Blu Release – 2.5/5
The Bride of Frankenstein
Director – James Whale (Frankenstein, The Invisible Man)
Starring – Boris Karloff (Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Isle of the Dead), Elsa Lanchester (Mary Poppins, Terror in the Wax Museum), and Colin Clive (Frankenstein, The Stronger Sex)
Release Date – 1935
Rating – 4.5/5
Tagline – “…more fearful than the monster himself”
When I was introduced to horror I was staying at my grandmother’s house while my father was out of town. We watched Savini’s remake of Night of the Living Dead. I fell in love with it so she introduced me to the original Romero’s classic. That was about the oldest film I had really seen at that time but over the years I was introduced to some older films. When I was in high school a friend of mine was obsessed with the Universal monsters. It was at his house that I was introduced to the real original horror films.
I fucking loved them and before long I was adding them to my collection. Since then I’ve upgraded these films to several different formats. Sometime back my friends over at Umbrella Entertainment announced their Retro Horror Triple Feature Volume 1. They were kind enough to send a copy my way which gave me a fantastic excuse to revisit these amazing films. the first film in the set was the timeless Bride of Frankenstein.
**Spoiler Alert** The film takes place sometime after the events of the original film. Dr. Frankenstein survived and wants to turn his back on his research but an obsessed scientist, Dr. Pretorius, forces him back into his line of work when he finds his creation alive. Together the two scientists work to create the monster a bride. **Spoiler Alert**
The Bride of Frankenstein is damn near as iconic as the original Frankenstein film and is one of the most recognizable genre films in history. Images of the Bride has almost became horror’s unofficial mascot along with Legosi’s Dracula, and the classic slashers like Freddy and Jason. Honestly, out of the classic Universal Monsters films I would have to say that The Bride of Frankenstein is easily my favorite for several different reasons. It’s a true horror classic and is required viewing for genre fans.
The acting in this one is legendary. Colin Clive delivers my favorite performance of his. He’s just as intense in this film as he was in the first but this go around he has a wider emotional range that he absolutely nails. Karloff once again knocks it out of the park as the monster and even takes his performance a little further by giving him a little more dialogue and personality. With that being said, my favorite performance of the film is from Ernest Thesiger who portrays Dr. Pretorius. He’s the star of the show in my opinion and his performance is the gold standard if you want my honest opinion.
The story for this one is more or less the same as the first film with a scientist creating life out of parts from cadavers. However, with the sequel everything is doubled. We now have two scientists working on a second creation. It works, oddly enough, and the new characters and Bride are just enough to make this one just as enjoyable, if not more enjoyable, than the first film. The pacing is damn near perfect and the writing is extremely smooth.
Finally, the film has some gorgeous make-up and sets. The locations are textbook examples of gothic scenery and the make-up on both creations are iconic. Overall, The Bride of Frankenstein doesn’t need a review. It’s a damn near perfect film and one of the best sequels in cinema history. If you have yet to see this one then I highly recommend you correct this.
Son of Frankenstein
Director – Rowland V. Lee (Tower of London, A Night of Terror)
Starring – Boris Karloff (The Terror, The Mummy), Basil Rathbone (Hillbillys in a Haunted House, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini), and Bela Lugosi (Dracula, Plan 9 From Outer Space)
Release Date – 1939
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “The phantom monster show”
Universal’s Frankenstein spawned several sequels and was tied into several other franchises but very few touched the popularity that the original and Bride of Frankenstein did. However, even though they were not as popular, the sequels were still lucrative enough for Universal to continue producing them. After the major success of The Bride of Frankenstein, Universal set out on another sequel starring Boris Karloff as the iconic monster. This time around we would see Bela Lugosi appearing in the film as well. That film would be 1939’s Son of Frankenstein.
**Spoiler alert** The film follows the son of Dr. Frankenstein who returns to his family’s home after spending many years abroad. The locals are not happy that another Frankenstein is occupying the home but that doesn’t stop him from picking up where his father left off. In his father’s laboratory he meets Ygor (Lugosi) who introduces him to the creature his father created. The creature is in a coma but very much alive so the good doctor sets out to awaken the beast.**Spoiler Alert**
Son of Dracula doesn’t really have that punch that makes the first two films so enjoyable but it’s not bad either. It pretty much has a similar story as the first two films but with some minor changes that tries to make it feel different and somewhat succeeds.
