Brett Turner always comes through with the most remarkable, Christmas gifts. He knows I'm a big-time Universal Monsters fan and that I hold a huge adoration for "Frankenstein '31"; and so he's played upon such by giving me a stylish, pewter Frankenstein goblet from the Franklin Mint.
The goblet was actually manufactured a couple decades back, limited to no more than forty-five casting days. Alas, this one always eluded me. Now, having the striking 6.5" piece in my collection, I wonder how the heck I ever lived without it.
The goblet features three striking, relief images inspired by the James Whale classic, all of which include the great Boris Karloff in his most famous role, though in one panel, Edward Van Sloan's Dr. Waldman makes a welcome appearance.
The goblet is further enhanced by "gold" tipped electrodes/bolts; a rocky "neck"; stony base; and an overriding, Kenneth Strickfaden ambiance that would please any monster maker. (I'm still trying to confirm the sculptor of the piece, but that significant tidbit has so far eluded me. Nonetheless, whoever designed it sure did a crackerjack job.)
Indeed, I owe good ol' Brett a mighty big heap of thanks for this fine, Frankenstein homage. I'm proud to possess it and will cherish it for years to come.
A short time prior to Paul McGuigan's “Victor
Frankenstein” (see Nov '15), writer/director Bernard ("Candyman") Rose conjured his own Mary Shelly adaptation: a modern-day one, told from the Monster’s perspective. Its supporting imagi-movie cast also characterizes it, with Tony (the Candyman, himself) Todd; Carrie-Anne (“Matrix”) Moss; and Danny (“30 Days of Night”) Huston.
Contrary to what one might expect of a modernization, “Frankenstein (2015)” (now available for home viewing) remains in tune with Shelly’s novel and at times, mirrors James
Whale’s film version and its sequel, with a significant plot component culled from
Jack Smight’s “Frankenstein: the True Story”.
The Monster, otherwise known as Adam, and portrayed by Xavier Samuel, is initially an attractive, childlike entity, but a gene malfunction deforms him (represented by Randy Westgate's disturbing make-up). Because of his degeneration, there comes a point where Victor Frankenstein (Huston) decides to euthanize Adam, even though his wife, Marie (Moss) has reservations. Victor nevertheless requests his assistants to dissect the creature, but Adam will have none of this and with playful, gruesome delight slays those who would otherwise slay him.
Adam flees the facility, into the woods, where he befriends a resourceful dog, and for a time, the two hunt and nurture each other, before finally venturing into a nearby town. They come across a little girl (Mckenna Grace): an encounter that leads to a tense refashioning of Karloff's famous "flower scene", but in this instance, there are witnesses to the event, which inspire the frantic police and a riotous mob to assault the confused creature.
Adam escapes, wandering through a number of unpleasant interludes, including a violent encounter with an unethical officer (Jeff Hilliard), until he finds himself in the urban outskirts, where he meets a blind, street musician named Eddie (Todd). Eddie pities his abused companion and takes him under his wing, teaching him how to speak and reason, but the arrangement turns ugly after he introduces his friend to a prostitute named Wanda (Maya Erkstine).
Adam grows weary of his doleful state and decides to track down his maker. He also remembers the consoling Marie (whom he considers his "mommy") and yearns for a reunion, but she, too, is now inclined to reject him, and from there, the story reaches its tragic fruition.
Samuel's performance (accompanied by his whispery narrative) contributes significantly to the film's air of despair, his displays of bewilderment comparable to Terence Stamp's in "Mind of Mr. Soames", with hints of Karloff and Michael Sarrazin along the way. Though Samuel's creature isn't as towering as other film Monsters, his projection of unassailable strength often makes him more intimidating than his taller counterparts.
Huston, Moss and Todd are impressive as well, with Huston exuding worrisome deceit and Moss radiating angelically throughout (her expressions lovingly captured by Rose and Candace Higgins' dreamy cinematography). Todd's approach is laid-back, but he also offers a streetwise cragginess, which complements the rough environment that he and Adam inhabit.
Rose's realistic approach also reaches sadistic heights at various points: the splatter portion exceeding that of Hammer's franchise, though never culminating in the full Grand Guignol of "Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein". Nonetheless, watching Adam effortlessly smash an opponent with his bare hands will leave the stronghearted spellbound, and for the squeamish, give cause to turn away.
There have been other acclaimed updates of Shelley's story (the cultish Dean Koontz saga immediately comes to mind), but most deviate from the literary source and become their own thing. What's nice about Rose's version is its ability to redefine aspects of the story, while still nurturing a traditional outline.
