92. Bride of Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein
1935

I am completely exhausting after traveling all day but I am persevering with my reviews mostly because I don't want to do my other work.  I have now seen Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, and good ole Frankenstein.  I can tell you, the series really peaks with this one and gets steadily worse afterward.


This movie picks up right where the other leaves off.  Everyone thinks the monster is dead but he lives!  He also desires a mate which is where the creepy creature pictured above comes into play.  Everything I have read about this movie leads me to believe that it is universally agreed upon that this sequel is better than the original. I did not expect to agree but watching just five minutes of this movie convinces me to concur with that opinion.  The beginning was particularly interesting because it shows Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley talking about her story.  So watch it and get ideas for a wonderfully cliche Halloween costume!


RATING: ****-


Interesting Facts:


Elsa Lancaster said the sound she made were inspired by the swans in Regent's Park, London.  I love the swans there; no dissing allowed!


The Bride's hair was held into place by a wire horsehair cage.


They are not so bad!

56. Frankenstein

Frankenstein
1931

This is another horror movie based on a classic book.  I have read this one as well (last year I had a horror themed October) but I didn't like it as well as Dracula.  It was a lot shorter and has a lot less character depth.  I still enjoyed it though, it makes you think about what life really is.  But this isn't my book blog!  Onto the movie!


For some reason I had this prejudice that both Dracula and Frankenstein would be really corny.  That is not to say this movie is even remotely frightening, but it wasn't a joke.  This movie starts with a warning not to watch it if because it is so horrifying.  It then follows a scientist named Frankenstein who has actually figured out how to give life to things (besides using his johnson).  Of course, all hell breaks loose but it is quite poetic at the beginning if you think about it.


I thought this movie was worse than Dracula.  The acting was just mediocre.  The monster looks a bit silly.  I have found that horror films don't really age well if the director actually shows the monster.  For instance, I think Jaws, The Blair Witch Project, and Psycho will be scary in another hundred years because people will always be able to imagine their worst fear.  In Dracula, the monster was just a man, so it was still a little frightening.  Still enjoyable even though it is a bit cheesy.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

In the book, the monster was well-spoken and refined. He knew that he had been created by a man and wasn't strictly human.  The book made it seem scarier to be the monster than to be his victim.

Originally there was a line where Frankenstein said he knew what it was like to be god but it was removed by censors.

Names author has Percy Shelley instead of Mary Shelley.

Available on YouTube but for some reason it will not let me put it up.  You must fly from the nest, reader!