Frankenstein (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series)
starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, John Boles, Edward Van Sloan
directed by: James Whale
directed by: James Whale
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Product Description:
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca)Release Date: 07/08/2008Rating: Nr
Amazon.com essential video:
"It's alive! Alive!" shouts Colin Clive's triumphant Dr. Frankenstein as electricity buzzes over the hulking body of a revived corpse. "In the name of God now I know what it's like to be God!" For years unheard, this line has been restored, along with the legendary scene of the childlike monster tossing a little girl into a lake, in James Whale's Frankenstein, one of the most famous and influential horror movies ever made. Coming off the tremendous success of Dracula, Universal assigned sophomore director Whale to helm an adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel with Bela Lugosi as the monster. When Lugosi declined the role, Whale cast the largely unknown character actor Boris Karloff and together with makeup designer Jack Pierce they created the most memorable monster in movie history: a towering, lumbering creature with sunken eyes, a flat head, and a jagged scar running down his forehead. Whale and Karloff made this mute, misunderstood brute, who has the brain of a madman (the most obvious of the many liberties taken with Shelley's story), the most pitiable freak of nature to stumble across the screen. Clive's Dr. Frankenstein is intense and twitchy and Dwight Frye set the standard for mad-scientist sidekicks as the wild-eyed hunchback assistant. Whale's later films, notably the spooky spoof The Old Dark House and the deliriously stylized sequel The Bride of Frankenstein, display a surer cinematic hand than seen here and add a subversive twist of black comedy, but given the restraints of early sound films, Whale breaks the film free from static stillness and adorns it with striking design and expressionist flourishes. --Sean Axmaker
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca)Release Date: 07/08/2008Rating: Nr
Amazon.com essential video:
"It's alive! Alive!" shouts Colin Clive's triumphant Dr. Frankenstein as electricity buzzes over the hulking body of a revived corpse. "In the name of God now I know what it's like to be God!" For years unheard, this line has been restored, along with the legendary scene of the childlike monster tossing a little girl into a lake, in James Whale's Frankenstein, one of the most famous and influential horror movies ever made. Coming off the tremendous success of Dracula, Universal assigned sophomore director Whale to helm an adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel with Bela Lugosi as the monster. When Lugosi declined the role, Whale cast the largely unknown character actor Boris Karloff and together with makeup designer Jack Pierce they created the most memorable monster in movie history: a towering, lumbering creature with sunken eyes, a flat head, and a jagged scar running down his forehead. Whale and Karloff made this mute, misunderstood brute, who has the brain of a madman (the most obvious of the many liberties taken with Shelley's story), the most pitiable freak of nature to stumble across the screen. Clive's Dr. Frankenstein is intense and twitchy and Dwight Frye set the standard for mad-scientist sidekicks as the wild-eyed hunchback assistant. Whale's later films, notably the spooky spoof The Old Dark House and the deliriously stylized sequel The Bride of Frankenstein, display a surer cinematic hand than seen here and add a subversive twist of black comedy, but given the restraints of early sound films, Whale breaks the film free from static stillness and adorns it with striking design and expressionist flourishes. --Sean Axmaker
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- worse packaging EVER
I opened this and first the disc holders fell out, and then I saw that the sheet including the important info on the film comes off...what the heck were they thinking! Worst packaging ever. If you like he movie fine, but you will have to get another DVD holder - a double to house this baby and make your own new cover info from photos here.
Rating: 
- 2.5 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:
Almost everything done in the original Frankenstein, from horror to humor to social commentary, is done far better in the sequel; horror nuts might want to watch this film due to its "classic" status, but it's a not-so-great film that undercuts itself at almost every turn.
Rating: 
- GREAT ANNIVERSARY!!!!!
The main reason for getting the 75th Anniversary edition was the new special features.I'm very pleased with the film and the special features.At least I was now able to watch one of the special features that was on the Legacy set.Still trying to find one of those double-sided discs that works right.
Rating: - Still Retains Its Power to Entertain and Fascinate
Frankenstein, the most celebrated of the Universal monster movies, released only 4-years into the sound era, continues to find its way into the American Film Institute's Top 100 films list and is continually called one of the best horror films ever made.
The film opens with the warning;
"I think it will thrill you, it may shock you, it might even horrify you. So if any of you feel that you'd not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now is your chance to...Well, we've warned ... Read More
Rating: - Nostalgic Fright!
I haven't seen this movie for 30 years or more, but as I watched, I felt the same sense of fear that I did as a child.Even my teenage children, who are long since used to more graphic scenes,sat with their eyes glued to the television.Frankenstein still thrills audiences of all ages.This is a must watch. We also enjoyed the extra information provided by the anniversary edition.This version is well worth the purchase price.
- worse packaging EVERI opened this and first the disc holders fell out, and then I saw that the sheet including the important info on the film comes off...what the heck were they thinking! Worst packaging ever. If you like he movie fine, but you will have to get another DVD holder - a double to house this baby and make your own new cover info from photos here.
- 2.5 stars out of 4The Bottom Line:
Almost everything done in the original Frankenstein, from horror to humor to social commentary, is done far better in the sequel; horror nuts might want to watch this film due to its "classic" status, but it's a not-so-great film that undercuts itself at almost every turn.
- GREAT ANNIVERSARY!!!!!The main reason for getting the 75th Anniversary edition was the new special features.I'm very pleased with the film and the special features.At least I was now able to watch one of the special features that was on the Legacy set.Still trying to find one of those double-sided discs that works right.
- Still Retains Its Power to Entertain and FascinateFrankenstein, the most celebrated of the Universal monster movies, released only 4-years into the sound era, continues to find its way into the American Film Institute's Top 100 films list and is continually called one of the best horror films ever made.
The film opens with the warning;
"I think it will thrill you, it may shock you, it might even horrify you. So if any of you feel that you'd not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now is your chance to...Well, we've warned ... Read More
- Nostalgic Fright!I haven't seen this movie for 30 years or more, but as I watched, I felt the same sense of fear that I did as a child.Even my teenage children, who are long since used to more graphic scenes,sat with their eyes glued to the television.Frankenstein still thrills audiences of all ages.This is a must watch. We also enjoyed the extra information provided by the anniversary edition.This version is well worth the purchase price.
