Frankenstein

Frankenstein...1931...unrated...70 minutes...starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, and of course Boris Karloff...written by John L. Balderson (adapted from the Mary Shelley book)...directed by James Whale

I can think of no better way to restart this blog than with the phrase:"...It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!!!!!"

This selection is a movie to watch for so many reasons. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's without flaws and is completely accessible to a modern audience. It's not. But the word "iconic" is also so highly appropriate in this case. If you want to see where the film history of Frankenstein starts, then taking the slightly-more-than-an-hour to see this Universal picture is mandatory. Do it, it's good for you! Yes, I'm saying that seeing the movie is the equivalent of eating your peas if you're a horror fan. But I'm right.

The film is a compressed, gentler version of the book designed to appeal to the audience of the day. The Monster isn't possessed of the intelligence that Adam has in the book, but Karloff's genius is being able to help convey the emotional truth behind the creature's existence. Without dialogue, his facial expression conveys pity, loneliness, anger, and frustration at a world that is mostly hostile to him. Honestly, having someone like Fritz (not Igor) in my face in the first days of my existence wouldn't make me trust in my environment all that well.

The makeup is remarkable to look at, the sets are a marvel, and the overall visual sense of this selection is something that's been copied so very often that seeing the origin is worthwhile. Despite what I expected, there were only two fatalities in the movie and I expected more. That's part of why I call it a gentler version of the story. I'd say three, but I know there are sequels so the fate of the Monster, while grim looking, isn't the end.

In terms of what I've been exposed to throughout my life, I find it hard to give it a high rating just on the historical value alone...though personally that makes "Frankenstein" a must-watch for me. But it's short, and there's some wonderful things to see...so if you have some time and want to see some history, then the seventy minutes here are well-spent.

My rating: Three and a half lightning-spewing machines out of five.