Frankenstein!

[Mr. Socko]

Which is your favorite version? The horror hammer versions? Ken Branagh's adaptation? Mel Brook's version?

I was watching Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and just thought the movie was meh. Maybe it's because I'm not that big of a fan of the actual book. Frankenstein is one of the few stories that Hollywood has improved upon. My favorite version is Young Frankenstein. It's even better than what Shelly wrote.

Oh and as much as I really dislike Van Helsing, I thought it had a great version of Frankenstein, especially the look. It beats Deniro with his Brooklyn accent pretending to be the monster with those scars.
​

 

[co2]

Fan of the original Universal Karloff film here. It's still good. And the sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, is even better. That ones is a knockout. It was so subversive for it's time. That film has been critiqued and analyzed so often.
I really only like those first two films but I picked up the Frankenstein Legacy set a couple of years back which had the first five Frankenstein films and some really cool docs to go with it. Terrific fun.

Mary Shelley wrote an average novel, but it happened to have so many strong themes that it will always resonate..so that story will never die.

 

[dark_b]

i liked Deniro. it was a good movie. maybe not a good frankenstein movie.

 

[3dman27]

the classic

 

[bullets]

i'm yet to see the one with deniro .. seems kind of odd to cast him , the classic was always good

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Just waiting for someone to make the traditional error of calling the monster 'Frankenstein'...

 

[Drizzle]

 

[cryptic name]

it's a tie between the 1931 version and Young Frankenstein

 

[Son of Sun]

I think Peter Jackson should do a new Frankenstein.

 

[Jochimus]

Just waiting for someone to make the traditional error of calling the monster 'Frankenstein'...

Actually, to be honest, that's not all that big an error. Technically, the creature IS an offspring of Dr. Frankenstein - I mean, the man created him - in almost every version of the story that's ever been done. Plus, the perception of naming the monster for his creator WAS brought up in-story in "Son Of Frankenstein". Granted, the public calls the creature Frankenstein for lack of any more direct description, but given that Shelley at one point had the doctor referring to his creation as Adam (referencing God creating the first man), it's really no stretch to give the monster himself the Frankenstein surname.

That said, I'm a Karloff fan myself. And even without Whale directing and the creature having lost the ability to speak in the aftermath of "Bride", he's the one that makes "Son" salvageable for a typically-weak third entry in a film series (the scene in front of the lab mirror and his reaction to Ygor's fate are standout scenes).

Although, as Frankenstein monsters go, Peter Boyle comes in a close second... . Seriously, the final lab scene in "Young Frankenstein" where he speaks - something that could have been an utter disaster to cast a pall over the whole film - is beautiful.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Just waiting for someone to make the traditional error of calling the monster 'Frankenstein'...

I called him that in my first post.

Because firstly, I prefer the Hollywood version(with ee-gor). And secondly, I always justify it by saying, even in the Shelly book, the monster called Victor "father." It was Victor who created him, so the monster has rightly inherited the name Frankenstein as well.


Most people have the same last name as their father. So I don't think it's incorrect at all.

 

[C. Lee]

I'm an absolute fan of Karloff's Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein....great movies.

The TV movie "The True Story of Frankenstein" with James Mason gets an honarable mention....mainly because hardly anyone ever mentions it.

There was a late night TV movie in the 70's (they made cheap quickie movies on all kinds of things back then) where Bo Svenson played the creature....I only saw it once and don't remember much about it....I'd love to have the chance to see it again.

 

[The Shredder]

The Boris Karloff classic is still #1 with me. Such a classic film, and absolutely love the sequel that actually topped the original in many respects.

Speaking of the title, "The True Story of Frankenstein", has anyone seen the A&E documentary with the same title that would play periodically detailing the history of the novel and it's many interpretations on film, and was narrated by Roger Moore? It was first broadcast in 1994 to hype the Deniro version, and I would highly recommened checking it out if you already havent.

 

[C. Lee]

I never saw that documentary....I'll look for it to be hopefully replayed sometime...thanks.

 

[Dangerous]

For me Karloff's third and final outing as the monster in Son of Frankenstein (1939) is my fav Frankenstein movie of them all and I think the highlight of the series.

After that I really like Frankenhooker.

 

[Cousin Itt]

Mary Shelly's book was crap.

James Whale's films are masterpieces.

 

[dark_b]

are people even aware that in a lot of comics and cartoons they call the monster frankenstein? so its not like people didnt know. they were confused.

 

[3dman27]

in the monster force cartoon series the monster was adressed as either "f.m." or "frank"

 

[terry78]

Remember the CGI Frankenstein Universal was going to make back in 2000? I'd actually want something like that as opposed to Beowulf.

http://www.aintitcool.com/multimedia/movies/frankie640.mov

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=5798

 

[danoyse]

Oh and as much as I really dislike Van Helsing, I thought it had a great version of Frankenstein, especially the look. It beats Deniro with his Brooklyn accent pretending to be the monster with those scars.
​

Not a big Van Helsing fan either...but here's some random trivia: Shuler Hensley, who played the monster in Van Helsing, is also currently playing the same character in the new Broadway version of Young Frankenstein.

Frankenstein is the book that I read from start to finish and wrote a term paper on all in one day. I actually liked the book a lot. But my favorite movie version is Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. I can't watch any other movie version without thinking of that movie, which kind of ruins the experience, but I still get a laugh.

 

[Steve Rogers]

I prefer Bride of Frankenstien to the original. I do like the original, but I like the second one a little more; one of those rare instances where the sequel was better than the original. Son of Frankenstien was pretty good as well. House and Ghost of Frankenstien were both pretty bad though. I haven't seen the Hammer ones, so I can't comment on those, but the newer one--I guess Branaugh did it?--not really my cup of tea.

Also, a lot of people I know love Young Frankenstien, but I thought it was Mel Brooks' least funny movie.

 

[The-Dark-Knight]

I love Frankenstein possibly the best movie monster ever. Best film version for me has to be Mary shellys frankenstein, loved it. I recently got the Boris Karlos movies on DVD and was disapointed (maybe i expected more)

On the subject of Frankenstein Fred Gwyn should get a nod for his Herman Munster, that guys a legend.

 

[Figs]

I love the classics and bought the Frankenstein Legacy set a year or two ago. Young Frankenstein was classic Brooks at his best and the last one I liked after those two was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein from Kenneth Branaugh(sp?).

Say what you want about his version with Deniro but it still beats literally every other DTV version I've ever seen.

 

[The-Dark-Knight]

Oh also, We in the UK last week were 'treated' to a updated version of frankenstein on TV. The monster was not body parts stitched togetherbut some sort of clone gone wrong. The monster looked like some dodgy sloth from the goonies.

To say it was bad is a understatement.

 

[Cousin Itt]

I prefer Frankenstein over Bride because Una O'Connor wasn't in it.

Man, that woman was annoying.