Frankenstein | 
 enlarge | Director: James Whale
Actors: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, John Boles, Edward Van Sloan
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: Video
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $2.75
You Save: $12.23 (82%)
New (14) Used (26) Collectible (10) from $2.75
Rating:  125 reviews
Sales Rank: 10883
Format: Black & White, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 71
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 1558804722
UPC: 096895500435
EAN: 9786300181281
ASIN: 6300181286
Theatrical Release Date: November 21, 1931
Release Date: March 1, 1992
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: VERY LITTLE WEAR TO ORIGINAL CASE-ONLY VIEWED ONCE-FROM PERSONAL COLLECTION-NOT A RENTAL-BORIS KARLOFF STARS AS FRANKENSTEIN IN THIS 1931 RESTORED CLASSIC-IMMEDIATE SHIPPING H8
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
"It's alive! Alive!" shouts Colin Clive's triumphant Dr. Frankenstein as electricity buzzes over the hulking body of a revived corpse. "In the name of God now I know what it's like to be God!" For years unheard, this line has been restored, along with the legendary scene of the childlike monster tossing a little girl into a lake, in James Whale's Frankenstein, one of the most famous and influential horror movies ever made. Coming off the tremendous success of Dracula, Universal assigned sophomore director Whale to helm an adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel with Bela Lugosi as the monster. When Lugosi declined the role, Whale cast the largely unknown character actor Boris Karloff and together with makeup designer Jack Pierce they created the most memorable monster in movie history: a towering, lumbering creature with sunken eyes, a flat head, and a jagged scar running down his forehead. Whale and Karloff made this mute, misunderstood brute, who has the brain of a madman (the most obvious of the many liberties taken with Shelley's story), the most pitiable freak of nature to stumble across the screen. Clive's Dr. Frankenstein is intense and twitchy and Dwight Frye set the standard for mad-scientist sidekicks as the wild-eyed hunchback assistant. Whale's later films, notably the spooky spoof The Old Dark House and the deliriously stylized sequel The Bride of Frankenstein, display a surer cinematic hand than seen here and add a subversive twist of black comedy, but given the restraints of early sound films, Whale breaks the film free from static stillness and adorns it with striking design and expressionist flourishes. --Sean Axmaker
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 120 more reviews...
 Classic in Name only December 1, 2008
I bought this dvd to show my students after having read Frankenstein, well, both the students and I found the movie laughably bad. Yes, some of that is due to the technological limits of the time, but some of the other problems are inexcusable (why are Victor and Henry's names switched? Why does the movie start of the way it doe?, etc.) All and all, it is a movie I wished I would have rented rather than purchasing because it is doubtful that I will ever use it in my classroom again.
 77 and Still Kicking November 15, 2008
Given that I already own The Monster Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Dracula / The Wolf Man) (busts and all), I hemmed, hawed, and read other reviews prior to purchasing the 75th Anniversary Edition. However, an Amazon seller listed an offer I couldn't refuse, so I bit and, all things considered, have no cause for regrets.
The Good: First, the print looks and sounds better than the previous releases. Nice and clean with deep blacks, good contrast, and very little damage, the video is solid and a pleasure to watch. However, I'm especially appreciative of the audio remastering--it sounds terrific for the first time (at least in my opinion).
A treasure trove of juicy extras are included, the jewel in the crown being Kevin Brownlow's Universal Horror, which I've caught on TCM. Also to be found are Karloff: The Gentle Monster, Monster Tracks (informative pop-ups that appear throughout the feature; I especially enjoyed this one), The Frankenstein Files, a corny-but-cute short (that presages Fractured Flickers) called Boo!, archives including still photos and posters, a theatrical trailer, and two commentary tracks--the only extras I haven't explored. I think the goodies alone are worth investing in the upgrade (despite getting a bit repetitive at times). The various subtitles include English, and the disks are dual-layer--a welcome upgrade from the cheapo "flippers" used in Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of).
The Bad: Enough for a one-star demerit. Let's not lose sight of the fact that this is Universal, and not the B-studio described by Gloria Stuart in one of the documentaries as being "like a family," but the gouging, skinflint mega-conglomerate of today. So rather than assemble a perfect package, Universal presents a cheesy one instead. I opened the case and discovered that neither of the trays was affixed to the backing; the glue had come loose...but not before it had torn some of the art behind it in the process. I was pretty much able to line them up for re-gluing so that the damage didn't show, but that didn't repair the breaks that had occurred in the trays themselves. In addition, I detected a tumor-like lump on the back of the case. "Biopsy" revealed a blob of silicone adhesive. I carefully removed the product information sheet that had been so sloppily applied (clearly, Universal has found a way around child labor restrictions) and saw that it concealed a beautiful rendering of Karloff as The Monster. Predictably, the fact that the other side of this sheet could have been put to better use as a chapter index, didn't occur to whoever designed the packaging. A pity--touches such as this mark the distinction between a good marketing effort and a great one. Also, the aforementioned Monster Tracks can be difficult to read if they appear over credits; more attention should have been paid to this. And finally, Universal Horror? It's also included with Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series), so if you buy both (likely), you're paying twice for redundancy. Did I mention "gouging?" Add to that, "contempt for customer base."
Bottom line: if you find this at a price that seems fair and are debating whether or not you need yet another Frankenstein on your shelf, don't. Fans wanting the best print available need this one, otherwise the previously linked Legacy Collection, which includes all of the titles in the series, represents good value...that is, if Universal has managed to fix the problems that resulted from using cheap disks when the Collections premiered. Between the two sets, the needs of just about every fan can be met.
