The original is my all-time favorite monster flick, a near archetypal horror movie, brimming with creepy atmosphere and menace, and elevated by superb underwater photography. The scene with Julie Adams (mostly her stunt double Polly Burson) taking an ill-advised swim made me crawl under my Mom's dining room table. The first sequel is also dandy, the second a little less so, though the ending to that one is nearly heart-breaking. There is commentary for all three films, which is first rate, and the documentary "Back to the Black Lagoon" is a huge treat. I have a visceral connection to this monster, dating back to watching it (alone) on TV late at night and being nearly hypnotized. This is director Jack Arnold in his element and really the last of the great era of Universal monsters. If you'd have told me as a kid that some day I'd own these pictures and be able to watch them whenever I wanted, I'd have thought you were messing with my head.

UPDATE: Bluray version. Looks to be the same deal on bluray discs. The packaging is underwhelming for a $30 set, might just keep the box the DVDs came in. ( )