Horror classics ‘Dracula,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ and more will briefly be free to view on YouTube

Damien Wilde | Jan 8 2021 - 3:15 am PT

In terms of horror movie history, there are very few that match the iconic status of Dracula and Frankenstein. The horror movie duo along with five other classic titles are set to be made available for free on Universal’s “Fear: The Home of Horror” YouTube channel from January 15.

From January 15, 2021, you’ll be able to watch the full-length versions of Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) on this dedicated YouTube channel (via NME).

Unfortunately, this isn’t forever. As each movie will only be available to watch for a week before disappearing into the ether once again. Universal will offer discounts on the digital versions of each movie though, which means you can finally add Dracula or Frankenstein to your movie collections or download with YouTube Premium to view later. With very few actually available on any online streaming service, this might be one of the few ways to legally obtain a digital copy beyond ripping a DVD or heading into the world of illegal downloads.

There is a set schedule for the upload of each movie to the Fear: Home of Horror YouTube channel. So you won’t be able to binge them all in one go until the very end of the week:

January 15, 2021 (8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET)
Dracula (1931), The Mummy (1932)
January 16, 2021 (8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET)
Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
January 17, 2021 (8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET)
The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

For those maybe not versed in classic horror, some of the effects and even the acting are not quite up to today’s standards. But being able to watch classics such as Dracula and Frankenstein on YouTube might help inspire the next wave of horror movie industry creatives.

If you do have a YouTube Premium subscription, you should be able to download each movie to your devices for later viewing — at least until they disappear from the service.