And now we'll be taking a look at the second iconic monster in the universal franchise with the scientifically created monster of Germany coming out the exact same year as Dracula. This one of course starring Boris Karloff in his iconic roles simply known as "Frankenstein"
Dr Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) wants to build a man in his own image. Using the body of the dead and his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) dig up freshly buried coffins and hanging man, when they realize the head of the brains of the bodies are severely damaged, they decide to steal the brain from Dr Frankenstein's former teacher Dr Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). When Fritz accidentally drops the jar with the label good brain, he decides to take the jar with the label bad brain. Using some kind of mysterious ray that Dr Frankenstein discovered, the body is brought to life during a thunderstorm and the monster of Frankenstein played by legendary horror icon Boris Karloff is born. Frankenstein is conflicted to either study the monster or destroy it to save himself and live a normal life with his fiancée (May Clark), but when the monster breaks loose on the towns of Germany. Frankenstein must face his creation and suffer the consequences of playing God to create a monstrous apparition of nature.
Now much like their cinema rivalry and pop culture, how does the monster of Germany compare to the monster of Transylvania? Well as much as I prefer Dracula, Frankenstein as a film is equal and on par with the great counts. My earliest experience with Frankenstein was more so watching several cartoons and media which parodied the film. I knew of the monster for years, but never really caught on to the original film until I first saw it in the cinemas back to back with Dracula and to be honest at the time I actually found it to be the weakest of the two, but over time with more viewings on turner classic movies during the Halloween season.
Speaking of which, let's talk about the monster and no I'm not calling him Frankenstein! That's the name of the doctor! Get it right people! Much like Bela Lugosi's Dracula, the Frankenstein monster is equally as iconic as one of the greatest horror images of all time, created by makeup artist Jack Pierce's Oscar-worthy makeup and horror icon Boris Karloff whose physical acting as the monster is both terrifying and sympathetic.
The film wasn't directed by Todd Browning of Dracula, but instead James Whale, another mainstay in the horror genre. Speaking of Dracula, Bela Lugosi was instantly offered the role of the monster after playing the iconic vampire, but he didn't really care for it due to be covered in makeup and little to no dialogue and to be honest that was a bold choice because then Karloff would not be as famous as he is today and the rivalry between the two would never have happened. Even though they were best friends in real life.
Unfortunately over the years, the movie suffered massive censorship due to the motion picture association's policies around 1938. Several violent scenes and dialogue depicting sac religious tones were cut from the film and thought to have been lost for years, but only with DVD and Blu-Ray releases have they been restored a hundred percent.
Now once again I haven't read original novel by Mary Shelly, but from what I'd gathered this film and its more successful sequel Bride of Frankenstein are decent adaptations of Shelley's work and still remain the famous incarnations of the book to date. Not to mention one of the most iconic horror films of all time, especially for universal. Who still celebrates the film's legacy with merchandise cereal and even attractions at Universal theme parks, seeing the recreated Frankenstein laps in the universal house of horrors maze made me appreciate all the work in creating those sets in the original films.
Overall, Frankenstein is a classic beyond measure, paving the way for later incarnations and creating some of the most iconic tropes in the horror genre. The sets are absolutely spectacular, the makeup by Jack Pierce is outstanding for 1931. The cast is brilliant and the cinematography along with the sound design really improved over Dracula a few months prior. If you're a horror fan and a classic movie buff, this is a film to really add to your collection coming in at a monster sized 9/10.
While it's one point lower than Dracula, it's still a great movie in a classic horror film that we owe a lot of thanks for in creating a pop culture icon. Dr Victor Frankenstein might have made a mistake in playing God, but we of course appreciate it for all it brought to the lab table.
"It's Alive!" "In The Name Of God!" "I Know What It Feels Like To Be God!"
Dr Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) wants to build a man in his own image. Using the body of the dead and his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) dig up freshly buried coffins and hanging man, when they realize the head of the brains of the bodies are severely damaged, they decide to steal the brain from Dr Frankenstein's former teacher Dr Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). When Fritz accidentally drops the jar with the label good brain, he decides to take the jar with the label bad brain. Using some kind of mysterious ray that Dr Frankenstein discovered, the body is brought to life during a thunderstorm and the monster of Frankenstein played by legendary horror icon Boris Karloff is born. Frankenstein is conflicted to either study the monster or destroy it to save himself and live a normal life with his fiancée (May Clark), but when the monster breaks loose on the towns of Germany. Frankenstein must face his creation and suffer the consequences of playing God to create a monstrous apparition of nature.
Now much like their cinema rivalry and pop culture, how does the monster of Germany compare to the monster of Transylvania? Well as much as I prefer Dracula, Frankenstein as a film is equal and on par with the great counts. My earliest experience with Frankenstein was more so watching several cartoons and media which parodied the film. I knew of the monster for years, but never really caught on to the original film until I first saw it in the cinemas back to back with Dracula and to be honest at the time I actually found it to be the weakest of the two, but over time with more viewings on turner classic movies during the Halloween season.
Speaking of which, let's talk about the monster and no I'm not calling him Frankenstein! That's the name of the doctor! Get it right people! Much like Bela Lugosi's Dracula, the Frankenstein monster is equally as iconic as one of the greatest horror images of all time, created by makeup artist Jack Pierce's Oscar-worthy makeup and horror icon Boris Karloff whose physical acting as the monster is both terrifying and sympathetic.
The film wasn't directed by Todd Browning of Dracula, but instead James Whale, another mainstay in the horror genre. Speaking of Dracula, Bela Lugosi was instantly offered the role of the monster after playing the iconic vampire, but he didn't really care for it due to be covered in makeup and little to no dialogue and to be honest that was a bold choice because then Karloff would not be as famous as he is today and the rivalry between the two would never have happened. Even though they were best friends in real life.
Unfortunately over the years, the movie suffered massive censorship due to the motion picture association's policies around 1938. Several violent scenes and dialogue depicting sac religious tones were cut from the film and thought to have been lost for years, but only with DVD and Blu-Ray releases have they been restored a hundred percent.
Now once again I haven't read original novel by Mary Shelly, but from what I'd gathered this film and its more successful sequel Bride of Frankenstein are decent adaptations of Shelley's work and still remain the famous incarnations of the book to date. Not to mention one of the most iconic horror films of all time, especially for universal. Who still celebrates the film's legacy with merchandise cereal and even attractions at Universal theme parks, seeing the recreated Frankenstein laps in the universal house of horrors maze made me appreciate all the work in creating those sets in the original films.
Overall, Frankenstein is a classic beyond measure, paving the way for later incarnations and creating some of the most iconic tropes in the horror genre. The sets are absolutely spectacular, the makeup by Jack Pierce is outstanding for 1931. The cast is brilliant and the cinematography along with the sound design really improved over Dracula a few months prior. If you're a horror fan and a classic movie buff, this is a film to really add to your collection coming in at a monster sized 9/10.
While it's one point lower than Dracula, it's still a great movie in a classic horror film that we owe a lot of thanks for in creating a pop culture icon. Dr Victor Frankenstein might have made a mistake in playing God, but we of course appreciate it for all it brought to the lab table.
"It's Alive!" "In The Name Of God!" "I Know What It Feels Like To Be God!"
