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If someone could post some screencaps, that'd be much appreciated. Given what Criterion have said on FB, it might be quite a while still before this surfaces in R1.

Is this an official Universal (or Universal-licensed) release? The apparent coupling with the PD title The Vampire Bat - assuming it's the 1933 film (but only 24 minutes of it?) - suggests not. There was a previous DVD and VHS release of Island of Lost Souls in the UK which was at best "unofficial" and now long deleted.

Jonathan S wrote: the PD title The Vampire Bat - assuming it's the 1933 film (but only 24 minutes of it?)

Wow, there are rumors on a once-existing longer cut of VAMPIRE BAT , but ...

HarryLong wrote:

Jonathan S wrote: the PD title The Vampire Bat - assuming it's the 1933 film (but only 24 minutes of it?)

Wow, there are rumors on a once-existing longer cut of VAMPIRE BAT , but ...

Well, since you mention it, I just noticed that imdb refers to a 2005 restoration of The Vampire Bat at 64 minutes, which is certainly longer than my copy. Is this available on DVD?

EDIT: Having checked, that seems to be about the normal length today. My UK copy is just under 60 minutes but that's with PAL speed-up. I was misled by the imdb "restoration" claim. Most of my older film guides claim a length of 71 minutes, Maltin even warning of "shorter prints". Has anyone seen a 71-minute print of The Vampire Bat?

Well, this reputable eBay seller lists Vampire Bat's running time at 63 minutes on this DVD...

Is this set worth the extra money?

perkizitore wrote:Is this set worth the extra money?

That set mixes films owned by Universal, Fox, Sony and Warner! Those from the latter three have been released in R1 of course.

I wouldn't waste my time with it, unless you simply can't control yourself and can't wait any longer (the film is fabulous).

We've waited so long for a 'proper' non-vhs release of the film, what's another few months tacked on to fourteen (minimum) years (post MCA-Universal VHS)?

HerrSchreck wrote:I wouldn't waste my time with it, unless you simply can't control yourself and can't wait any longer (the film is fabulous).

We've waited so long for a 'proper' non-vhs release of the film, what's another few months tacked on to fourteen (minimum) years (post MCA-Universal VHS)?

Amen. That proper DVD release of Island of Lost Souls continues to rest in peace, it seems. *kisses my laserdisc thrice.*

Jonathan S wrote:Most of my older film guides claim a length of 71 minutes, Maltin even warning of "shorter prints". Has anyone seen a 71-minute print of The Vampire Bat?

That's what I meant with my refernce to rumored longer prints. There was a long discussion of this on another site that I participated in. No one (and some of us are not exactly youngsters) has ever seen a 71 min. version of TVB. The consensus we reached was that this might have been a misprint, repeated over the years. After all, in 1932 (or '33?) it was unsual for an A film to run all that much over an hour. A lower-half of the bill item like TVD would be more likely to run about an hour, more or less. (THE OLD DARK HOUSE - on whose set VAMPIRE BAT was shot ran 72 minutes.)

Hmmm, who could this zachhh be, supposing he's a valid source?