Frankenstein

Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series) When Universal Pictures picked up the movie rights to a Broadway adaptation of Dracula, they felt secure in handing the property over to the sinister team of actor Lon Chaney and director Tod Browning. But Chaney died of cancer, and Universal hired the Hungarian who had scored a ...	The Mummy - Special Edition (Universal Legacy Series) You have to hand it to the walking dead. What they lack in speed and agility, they more than make up for in sheer single-minded determination. Im-Ho-Tep is a case in point. He's an ancient Egyptian priest, cursed for his terrible crimes against the gods. A team of British archaeo...	The Wolf Man Even a man who is pure in heart, And says his prayers by night, May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms And the autumn moon is bright. If you haven't heard this piece of horror-movie doggerel before, you'll never forget it after seeing The Wolf Man for two reasons: it's a...	The Bride of Frankenstein It appeared, at the end of the epochal 1931 horror movie Frankenstein, that the monster had perished in a burning windmill. But that was before the runaway success of the movie dictated a sequel. In Bride of Frankenstein, we see that the monster (once again played by Boris Karlof...	The Wolf Man - The Legacy Collection (The Wolf Man / Werewolf of London / Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / She-Wolf of London) For the first time ever the original The Wolf Man film comes to DVD in this extraordinary Legacy Collection. Included in the collection is the original classic starring the renowned Lon Chaney Jr. and three timeless sequels featuring legendary actor Bela Lugosi and others. These ...
Young Frankenstein If you were to argue that Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein ranks among the top-ten funniest movies of all time, nobody could reasonably dispute the claim. Spoofing classic horror in the way that Brooks's previous film Blazing Saddles sent up classic Westerns, the movie is both a l...	The Invisible Man Claude Rains practically owns his film debut in The Invisible Man, despite the fact that his face (let alone his body) is seen only for seconds in the final moments. As the brilliant scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility, Rains steps into the film wrapped up like a m...	Nosferatu (The Ultimate Two-Disc Edition) As noted critic Pauline Kael observed, "... this first important film of the vampire genre has more spectral atmosphere, more ingenuity, and more imaginative ghoulish ghastliness than any of its successors." Some really good vampire movies have been made since Kael wrote those wo...	Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Let's be honest: this should be titled Wretched Excess' Frankenstein. Swooping, wild, bloody, and energetic, this is bad moviemaking from the best, which makes it all the more lovable. Kenneth Branagh plays Victor Frankenstein, a man so obsessed with conquering death that he deci...	Creature From the Black Lagoon Jack Arnold's horror classic The Creature from the Black Lagoon spawned not one but two iconic images: the web-footed humanoid gill-man with a hankering for women and the leggy, luscious Julia Adams, the object of his desire, swimming the lagoon in a luminous white bathing suit. ...

Classic in Name only
I bought this dvd to show my students after having read Frankenstein, well, both the students and I found the movie laughably bad. Yes, some of that is due to the technological limits of the time, but some of the other problems are inexcusable (why are Victor and Henry's names switched? Why does the movie start of the way it doe?, etc.) All and all, it is a movie I wished I would have rented rather than purchasing because it is doubtful that I will ever use it in my classroom again.

77 and Still Kicking
Given that I already own The Monster Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Dracula / The Wolf Man) (busts and all), I hemmed, hawed, and read other reviews prior to purchasing the 75th Anniversary Edition. However, an Amazon seller listed an offer I couldn't refuse, so I bit and, all things considered, have no cause for regrets. The Good: First, the print looks and sounds better than the previous releases. Nice and clean with deep blacks, good contrast, and very little damage, the video is solid and a pleasure to watch. However, I'm especially appreciative of the audio remastering--it sounds terrific for the first time (at least in my opinion). A treasure trove of juicy extras are included, the jewel in the crown being Kevin Brownlow's Universal Horror, which I've caught on TCM. Also to be found are Karloff: The Gentle Monster, Monster Tracks (informative pop-ups that appear throughout the feature; I especially enjoyed this one), The Frankenstein Files, a corny-but-cute short (that presages Fractured Flickers) called Boo!, archives including still photos and posters, a theatrical trailer, and two commentary tracks--the only extras I haven't explored. I think the goodies alone are worth investing in the upgrade (despite getting a bit repetitive at times). The various subtitles include English, and the disks are dual-layer--a welcome upgrade from the cheapo "flippers" used in Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of). The Bad: Enough for a one-star demerit. Let's not lose sight of the fact that this is Universal, and not the B-studio described by Gloria Stuart in one of the documentaries as being "like a family," but the gouging, skinflint mega-conglomerate of today. So rather than assemble a perfect package, Universal presents a cheesy one instead. I opened the case and discovered that neither of the trays was affixed to the backing; the glue had come loose...but not before it had torn some of the art behind it in the process. I was pretty much able to line them up for re-gluing so that the damage didn't show, but that didn't repair the breaks that had occurred in the trays themselves. In addition, I detected a tumor-like lump on the back of the case. "Biopsy" revealed a blob of silicone adhesive. I carefully removed the product information sheet that had been so sloppily applied (clearly, Universal has found a way around child labor restrictions) and saw that it concealed a beautiful rendering of Karloff as The Monster. Predictably, the fact that the other side of this sheet could have been put to better use as a chapter index, didn't occur to whoever designed the packaging. A pity--touches such as this mark the distinction between a good marketing effort and a great one. Also, the aforementioned Monster Tracks can be difficult to read if they appear over credits; more attention should have been paid to this. And finally, Universal Horror? It's also included with Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series), so if you buy both (likely), you're paying twice for redundancy. Did I mention "gouging?" Add to that, "contempt for customer base." Bottom line: if you find this at a price that seems fair and are debating whether or not you need yet another Frankenstein on your shelf, don't. Fans wanting the best print available need this one, otherwise the previously linked Legacy Collection, which includes all of the titles in the series, represents good value...that is, if Universal has managed to fix the problems that resulted from using cheap disks when the Collections premiered. Between the two sets, the needs of just about every fan can be met.