Boris goes out in a blaze of gory! November 11, 2008
Another of my childhood favorite monsters - Frankenstein's monster. I have to admit I always thought it was the monster that was Frankenstein back in those days. I thought this was a better movie than the Mummy with Karloff that I reviewed earlier. At least in this one the monster was prevalent and there was lots of arms outstreched, slow deliberate strides and that unique grunting that characterized all Frankenstein movies. In all honesty I enjoyed the movie for the classic it was; however I would recommend "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" over this the original. In A&C you got the Wolfman and Dracula thrown in as well! The blaze of glory reference is in the final scene Frankenstein is torched in a windmill by an angry mob (sort of like Col. Mustard in the conservatory with a candle stick, eh?). I suspect the movie makers never realized that they would have to revive Frankenstein for the many sequels that followed.
 "Now I Know What it Feels Like to Be God!" October 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
-This review pertains to the Frankenstein: 75th Anniversary Edition DVD-
Mary Shelley's classic horror story, Frankenstein, has been dramatized countless times since the novel's publication in 1816. The first dramatization, a melodramatic stage play from the early 1820s, was called Presumption: The Fate of Frankenstein. The play resonated with audiences as it greatly emphasized the themes of scientific advances conflicting with Christian ideologies, of man's ego violating the laws of nature, and of ambition overwhelming conscience. A century later, in the year 1927, a playwright named Peggy Webling used similar themes in her adaptation, which was the primary source of inspiration for the classic Universal film. Garrett Fort, who also wrote the screenplay for Dracula, and Francis Edward Faragoh, wrote the film's screenplay. The screenplay was based on Peggy Webling's play, as well as on a produced play that was never produced by John L. Balderston.
To say that the film had a troubled production is an understatement. Originally to be directed by Robert Florey and starring Béla Lugosi, Frankenstein was ultimately directed by James Whale and starred Boris Karloff. James Whale had made a name for himself with the films Journeys End and Waterloo Bridge. Both Karloff and Whale can be accredited for the film's status as enduring classic. Whale, who was something of an outcast himself, understood how to create flawed characters that the audience would still sympathize and empathize with. Karloff, who was at the time an underpaid, unknown, and hardworking actor, brought a sense of innocence and vulnerability to the role of Frankenstein's Monster.
Joining Boris Karloff was a wonderful group of actors including Mae Clark as Elizabeth, John Boles as Victor Moritz, Edward Van Sloan as Doctor Waldman, Dwight Frye as Fritz, and Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein. Clive was a tragic figure, both in the film and in reality. He died before his fortieth birthday, not a full year after the release of the sequel The Bride of Frankenstein.
The greatest stars of Frankenstein were Boris Karloff, Jack Pierce, and Kenneth Strickfaden. Jack Pierce created the brilliant makeup for the Frankenstein Monster as well as most of the other classic Universal monsters and Kenneth Strickfaden created the electrical apparatuses seen in the iconic scene where Frankenstein creates the monster in his laboratory. The electrical equipment, which served no real function other to dazzle audiences, was featured in many films all the way up into the 1970s when it appeared in the affectionate spoof Young Frankenstein.
The story follows an obsessed young doctor named Henry Frankenstein, who along with his hunchbacked assistant Fritz stole corpses from their graves and used their body parts to construct a Monster. Originally Frankenstein wanted nothing more than to advance science to the point where the effects of death could be reversed, but his noble ambitions turned to blasphemous conceit and his creation would take on a life of its own. Frankenstein sends Fritz to a university to steal the brain of a genius, which will be given to Frankenstein's creation. However Fritz drops the brain and replaces it with another. The new brain is a dysfunctional one, that of a criminal.
Meanwhile Henry's fiancée, Elizabeth and his best friend, Victor learn that Henry's become reclusive and secretive. Along with Henry's mentor, the dogmatic Doctor Waldman, they travel to Henry's laboratory on one fateful night. When they arrive Henry seems fanatical and possessed with a mania. He insists that they stay and witness his grand achievement. That night Frankenstein gives birth (figuratively, not literally) to a pathetic creature, born of the components he gathered from the graves that he burglarized. Waldman, Victor, and Elizabeth are horrified. Yet they've no idea of the horrors in store for them. After coming to his senses, Henry acknowledges what he's done but the Monster has escaped and is rampaging through the nearby villages. Can it be stopped or will Frankenstein's Monster live forever?
This monstrously good DVD includes an audio commentary with film historian Sir David Frayling, an audio commentary with film historian Rudy Behlmer, Karloff: The Gentle Monster documentary, The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster documentary, Monster Tracks trivia, Boo!: A Short Film, Universal Horror feature-length documentary, Frankenstein Archives poster montage with music, and theatrical trailer.
Also recommended:
Frankenstein: The Legacy Collection
The Mummy
The Mummy: The Legacy Collection
Icons of Horror: Boris Karloff
Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection
UNIVERSAL BLOWS SO BAD, WORST DVD PRODUCER? September 2, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
i mean come on now, this is the second set that has arrived fallen apart,,,the book edition, in this and Dracula were unglued!Wow, i mean if it isn't the fiasco of the loose flippers in the Legacy set , its this mess.Karloff and Lugosi deserve better than the treatment they get from Universal, who seem only interested in making a quick buck!Universal sucks so bad it isn't even funny, the only reason i buy these is to show my loyalty to Karloff and Lugosi and the like and to honor them, not Universal dvds, what utter and complete garbage they produce!
|
|
|