I certainly didn't anticipate such a successful blend, but because of it, "Frankenstein '15" has earned my respect. It could have played solely on the novelty of its current-day setting, but instead (as any quality adaptation should) works on various emotional levels. It's refreshing, familiar and daring: worth a view for any mature Frankenstein aficionado and certainly worthy of anyone who appreciates depth in their monster movies.
As Valerie Martin's "Mary Reilly" allowed us to see Jekyll's strange going-ons through his maid's eyes, Paul McGuigan's "Victor Frankenstein" presents the mad genius' tale through his spry assistant's.
In this version of Mary Shelley's chilling story, Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe portrays the aliased Igor Strausman, a deformed circus clown and amateur doctor, whom Frankenstein physically fixes and then employs. Igor isn't by any means Lugosi's legendary Ygor from "Son/Ghost of Frankenstein", nor is he a variation of Dwight Frye's Fritz from James Whale's original, though he occasionally insinuates the two. If anything, he's an impression of Michael Gwynn's unfortunate, physically transformed character in Terence Fisher's "Revenge of Frankenstein", though without the cannibalistic cravings.
James McAvoy plays the scientific necromancer. His Frankenstein isn't quite as conscientious as Colin Clive's, but neither as incorrigible as Peter Cushing's Baron. Perhaps he's most like Kenneth Branagh's Victor, but why try to pigeonhole the chap. McAvoy makes his Frankenstein his own, though with a hyper Xavier strand which will likely please "X-Men" fans.
Frankenstein wishes to bestow eternal life upon the world, or at least as close to such as he can muster. Max Landis' screenplay bolsters that intent. As in previous incarnations, Frankenstein indulges in experimentation, with Igor's help, of course, and his assistant's reaction to the waking of dead flesh sways between glee and panic: the latter represented by a modified chimp's resurrection. Still, Igor remains faithful to his benefactor as they take the fugitive route, their relationship cheerful and sometimes comedic, at least until Frankenstein decides to build a man.
Guillaume Delaunay and Spencer Wilding occupy that essential spot, though the primary Monster (aka, Prometheus) remains more a phantom than an actual entity throughout much of the plot. Still, once he's revealed, he's a staggering sight to behold: patched, bolted and hulking (and at this point, not included in publicity stills). Too bad he doesn't enter the story sooner; for an extrapolation of his character would have proven quite fascinating. Even so, the giant's significance can't be denied and represents Frankenstein's guilt for the loss of his brother, Henry, though the creature's construction has equal, if not greater, impact on the bewildered Igor, whose conscience eventually gets the best of him.
Other folks are also impacted (whether directly or indirectly) by Frankenstein's zeal, such as trapeze queen Lorelei (this version's would-be Elizabeth, though more to Igor than Victor; and played with refined grace by Jessica Brown Findley). There's also the righteous Scotland Yard inspector, Roderick Turpin (played with pious conviction by "Spectre'"s Andrew Scott) and a conniving college chum called Finnegan (played by the flamboyant Freddie Fox). Frankenstein's father (the sophisticated Charles Dance) enters briefly to accentuate his son's overcompensating drive.
It's Igor, however, who selflessly throws himself into the monstrous eye of the storm to save his master, but how can he prevent Frankenstein from completing the inevitable? Ah, in that lies the story's rub; and how Igor tackles such is this version's distinction.
Beyond that, McGuigan/Landis' retelling remains old fashioned (i.e., relegated to the British Industrial Age), with steampunk machinery, flaring electricity, and that famous "It's alive" utterance. These familiar furnishings were obviously added as a safety net in case the film veered too off course, but fear not: "Victor Frankenstein" is nowhere near as extrapolated as the superheroic "I, Frankenstein", let alone that ol' groovy, cult favorite "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster". Its roots remain primarily planted in Universal and Hammer stylizations.
This may not be enough to appease all aficionados, but if you love Shelley's tale, if you fancy it no matter how many times it's been retold, regardless of the many twists filmmakers have forced upon it, you'll eagerly leap into this one and because of its content, likely enjoy it.
"Victor Frankenstein", as with prior takes, warns us to keep our ambitions in check, to take responsibility for them when they go astray. In this instance, it's Igor who learns the brunt of that harsh lesson, but then as the filmmakers intended, his eyes are our eyes, once more experiencing a fable that, like our essential moral compass, will always require revisited contemplation.
Writer/director Damien Leone's "Frankenstein vs. the Mummy" is the latest in the monster team-up sub-genre (a follow-up to Johnny Tabor's "Day of the Mummy"), and it's a damn good entry. For one thing, it plays itself straight and never tries to reinvent either mythology. It simply let's the familiarity of its components carry the tale, with one driven by magic, the other by science, but as we all know from Thor lore, the two are often indivisible.
