The new batch

The Bela Lugosi Collection (Universal)

Though he was most famous for playing Count Dracula, Bela Lugosi made many other horror movies. This thrifty collection gathers together five of the better ones: The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Raven, The Invisible Ray, and Black Friday. Because Boris Karloff costars in four of them, this set might have been called The Bela and Boris Show. Good black-and-white transfers and adequate sound make these oldies a treat, not a trick.

The Hammer Horror Series (Universal)

The British Hammer Studios released films Stateside through several different American companies. Warner Bros. has some of the best, including Christopher Lee’s Dracula series. But Universal has come up with an impressive list of good horror films for this Franchise Collection set: Brides of Dracula, The Curse of the Werewolf, Phantom of the Opera, Paranoiac, The Kiss of the Vampire, Nightmare, Night Creatures, and The Evil of Frankenstein. All are presented in anamorphic widescreen format in the correct aspect ratio, and at a frightfully low price!

The Innocents (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

This chilling ghost story is based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, a story good enough that Benjamin Britten made it into an opera. Deborah Kerr brings considerable talent and great credibility to the role of a governess who may or may not be encountering ghosts that threaten the children entrusted to her care. The anamorphic widescreen transfer makes the most of the cinematography of Freddie Francis, which skillfully makes the estate where the action takes place look like paradise by day and hell by night. It’s also offered at a throwaway price that makes this definitive version a real bargain.

Nature of the Beast (New Line Home Video)

An engaging, low-budget cat-and-mouse story directed by Victor Salva, this story finds Eric Roberts hitching a ride with Lance Henriksen. From bits we hear on the radio and pick up from police officers, we know that one of them is a bank robber and the other a serial killer. But which is which? The ending will surprise you. The experience is made clear by a finely detailed picture and creepy surround sound.

The Ring Two (DreamWorks Home Entertainment)

The Ring revolved around a mysterious black-and-white videocassette. If you didn’t pass it on within a week of watching it, you ended up dead. The Ring Two starts off with the same idea but quickly jettisons it to get to the heart of the haunting as the ghost of the murdered child, Samara, makes life most unpleasant for the good guys. Four-star video and audio transfers and some interesting extras to boot, including a 16-minute film, Rings, that acts as a bridge between The Ring and The Ring Two. If you’re afraid of water or deer, proceed at your own risk.

Tales from the Crypt -- Season One (Warner Home Video)

Everyone’s favorite dead host, the Crypt Keeper, is back to introduce these chilling tales. There were only six in the first season, but they were quality frights directed by the likes of Robert Zemeckis, Richard Donner, and Walter Hill. "And All Through the House," which concerns the plight of a woman who has just killed her husband and is being threatened by a psycho in a Santa Claus suit, is worth the cost of the set. Rich, dripping blood and spooky surround sound, plus a disc of extras that includes a documentary on the history of horror comics, make this a keeper.

Tried and true

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Francis Ford Coppola gives us a more historical take on Prince Dracul than others have presented while still chilling our bones. He is aided by a tour de force performance by Gary Oldman, perhaps the most versatile actor working today. Wojciech Kilar’s musical score is fresh and alive as well, eschewing the usual Hollywood swoops and swoons. The DVD transfers are wonderful. The picture displays horrific detail in dark scenes, and the Dolby Surround design might be the best one ever done. The things that go bump in the rear channels will make you jump. The Superbit Edition is the one to choose.

The Fog (MGM Home Entertainment)

It’s since been remade, but I can’t imagine anything scarier than this early (1980) John Carpenter film. Just the idea of a woman broadcaster alone in a lighthouse studio is enough to chill the bones, with or without the fog. The last release of it, on MGM DVD, was done right, and the anamorphic widescreen picture has grisly detail. There are many neat extras, including commentary by Carpenter and the film’s producer, Debra Hill.

Fright Night (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

One of the best modern vampire tales, this movie crosses the line from camp to terror and back again. Roddy McDowall is especially good as a TV horror-film host who has to come through with the goods in the real world. Chris Sarandon’s suave and seductive vampire is second only to Frank Langella’s Dracula in sex appeal. The video is remarkably sharp and clear for a disc that’s been around for six or seven years. And the price is low, which makes this release even more attractive.

Halloween (Anchor Bay Entertainment)

This namesake movie by John Carpenter is still one of the best scares for the holiday. Its low-budget origins are a plus, making the movie seem more real than slicker entries. The THX transfer, though not as crisp as some more recent efforts, is good enough, and the 5.1-channel remix of Carpenter’s creepy music is just fine. Interesting extras include TV and radio spots, a gallery of still photos and posters, and a documentary on the making of the film.