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Movies / On DVD / Frankenstein
Frankenstein

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Frankenstein (1931)

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Reviews Counted:37

Fresh:37

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.5/10

Consensus: Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff's legendary, frightening performance as the monster.

Runtime: 71 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: FRANKENSTEIN is James Whale's first stylish, expressionist film (INVISIBLE MAN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) to grace the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s and 1940s (DRACULA, THE MUMMY). Scientist... FRANKENSTEIN is James Whale's first stylish, expressionist film (INVISIBLE MAN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) to grace the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s and 1940s (DRACULA, THE MUMMY). Scientist Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye), embark on an unholy mission by stealing a body from a graveyard and a human brain from a medical college. Unbeknownst to Frankenstein, however, Fritz takes a violent and murderous abnormal brain. Henry's strange letters about his experiments worry his fiancée, Elizabeth (Mae Clark), and friends Victor (John Boles) and Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). They arrive at Frankenstein's laboratory to find the spectacular scene of creation under way--and Frankenstein intoxicated with his own godlike power. FRANKENSTEIN is in many ways the original horror classic, virtually creating the genre itself, leading to numerous sequels and myriad imitators. Whale's ability to give humanity to the Monster is one of the film's most stunning successes. [More]

Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, John Boles

Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Edward Van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Dwight Frye, Lionel Belmore, Marilyn Harris, Michael Mark, Arletta Duncan, Pauline Moore, Francis Ford

Director: James Whale

Director: James Whale
Screenwriter: Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort
Producer: Carl Laemmle
Composer: Bernhard Kaun

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Frankenstein

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21 - 37 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

No review available.

comment Comment
07/05/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

comment Comment
06/30/04
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Charming, spooky, and magical at once.

comment Comment
03/08/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/06/04
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

An essential classic.

comment Comment
10/20/03
Victoria Alexander
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

A stirring grand-guignol type of picture, one that aroused so much excitement at the Mayfair yesterday that many in the audience laughed to cover their true feelings.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Mordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
02/17/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Still packs a punch. Stylish direction by the great James Whale.

comment Comment
01/22/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
12/11/02
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
San Francisco Examiner

This is the one that became the classic and best known Frankenstein picture.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/01/02
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
10/18/02
Brian J. Arthurs
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

Genuine old-school horror movie excellence ... and the sequel is even better!

comment Comment
07/26/02
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

This early sound chiller is still a great film of its genre.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As much as the later movies diluted the character of the Frankenstein creature, nothing could blunt the impact made by Karloff in the role of the most memorable movie monster of all time.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Still a startling film about the borders between genius and madness, science and atrocity.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/01/00
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

The classic and definitive monster/horror film.

Full Review Source: Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films | comment Comment
01/01/00
Tim Dirks
Tim Dirks
Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films
 
 
21 - 37 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2
all

Latest News for Frankenstein

November 29, 2009: James Whale: Still Passing Strange Opens in new window
He was never entirely comfortable with his success as a director of horror films, but in spite of his ambivalence, James Whale made some true classics of the genre -- and a... More...

October 26, 2007: Guillermo del Toro Talks Upcoming Projects
Between Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, both versions of The Orphanage, and his various rumored projects, Guillermo del Toro has become something of a mainstay here at RT News -- so... More...

July 24, 2006: Comic-Con 2006: New "Hulk" Sequel to Be an "Abomination"
OK, we already knew that Abomination would be the new "Hulk" villain, and we just recently got word that "Transporter 2" director Louis Leterrier would be... More...

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