Here we go horror month, where I'll be reviewing 31 days of horror films, supernatural films, films about freaks, films by famous odd and horror directors, and horror themed TV shows.
In my first year of reviewing films, I reviewed the horror classic "Frankenstein". I found it groundbreaking, scary, sad and left a horrifying image to the famous monster.
In my second year of being a critic, I reviewed the film's sequel "The Bride Of Frankenstein". I found it just as great as the first one and gave huge praise in the development of the monster and build up to its bride. Every horror fan and film buff knows these two films and images in a heartbeat, but there's one film we tend to forget. That film is the first and original "Frankenstein" film made in 1910.
The film was made by the Edison Studios and became a big shocker for the time. This film has been lost for decades, but thank god that somebody has finally found it. In honor in finding this film and for my past two reviews on the "Frankenstein" films, I'm going to review the film that started it all. Now the film is a short silent film, so this is going to be a short review.
The story has the same basis as all the other stories. A mad scientist creates a creature, but instead of it acting human, it acts like a monster and spreads chaos. With that being the basic plot, it's completely different to the images and scenes you've seen or are familiar with.
Instead of dead body parts being stitched together and lightening giving it life, we get a whole new different idea and look at how the creature was born. Dr. Frankenstein mixes some positions and chemicals together, puts them in a cauldron, puts the cauldron into a giant oven and boom the monster is born. This is the only version where the monster is just instantly made, a lot of people may reject to the idea, but to be completely honest, I actually found this sequence better than the other films. I know it's unrealistic and I agree with that statement, but the special effects, set, and facial expressions from Dr. Frankenstein is so good and so amazing for the time that it just upstages them all. Just throw in a card that says "It's Alive" and the scene will be complete.
The monster is nothing like the image you're familiar with. It actually looks like a combination of an animal and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The image you're looking at may look goofy, but once you watch the film you'll at least understand why audiences found it scary. The way the monster acts and behaves is more animalish than a walking zombie, but it's just as eerie as Karloffs performance. If you look carefully at the monster in some scenes, you'll see a tortured soul, just like the monster we know and love. The music is so scary that it sets the mood and tone for the monster, which is another huge reason why it can be so frightening. The monster was so scary for audiences of the time that the film got banned. If you erase the Karloff image, while watching the film, you can find the monster to be pretty creepy. Without giving away the ending, I must say the mirror scenes that plays a big part in the ending was something that I found to be deep.
Even though the film is upstaged by the 30's film and will always live in its shadow, it still was the first film of the series and will always be a hidden gem to horror fans. It has good special effects, the aspects of the story we all know and love, a creepy and different looking monster, and was a groundbreaking film for its time that should not be forgotten.
RATING 5/5
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