.


4/5 Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Complete Movie Collection
  by Max Fraley (costa mesa, CA. United States)
Little is Better. This B movie collection is the perfect medicine for staying up a little late to watch a weird little story, but not wanting to short change a reasonable night's sleep or stress out on a heavy duty of serious.
These little gems are just what was intended... escape. You can imagine the squeaking door if you need, but
for the most part it's sheer pleasure watching some of the best character actors ever in Universal's B movie business.
Lon Chaney, Jr. has the lead in all five features so I recommend the viewers put a special focus on the Hall of Fame performers that give superb support. The mixed bag of men: Milburn Stone, Thomas Gomez, J. Carrol Naish, Paul Kelly, David Bruce, Ralph Morgan, Douglas Dumbrille, J. Edward Bromberg and that creepy little guy who snakes rather than sneaks, Martin Kosleck, are genuine characters. The gals, Brenda Joyce, Jean Parker, Patricia Morison, Anne Gwynn, Ramsey Ames, and ultimate screamer, Evelyn Ankers, are all accomplished actresses with better than good looks who deserved but never got the star treatment.
I'd give the nod to Weird Woman as the best movie of the lot, but each has its own merits and memorable moments. It's a wonderful little package for the true classic B film fan.




5/5 Entertaining Forties-Era Horror
  by andy7 (Los Angeles, CA United States)
If the Val Lewton box set left you wanting more, then the "Inner Sanctum" box set will fill the void very well. Movies like "Weird Woman" and "Calling Dr. Death" can match Lewton in terms of pacing and visuals; I saw quite a few similarities in all of these movies.
As stated in other reviews the films aren't "scary-horror" per se, but more of a psychological creepy horror that gets under your skin and doesn't let go until the film is over. Just like Lewton there's not a lot of budget being tossed around here, but the action moves quickly and the cinematography is atmospheric and well done.
I enjoyed the 1940's pulp magazine vibe of all the movies included in this box set, and was pleased to see Universal finally return to single-sided discs (thank you!). Take a chance on these films and you will be surprised.