Universal Studios is one of the six major movie studios. It was founded by Carl Laemmle in 1912 and remains one of the oldest movie studios in Hollywood. Several films by the studio were featured during MST3K's run, many of them in Season 8 and from when they were known as Universal International. Universal had the most films shown on MST3K for a major studio.
"Universal Studios" may also refer to the theme parks that the studio operates, which feature rides and attractions based on the studio's popular properties such as Jaws, Psycho, Fast and the Furious, and Transformers.
Universal Monsters[]
In the 1930s and 40s, Universal Pictures produced a series of highly-popular monster movies. Some of the monsters were based on classic literature (Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster), while others were inspired by legends (the Wolf Man, the Mummy).
Known as the "Universal Monsters", these characters eventually cross-pollinated into films that featured several at once. In the late 1940s, the classic monsters were revived in a series of comedies starring Abbott & Costello, beginning with 1948's Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The last creature to be added to the Universal Monsters pantheon is the original creation the Creature from the Black Lagoon (a.k.a. the Gill Man). He is the only Universal Monster to be featured in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 production (Experiment #801).
Universal first revived their classic creations in a distribution deal with Hammer Films, allowing them to utilize and reference Universal's back catalog. These films are generally seen as examples of the "Hammer Horror" line, with the Universal connection often downplayed or ignored.
The studio's next attempt came with 1979's Dracula starring Frank Langella. In 1999, a new version of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser spawned two sequels and a spin-off series starting with The Scorpion King in 2002. Other films of the time include Van Helsing (2004) and The Wolfman (2010).
More recently, Universal attempted to revive the Universal Monsters in a multi-picture franchise inspired by the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their first film in this planned franchise (referred to as "The Dark Universe") was 2014's Dracula Untold. It did not meet the studio's commercial expectations, and it was ignored by the new continuity established in 2017's The Mummy starring Tom Cruise. This film was also a disappointment and the entire enterprise was stalled. The most recent Universal film to tie in to the classic Universal Monsters is the 2020 re-imagined The Invisible Man produced in association with Blumhouse Productions.
Several of the actors who appeared in these movies played multiple characters across the many projects in which they were involved and many appeared in films riffed on MST3K or in related projects. Viewers may find it notable that as of September 2021, Boris Karloff, one of the most iconic of the Universal Monsters actors, has not appeared in any film used by Mystery Science Theater 3000 and only appears in the heavily-edited version of Bride of Frankenstein used in 2019's RiffTrax Presents: Bridget and Mary Jo's Halloween Safety and Monster Movie Mash-up.
List of Universal movies shown on MST3K[]
- Agent for H.A.R.M. - Episode #815 *
- The Brute Man - Episode #702 **
- The Deadly Mantis - Episode #804
- Kitten with a Whip - Episode #615
- The Leech Woman - Episode #802
- The Mole People - Episode #803
- The Projected Man - Episode #901
- Radar Secret Service - Episode #520
- Revenge of the Creature - Episode #801
- Riding with Death - Episode #814*
- San Francisco International - Episode #614*
- The Thing That Couldn't Die - Episode #805
- This Island Earth - Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
*Made for television
** Filmed at Universal, but sold to PRC