This week I decided to feature monster movies, as there were several early classic monster movies that I had never seen. I watched Frankenstein [IMC DVD 791.437 F829 2006], The Bride of Frankenstein [IMC DVD 791.437 B851 1999], and Dracula (1931) [IMC DVD 791.4367 D757 2006].
The tale of Frankenstein features a doctor who decides to try to create life from the dead parts of various bodies. Some don’t realize, but Frankenstein is actually the name of the doctor who creates the monster, not the monster himself. Frankenstein and his assistant scout out cemeteries and the surrounding landscape for body parts to use, but Frankenstein is unable to find a brain which hasn’t started to deteriorate. He sends his assistant to the University where he used to work to take one of their brains. As fate would have it, his assistant brings back the criminal brain, not the normal brain as the doctor assumes. He creates his monster, who begins to wreak havoc among the locals. Boris Karloff pays the monster wonderfully, and he is well-known in the part. They manage to bring the monster back to the laboratory and the townspeople attempt to kill him, but not before Frankenstein’s life is in danger.
The tale continues in The Bride of Frankenstein, where a colleague of Frankenstein wishes to create life as Frankenstein did, and blackmails Frankenstein into helping create a female monster. It is interesting to see the differences that the doctors make when creating the female monster. As was noted in the first movie, there is difficulty in finding an intact dead brain, so the doctors decided to try to grow organs needed for life. Eventually, they realize that this is not going to work and send the assistant off for a brain. They are successful and a female monster is created, but she rebuffs the original monster’s advances. Again, it is interesting to compare the original and the sequel: the original movie had much more action involving the monster, whereas the sequel featured scenes showing the monster becoming smarter, but hardly any action scenes with the female monster. Both the male and female monster actors did great in their parts, but Frankenstein’s fiancée was replaced by a different female actress (who seemed to be a little more believable). I especially enjoyed the scene where Frankenstein becomes friends with a blind man and begins to gain some aspect of humanity—to me, this made the sequel better than the original.
Finally, I watched the movie Dracula, directed by Tod Browning which was made in 1931. This is the earliest Dracula interpretation and, while Dracula himself did very well, I was a little disappointed with the adaptation. Having read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the movie is completely different from the book, and even its portrayal of main characters (such as Johnathon Harker) is very different. However, as a stand-alone film, the acting was very good, and I thought the editing was very concise. I am excited to compare this original adaptation to other versions (especially the Francis Ford Coppola version).
This is the last week for our director-themed DVD display, featuring Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen. Next week we’ll be showcasing actors’ big breaks. As always, keep following along on your own film travelogue at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/by/release/ .
0 Comments.