The acting in this one is great. Karloff has fine tuned his performance as the monster by this point and absolutely nails it. The said part of this performance is that he is hardly awake during most of the film. Basil Rathbone was great taking on the reigns as a Frankenstein. His intensity and emotional range doesn’t match Colin Clive’s but he’s still entertaining in his role. My favorite performance comes from Lugosi who portrays Ygor in one of his most memorable performances outside of Dracula. The film may be forgettable but Lugosi’s performance here is not.
The story for this one is pretty much the same story as the first two films but with some changes. Instead of Frankenstein creating life, we find him awakening the beast while the townspeople suspect something is wrong. It’s not that far of a stretch and doesn’t really further the story from the first film any further. It’s said that most of the film was written write before production which completely makes sense when you consider the lack of originality.
Finally, the make-up effects are just as great as the first two films and the sets and locations are still gorgeous but nothing new is being delivered to the viewer by this point. Overall, Son of Frankenstein is a quick cash grab that has some memorable moments from a rather unforgettable film. It’s still a great watch and a solid entry in one of the most iconic horror franchises in history. It’s worth a shot but it’s the beginning of what most would call beating a dead horse.
House of Frankenstein
Director – Erle C. Kenton (House of Dracula, The Ghost of Frankenstein)
Starring – Boris Karloff (Fear Chamber, Black Sabbath), Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolfman, The Alligator People), and J. Carrol Naish (The Monster Maker, Dracula vs. Frankenstein)
Release Date – 1944
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “All together!”
When Umbrella Entertainment sent over their Retro Horror Triple Feature Volume 1 I was so excited to review three of the Universal Frankenstein films that I didn’t realize that the three films in the set were not consecutive sequels. The set included The Bride of Frankenstein, a sequel to the original film, Son of Frankenstein which is the follow up to Bride, and House of Frankenstein which followed The Ghost of Frankenstein. The later of which is not included in the set. Regardless, I had seen all the Frankenstein films previously and was looking forward to revisiting the three in this set and reviewing them.
**Spoiler Alert** A deranged man, who was once an aspiring scientist, escapes from jail along with his hunchback assistant and make their way to Frankenstein’s castle in hopes of finding his journal so they can continue their work. However, they soon find that his castle has been destroyed and in the rubble they find the Wolfman and his monster frozen. They thaw the two and use them find his journals they can keep Frankenstein’s legacy going. **Spoiler Alert**
The film takes place after the events of The Ghost of Frankenstein which is not included in the set but you don’t necessarily need to watch it to follow the film. It only answers the “why are they frozen?” question. This, like Son of Frankenstein, is not the high point of the franchise but is a solid enough sequel.
The acting in this one is fantastic. One of the few consistent aspects of the franchise is the acting. This time around we see Karloff portraying a different character. His “Frankenstein” like character is just as intense as Colin Clive’s performance in the first two films. His character has a little more personality but doesn’t make the viewer forget about the previous scientist. In the role of the monster we have Glenn Strange who would portray him in several of the Frankenstein sequels. His look is different but still reminiscent of the original Frankenstein and the performances are a little more stiff than Karloff’s but not bad. We once again see Chaney reprising his role as The Wolfman which he had became recognized for. His character is not the star of the film but he still delivers a fantastic performance as always.
The story for this one once again gives us a similar story to the first three films but building up on what was introduced in The Ghost of Frankenstein with the big Universal monsters coming together. We once again follow a scientist working on Frankenstein’s experiments along with Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein’s monster getting thrown into the mix. It’s not the vs. film horror fans are looking for and it’s extremely cheesy but it’s enjoyable for the most part.
Finally, the creatures look great with some great make-up effects and costumes but don’t expect any blood or gore. Overall, House of Frankenstein is cheesy, campy, but fun. It’s the most original horror films but it’s an enjoyable entry in this iconic franchise.
Special Features
Trailers