Boris goes out in a blaze of gory!
Another of my childhood favorite monsters - Frankenstein's monster. I have to admit I always thought it was the monster that was Frankenstein back in those days. I thought this was a better movie than the Mummy with Karloff that I reviewed earlier. At least in this one the monster was prevalent and there was lots of arms outstreched, slow deliberate strides and that unique grunting that characterized all Frankenstein movies. In all honesty I enjoyed the movie for the classic it was; however I would recommend "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" over this the original. In A&C you got the Wolfman and Dracula thrown in as well! The blaze of glory reference is in the final scene Frankenstein is torched in a windmill by an angry mob (sort of like Col. Mustard in the conservatory with a candle stick, eh?). I suspect the movie makers never realized that they would have to revive Frankenstein for the many sequels that followed.

"Now I Know What it Feels Like to Be God!"
-This review pertains to the Frankenstein: 75th Anniversary Edition DVD- Mary Shelley's classic horror story, Frankenstein, has been dramatized countless times since the novel's publication in 1816. The first dramatization, a melodramatic stage play from the early 1820s, was called Presumption: The Fate of Frankenstein. The play resonated with audiences as it greatly emphasized the themes of scientific advances conflicting with Christian ideologies, of man's ego violating the laws of nature, and of ambition overwhelming conscience. A century later, in the year 1927, a playwright named Peggy Webling used similar themes in her adaptation, which was the primary source of inspiration for the classic Universal film. Garrett Fort, who also wrote the screenplay for Dracula, and Francis Edward Faragoh, wrote the film's screenplay. The screenplay was based on Peggy Webling's play, as well as on a produced play that was never produced by John L. Balderston. To say that the film had a troubled production is an understatement. Originally to be directed by Robert Florey and starring Béla Lugosi, Frankenstein was ultimately directed by James Whale and starred Boris Karloff. James Whale had made a name for himself with the films Journeys End and Waterloo Bridge. Both Karloff and Whale can be accredited for the film's status as enduring classic. Whale, who was something of an outcast himself, understood how to create flawed characters that the audience would still sympathize and empathize with. Karloff, who was at the time an underpaid, unknown, and hardworking actor, brought a sense of innocence and vulnerability to the role of Frankenstein's Monster. Joining Boris Karloff was a wonderful group of actors including Mae Clark as Elizabeth, John Boles as Victor Moritz, Edward Van Sloan as Doctor Waldman, Dwight Frye as Fritz, and Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein. Clive was a tragic figure, both in the film and in reality. He died before his fortieth birthday, not a full year after the release of the sequel The Bride of Frankenstein. The greatest stars of Frankenstein were Boris Karloff, Jack Pierce, and Kenneth Strickfaden. Jack Pierce created the brilliant makeup for the Frankenstein Monster as well as most of the other classic Universal monsters and Kenneth Strickfaden created the electrical apparatuses seen in the iconic scene where Frankenstein creates the monster in his laboratory. The electrical equipment, which served no real function other to dazzle audiences, was featured in many films all the way up into the 1970s when it appeared in the affectionate spoof Young Frankenstein. The story follows an obsessed young doctor named Henry Frankenstein, who along with his hunchbacked assistant Fritz stole corpses from their graves and used their body parts to construct a Monster. Originally Frankenstein wanted nothing more than to advance science to the point where the effects of death could be reversed, but his noble ambitions turned to blasphemous conceit and his creation would take on a life of its own. Frankenstein sends Fritz to a university to steal the brain of a genius, which will be given to Frankenstein's creation. However Fritz drops the brain and replaces it with another. The new brain is a dysfunctional one, that of a criminal. Meanwhile Henry's fiancée, Elizabeth and his best friend, Victor learn that Henry's become reclusive and secretive. Along with Henry's mentor, the dogmatic Doctor Waldman, they travel to Henry's laboratory on one fateful night. When they arrive Henry seems fanatical and possessed with a mania. He insists that they stay and witness his grand achievement. That night Frankenstein gives birth (figuratively, not literally) to a pathetic creature, born of the components he gathered from the graves that he burglarized. Waldman, Victor, and Elizabeth are horrified. Yet they've no idea of the horrors in store for them. After coming to his senses, Henry acknowledges what he's done but the Monster has escaped and is rampaging through the nearby villages. Can it be stopped or will Frankenstein's Monster live forever? This monstrously good DVD includes an audio commentary with film historian Sir David Frayling, an audio commentary with film historian Rudy Behlmer, Karloff: The Gentle Monster documentary, The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster documentary, Monster Tracks trivia, Boo!: A Short Film, Universal Horror feature-length documentary, Frankenstein Archives poster montage with music, and theatrical trailer. Also recommended: Frankenstein: The Legacy Collection The Mummy The Mummy: The Legacy Collection Icons of Horror: Boris Karloff Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection

UNIVERSAL BLOWS SO BAD, WORST DVD PRODUCER?
i mean come on now, this is the second set that has arrived fallen apart,,,the book edition, in this and Dracula were unglued!Wow, i mean if it isn't the fiasco of the loose flippers in the Legacy set , its this mess.Karloff and Lugosi deserve better than the treatment they get from Universal, who seem only interested in making a quick buck!Universal sucks so bad it isn't even funny, the only reason i buy these is to show my loyalty to Karloff and Lugosi and the like and to honor them, not Universal dvds, what utter and complete garbage they produce!