The characters linked to the monsters also smack of tradition, even if they're relegated to modern times and contrivances. They're conscientious yet amoral, impulsive yet wise, and convincingly bridge the horror sequences.
Victor Frankenstein, portrayed by Max Rhyser, is a young, hip chap and like Frankensteins prior, he's most insightful in the ways of anatomy and ambitious enough to cull life from death.
His archaeologist lady friend, Naihla Khalil, portrayed by Ashton Leigh, is more reserved in her intent, but also involved in the macabre, though more for study than reanimation. She's obtained a Egyptian mummy and plans to study it at the college where she and Frankenstein work: how conveniently fated.
There's much discussion in the film regarding ethics and personal beliefs and how such notions impact the world. The monsters are brought to life by human ambition, after all, and they do kill: their victims the result of misguided perceptions. It all comes down to arrogance, really, and perhaps this human flaw, above all, becomes the film's message and warning, but regardless of the story's underlying gist, it never loses sight of what it is, always achieving the necessary chills and thrills.
For example, the reanimation of each monster is deftly rendered, first catering to the Mummy, wherein scholarly colleague, Dr. Walton (Boomer Tibbs, who holds an uncanny resemblance to Peter Cushing) fiddles with the preserved specimen, removing a Horas amulet from its rib cage. This unleashes an unearthly dust which transforms the professor into a George Zucco-like "caregiver", who then proceeds to kill his assistant, so that the poor fellow's blood may bring the corpse to life (shades of Hammer, one might say).
The Frankenstein Monster is, of course, composed of various body parts, supplied to the doctor by a Burke/Hare character named Carter, portrayed with seedy relish by John Pickett. He delivers his "goods" to the doctor's dreary hideaway, which is equipped with grimy, electrical equipment: not quite Strickfaden, but edging in that direction. (It should also be noted that the after-birth sequence isn't far removed from what Mary Shelley describes in her book, give or take, and the interaction between creator and creation is quite enthralling once it gets rolling.)
Both Monster, portrayed by Constanin Tripes, and Mummy, portrayed by Brandan deSpain (in essence, reprising is role from "Day of...") are grotesquely detailed and imposing, thanks to Leone's outstanding make-up effects. They also exude the necessary body language to captivate: indeed, not just lumbering giants, but calculating, nuanced creatures. In the Monster's case, he does speak, but with a modern, Tom Waits gruffness, which might seem unintentionally comical by the mere mention, but instead invokes a glib creepiness.
Khalil becomes the focus of each specimen: in the Monster's case, a would-be Elizabeth, and in the Mummy's case, a would-be Anaka. Though she's the common denominator that leads the titans to clash, it's not for the reasons one might expect, which adds a dash of originality to the inevitable confrontation.
The "epic battle" (as the DVD packaging proclaims) won't disappoint. Like the slaughter that comes prior to the big brawl, blood and gore fly profusely in this altercation, with the melee taking place in Frankenstein's hideaway: a dimly lit sequence, but where the action is nonetheless easy to discern.
On the whole, "Frank vs Mummy" is really the best form of indie movie-making going today. It presents creativity on all fronts, including superlative performances, crisp direction and deft storytelling. It certainly won't please high-brow critics, but for those who like good, old fashioned horror (albeit in a current context), with the unpretentious additive of two sprawling antagonists, this one won't disappoint. In fact, it's destined to exceed expectations.
As a sequel to my brief essay on Edward Hyde's influence upon Franklin Beacon, a character in my novel, "Flask of Eyes", I'm offering another assessment in the same vein: the link between the Frankenstein Monster and Benjamin Underling.
The Frankenstein element becomes obvious in "Flask" once the story passes several chapters, though from the start, Benjamin is depicted as a giant, which fits Mary Shelley's description of the famed, man-made monster.
Like the Monsters that have come before, this version isn't innately bad, but he's also not driven by vengeance. However, his quest for a mate remains a motivating factor. In this regard, he feels destined to be with the earthly female lead, Karen Gentile.
Though Benjamin is disguised in fake flesh, he's green-skinned beneath such: a nod to Jack Pierce's make-up in the Universal franchise, which we see in color via "Son of Frankenstein" home-movie footage, as well as the color segments featuring Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster.
Benjamin's image/appearance, in its purest form, is really based on a '70s Creepy Creatures puzzle I received from Santa when I was a child. Please see the following:
Benjamin's birth, however, doesn't necessarily reflect what's featured in literature or film, though I did combine elements of various Frankenstein movies where liquid/chemicals and possibly a spot of electricity were used to bring the specimens to life: "Curse of Frankenstein"; "Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein"; "Frankenstein--the True Story"; Kenneth Branagh's "Frankenstein '94", et al...all combined with golem lore.
