Hello, and welcome to the first day of my October Monster Movie- Fest!
First off, I hope it's ok if I post a new topic for each day. Please let me know if it isn't.
Now then, I decided that for the first week or so of this, I'd try and focus on the classic monster films (Excluding 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon,' as I can't find a way to access that movie at the moment). They won't exactly be in chronological order, but I'll be viewing them in the order that is most convenient for me, considering that I own the different movies in different styles (VHS, DVD, Internet, etc.).
First up, we've got the 1931 classic, 'Frankenstein.'
Believe it or not, I had never actually seen this movie in its entirety before; Just bits and pieces of it. Having seen it just now, I am mostly quite impressed.
Of course, most if not all of you are familiar with the story of Frankenstein; Dr. Henry (Victor in the original Mary Shelley novel) Frankenstein and his assistant Fritz (He wouldn't come to be known as "Igor" until one of the sequels), intent on discovering the secret to reanimating life, create a monster from the parts of dead people and the "Abnormal" brain of a violent criminal, and bring it to life by harnessing the power of a bolt of lightning. The creature gets loose, attacks and at times kills some people on a rampage, and is apparently destroyed when the villagers trap him in a windmill and burn it down.
I'll get the few problems I had with 'Frankenstein' out of the way quickly (One of my common movie reviewing tactics). First, wouldn't Dr. Frankenstein have known that the brain he was putting in the creature was abnormal? I mean, a) in an earlier scene, we see Frankenstein's teacher/ mentor describing in detail the differences between a normal brain and an abnormal one, so Henry should have been able to spot the differences as well, and b) It said "Abnormal" right on the jar! Second, some of the scenes involving the celebration of Henry's wedding were a bit unnecessary. In particular, the scenes with everyone outside dancing and feasting went on way too long, in those parts I felt like I was watching a old educational film about Oktoberfest. Third, this isn't really a complaint but just something that seems a bit odd: The movie opens with Edward Van Sloan (Who plays the mentor) coming out and giving a "The movie you're about to see may frighten you..." disclaimer. It might have built the intensity a bit back when the movie was first released, but now it just seems funny/ corny.
Now, for all the good about it. I can see why this movie is a classic. First, I'll talk about the sets. The graveyard, the village, and ESPECIALLY the iconic lab with all its gizmos and devices were wonderfully made considering when the movie was made. The dialogue (Of course including the now- legendary "IT'S ALIVE!") is all very well- written, and fits the film perfectly. The makeup for the monster is wonderful for its time, I'd imagine that's a big part of the reason why it was so memorable. However, 'Frankenstein''s true strength lies in its performances. Colin Clive is magnificent as Dr. Frankenstein. He conveys his emotions flawlessly in every scene, whether he's using normal conversation, deranged yelling, or simply an icy glare. Dwight Frye makes Fritz appropriately crude and creepy. Frederick Karr is surprisingly funny as Henry's cantankerous yet caring father. Of course, I must also talk about Boris Karloff as the creature. He is perfect in this role, from his body language to even his various grunts and growls. Again, I can see why this movie is still regarded as a classic.
In summary, 'Frankenstein was a great film that I'm glad I've finally seen. Come back to the Lounge tomorrow for Day 2 of my Monster- Fest!
