Murders in the Zoo is compared on Eureka's "Creeping Horror" Blu-ray boxset HERE

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Shout! Factory Blu-ray (July 2019): This follows Volume 1 of Shout! Factory's Universal Horror Volume 1 on 4- Blu-ray disc set reviewed HERE.

Shout! Factory have brought four more early Universal Horrors onto their own Blu-ray package in a volume 2 package entitled the 'Universal Horror Collection: Vol. 2'. These were part of the TCM Universal Cult Horror Collection DVD of Murders in the Zoo (1933), The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942), The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942) and The Mad Ghoul (1943) (reviewed HERE) which also includes House of Horrors (1946), not present in this volume 2 Blu-ray collection. The earliest film, by almost 9-years, the Pre-code Murders in the Zoo (1933) is the grainiest and softest but all appear to be from the same masters as the 2016 DVDs and look impressive in 1080P with excellent contrast - showcasing the consistent density of the source. There are some light surface scratches but no impinging damage.

NOTE: We have added 29 more large resolution Shout! Factory Blu-ray captures for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Shout! Factory use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono tracks (24-bit) in the original English language. The Murder at the Zoo is at the mercy of the original production technology and there can be imperfections and slight hiss. The scores are dramatic and wonderful by John Leipold (Christmas in July, The Devil is a Woman, The Flying Deuces, Duck Soup) and Rudolph G. Kopp (The Woman Accused, 1934's Cleopatra, 1934's The Sign of the Cross, 1950's Noir Mystery Street) on Murder in the Zoo.  Hans J. Salter (The Killer that Stalked New York, The Strange Door, Cover Up, Man Without a Star, Scarlet Street, The Land Unknown, The War Lord, The Mole People) and Frank Skinner (The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, and The Naked City) in The Strange Case of Doctor Rx with some Beethoven and Tchaikovsky in The Mad Ghoul. There is minor depth but the scores augment the overall atmosphere. Shout! Factory offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray (despite being from Universal -which are always Region FREE.)

Extras include a commentary by Greg Mank (author of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, with a Complete Filmography of Their Films Together) on Murder in the Zoo where he identifies some of the production code concerns. He is full of relevant production details. There is also an image gallery (as found on the 2016 DVD set). The Mad Doctor of Market Street has only a trailer and image gallery. The Strange Case of Doctor Rx has the 20-minute Gloriously Wicked: The Life and Legacy of Lionel Atwill with Mank giving a concise overview of the actor's interesting career and life. He starred in three of the films in the set; Murders in the Zoo (1933), The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) and The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942.) There is also an image gallery as an additional supplement. Lastly, The Mad Ghoul has a fun commentary by film historian Thomas Reeder - who may be a bit dry but has some information to impart. This 4th Blu-ray disc also has an image gallery.

I've always been a fan of these short and sweet horror efforts, even marginal ones, from the vintage years. One observation I will share is the, arguably, best film; Murders in the Zoo is pre-code and there was obviously no 'animal rights' for films back then - it can get surprisingly graphic. I liked all four to varying degrees and the 1080P resolution was very pleasing - an obvious advancement over SD that helped with the overall feel. These are an atmospheric way to start a double feature night usually running just over an hour... so for fans of this genre/era - it is recommended despite Universal Horror Volume 1 being the superior offering for both the four films and the extras (with 6 commentaries.).

Gary Tooze