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40 Frankenstein
Posters
1910 -1994
Frankenstein is the quintessential sci-fi horror figure of all time, originally penned in 1817 by Mary Shelley, wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley the great romantic poet. Science gone mad. Man playing God. The ultimate hubris. Maybe this is why the tale lasts. What sets Frankenstein apart from other science fiction is its setting in the 1800s. A modern era telling isn't possible, because we have it now with clones & genetic engineering. James Whale's 1931 production, however dated it may seem, has an artistry in his black & white vision that no subsequent version equaled, including Hammer Films admirable effort in the late 50s, until Kenneth Branagh's gloriously realistic 1994 gorefest.
Most worthwhile viewing are James Whale's Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein, of course, plus Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, & finally Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Perhaps it's an indication of the quality & power of the original that Boris Karloff's monster was most recently played by Robert DeNiro.
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