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I'll spare you a detailed breakdown of the film itself, as the film's story has embedded itself into the culture. (You grew up in a cave and have no idea who Lon Chaney Jr. is or why The Wolf Man is important? Ok, read all about it here.) Instead, I'm going to jump right into the special features as they are quite good, keeping the same features from past DVD releases and adding a few more to make this the definitive compilation of the movie.

The first disk includes Monster by Moonlight, a 20-minute documentary hosted by John Landis about the making of the film and the sequels (great for someone new to the horror movie genre). Disc One also includes a trailer & poster gallery (including the trailer for the new, rebooted The Wolfman), and a feature commentary with film historian Tom Weaver, who shares some interesting tidbits for the die-hard film buffs.

The second disc includes The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth, covering how screenwriter Curt Siodmak pretty much invented most of the werewolf mythology, from the silver bullet to the full moon, and almost everything in between. Disc Two also includes my favorite feature: a 35-minute documentary on the star, Lon Chaney Jr., (the only man to play Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and The Wolfman). The film includes interviews not only with film historians, but also with people who actually worked with Chaney. This doc is great for everyone — whether you think you know all about Chaney or not — because not everyone gushes over the actor and the comments aren’t always nice. In the end, you feel like you've gotten to know the man a little bit.

The next documentary is about Jack Pierce, the revolutionary makeup artist for this film and pretty much every other monster movie. This doc illustrates some of the techniques Pierce used, and details the painstaking work that occurred behind the scenes of The Wolf Man, along with Frankenstein and The Mummy.

The final documentary is called Universal Horror, and adds some behind the scenes of the most famous monster movies from Universal, including Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy.

Overall, whether you already own The Wolf Man, are looking for a gift for a film buff or are just curious to see the original before seeing the remake, I suggest purchasing this DVD. Between the excellent film restoration and the really good special features, it should be a staple in every movie fan's collection.

BUY!