A golem, per Hebrew legend, is fashioned from clay. I opted such to be Benjamin's founding form, with clay as his skeletal structure upon which the witch, Magda, attaches her miraculous life-giving brew.
The golem influence is also a carryover from my childhood, when I would stare at photos (from horror-film history books) of Paul Wegener's "Der Golem" saga (of which only the '21 version of the trilogy yet exists), as well as "It!", starring Roddy MacDowall. In more recent years, the "Snow in August" television adaptation has further spurred my fascination with this particular mythology.
It should also be acknowledged that the Wegener movies had an indisputable impact on Universal's Frankenstein franchise, both visually and in story structure. Note the examples below:
At any rate, the above aspects have acted as catalysts for Benjamin. Beyond any question, he represents Shelley's creation, embodying the big guy's pathos, confusion and basic need to lead a normal life. He's also one of my story's heroes, which I felt a fitting tribute to one who's generally depicted as sad and forlorn, but as to how things turn out precisely for ol' Benjamin...well, you'll just have to read "Flask" to see...
"House of the Wolf Man" is a 2009 homage to "House of Frankenstein"/"House of Dracula". Directed, produced (along with Roland Rosenberg) and written by Eban "Sick Girl" McGarr, it's by no means a bridge between the latter set and "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", instead standing as an impression of Universal monster-rallies: a tribute, in essence, in the "Young Frankenstein" vein, but beyond a few sparks of comic relief, played straight.
In this regard, like a Universal entry, "House of Wolf" is shot in glorious, textured black-and-white (by Royce A. Dudley), and yes, it does have a number of famous (and not-so-famous) monsters on board and a score by Nate Scott that's virtually lifted from one of Universal's '40s installments. However, story-wise, "House of Wolf" feels primarily like a homage to James Whale's "Old Dark House", various Monogram and PRC films, as well as William Castle's "House on Haunted Hill", than what Universal prolifically produced during its successful sequel reign.
The story's host is Dr. Bela Reinhardt, portrayed by Ron Chaney (grandson to Lon Jr. and great-grandson to Lon Sr.), a cold, calculating character who's summoned a group to his castle for a "competition" to determine who will inherit his vast estate, which includes all of his documented, scientific knowledge.
The participants include brother and sister, Reed and Mary Chapel (Dustin Fitzsimons and Sara Raferty); the amusingly bookwormish Conrad Sullivan (Jerome Loncka), seductive Elmira Craig (Cheryl Rodes) and pompous, big-game hunter Archibald Whitlock (Jim Thalman).
Most of the participants soon regret having consented to the weird assembly, particularly with ghoulish butler Barlow (John McGarr) wandering about and an otherwise mostly concealed old "witch" (Saba Moor-Douchette) surfacing, who looks as if she rolled right from out the pages of "Tales from the Crypt".
As the guests grow ever suspicious of Reinhardt's intent, it's eventually revealed that he holds a link to an infamous doctor, as well as a legendary curse. Large, wolf-like tracks also populate the estate, which Whitlock's "foot men" detect and abetted by their fearless leader, vainly track.
All this leads to a monstrous climax, capped by a relentless werewolf (played predominately by Billy Busby), the Frankenstein Monster (Craig Dabbs), and none other than Dracula, (Michael R. Thomas, exuding uncanny Lugosi-like charm), along with three, very hideous "brides".
Unfortunately, the main monsters appear very late in the proceedings and perhaps if only sprinkled throughout the movie, their presence would have been far more in tune with "House of Frank"/"House of Drac", instead of a being simply a string of extended cameos. Nevertheless, the brawl between Monster and Wolf Man, while it lasts, is quite satisfying.
The overall make-ups and creature designs, on the other hand, are well worth the wait. As fashioned by Michelle Chung, Sarah Dorsey, Ron Karkoska, Ana Preciado, Mike Rotello and Mark Villalobos, their overall look inches just enough from Universal to avoid copyright infringement, but like any quality Jack Pierce rendering, the personas resonate with immense character, strange beauty and impressive detail.
In the end, McGarr's opus is at best experimental yet heartfelt, short and sweet enough to set just the right mood for an atmospheric evening. It's by no means all it could have been, but remains admirable for at least stepping in the right direction. For those hankering for something along the lines of "Corpse Vanishes" with traces of the Universal masterpieces, it should gratify, instilling a style of filmmaking that hasn't graced the screen for nearly seven decades: a most ambitiously admirable attempt on that basis alone.
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