You just can't keep a good monster down! Universal Studios has created a fantastic website celebrating 86 years of monster movies called UNIVERSAL MONSTER LEGACY. It consists of an interactive timeline where the reader can call out any number of classic Universal horror films from the years and view film clips, photos, and more. It also has a soundtrack player so you can get deeper into the monster mood. Highly recommended, monster movie fan, highly recommended!
Just launched through Diamond Comic Distributors (March PREVIEWS) is the "Diamond Select" line of Unversal Monster action figures. The first of the "Diamond Dioramas" is THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (pictured above). The seven-inch tall Creature and "bathing beauty in distress" is sculpted by Rudy Garcia with a base sculpted by Jean St. Jean. While touted by the manufacturer as "perhaps it's most screen accurate detail", it doesn't take much to observe that the Creature has seen better creators and the "femme fatale", Kay Lawrence in the film, is obviously no Julie Adams (see picture below for comparison).
Nevertheless, it is always welcome to see the UNIVERSAL HORROR LEGACY live on. The figure is scheduled for a June 2010 release with a suggested retail price of $19.99.
The second in the UNIVERSAL MONSTERS SELECT line is slated to be THE MUMMY. Judging from the picture in the April issue of Diamond Comic Distributor's PREVIEWS, the sculpt is a little better in its depiction and easy to see the likeness is patterned after the Boris Karloff version (see picture below). The figure is sculpted by Jean St. Jean and the sarcophagus is by Rudy Garcia. I have to say that so far, I like St. Jean's work a little better as it is more accurate in detail and likeness than Garcia's attempt at Ben Chapman and Julie Adams in THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON diorama. The suggested retail price for THE MUMMY 7-inch action figure is $19.99.
