Skip to main content

Frankenstein (1910) - J. Searle Dawley


Frankenstein from 1910 was one of the first ever incarnations of the “Monster” that we have seen on film. This quite possibly might be one of the best versions of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Adapted in 1910 by director J. Searle Dawley with Thomas Edison’s company, The Edison Group. This film follows the life of Dr. Frankenstein leaving for college and subsequently creating one of the greatest monsters of all time. Personally i believe this version of Frankenstein to be one of the scarier looking versions of his monster.

Two years into college Dr. Frankenstein plays god, creating life single handily. The life that he creates, however, is evil and haunts the good Doctor for the rest of the film. From the laboratory all the way to wherever Frankenstein is from, the monster harasses and bothers his maker. That is until a battle between good and evil breaks out and love prevails over all…

The special effects in this film are beyond reproach as we see life being given to the monster. Cheesy to our standards today, for its time period this proved to be an amazing feat. I’m pretty sure that they just set up a dummy and set it on fire and played it in reverse. However, the special effects and makeup are what you need to see this film for. Nuts to the Storyline and characters, but hail the effects.

Sid

Comments

Theresa h said…
This is my favorite movie of Frankenstein too, for special effects, time period and his looks, which remind me of Nosferatu of 1922, but was made before that movie.

Popular posts from this blog

Ju-On (2000) - Takashi Shimizu

Watching Japanese horror is similar to watching British comedy. If you enjoy dry whit then you probably enjoy the boys of Monty Python in drag. That's the joke, they're dressed like women. Get it? Well, that's British humor. But if you're like most Americans you probably prefer Adam Sandler farting his way across a football field and hooking up with chicks that are way out of his league. Americans usually prefer this more in your face, crass brand of humor. My point is funny in England is different from funny in the US. The same goes for J-Horror. What the Japanese consider scary is very different from what Americans consider scary and it shows in this horror film. Japanese horror is generally slow (a little too slow sometimes), suspenseful and creepy. Ju-On is a creepy effing film. The movie has almost no soundtrack. It is incredibly suspenseful and the pay-offs are pretty awesome, but I think that it was done better in the American version (cultural t...

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - Tim Burton

Tim Burton's take on the old Sleepy Hollow tale is really interesting. He adds his own flair of course. He delves very deeply into the original story by Washington Irving. The casting is usual for Burton. Johnny Depp of course in your lead. Helena Bonham Carter, thrown in for some flavor. The score is done by Danny Elfman. It's literally just the Ichabod Crane story run through the Tim Burton machine. But in a good way. Sleepy Hollow has a problem with a guy, running around, taking people's heads. Like, a lot of people. The town sends word for assistance and the nervous  Constable Ichabod Crane reports. He starts to unravel clues that take him down an incredibly strange path. With the Horseman still murdering patrons, Crane tries finding who's next before they lose their head.  I've always been a big fan of the Disney cartoon,  The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad . This movie is a far cry from Bing Crosby and quaint animations....

Escape From Tomorrow (2013) - Randy Moore

This review may contain spoilers. An American independent horror movie from filmmaker Randy Moore. It stars Roy Abramsohn, Elena Schuber, Katelynn Rodriguez, Jack Dalton, Annet Mahendru, and Alison Lees-Taylor. It premiered at the official selection of Roger Ebert, at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18th, 2013. Synopsis Jim is a depressed middle-aged man that despises his family life but wants to try to hold it together for a vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort. Jim receives a call before they leave and, unfortunately, Jim has lost his job as well. It proves too much to handle as this trip to the Magic Kingdom becomes a hellish nightmare. Jim’s mind cracks as we watch him deal with Disney’s seedy underbelly. Complete with elaborate corporate conspiracy, undercover sex workers, and demons. Oh and two very young French girls that Jim lusts over. It’s gross. Analysis The acting is amateurish. It’s nothing that’s going to win any awards or anything. The wri...