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FRANKENSTEIN (1931) 
special 2-disc 75th anniversary edition
universal legacy series


imdb.com/title/tt0021884/
User Rating: 8.1/10   21,432 votes
Top 250: #249



Studio: Universal Studios

DVD Release Date: September 26, 2006


Director: James Whale


Description:
The original 1931 Frankenstein is a film rescued by film restoration. Before the 1990s it was television filler seen only in battered and prints with terrible sound. A much better appreciation could be had by looking at the beautiful stills of Jack Pierce's wonderful makeup work and reading magazine articles about details of the production. Famous Monsters of Filmland taught us to respect James Whale and consider the movie a classic, but to truly accept this fuzzy fossil required a lot of imagination. 

If you haven't seen the original Frankenstein in the last fifteen years or so, here's what you've missed: When Henry screams "It's Alive!" he also declares that he now knows what it is like to be God ... a line originally deleted as blasphemous but reinstated from an early Vitaphone-style audio disc in the possession of Forrest J. Ackerman. (spoiler) Added scenes show Fritz torturing Karloff's traumatized Monster. When The Monster finally strikes back, we see the hunchback's hanged body. Most importantly, we now see the entire scene with Karloff and the little girl (Marilyn Harris), including his panicked reaction after he throws her into the water.

These additions clarify The Monster's true character. Although he's supposed to have a criminal brain, the monster is born as an innocent, a little confused but curious and certainly not malicious, at least not at first. He reaches for the light from above, clearly in need of something: Guidance? Acknowledgement? The Monster simply wants to know who he is and whether he's among friends or foes. When he meets his creator, his first action is to reach out to him as well, begging for human kindness and acceptance. Frankenstein turns away as if from a guilty shame, denying his 'paternity' and absolving himself of any responsibility for his creation. The pitiful monster becomes the property of the sadistic Fritz, who delights in finding someone to torment even more miserable than he. 


Format: NTSC R1

DVD Size: 7.65 + 6.29 GB -- Exact Untouched Copy

Runtime (main feature): 71 minutes

Type: Black and White

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 | Non-Anamorphic

Sound (main feature): English DD2.0 Mono

Subtitles: English HoH | French | Spanish



DISC FEATURES:

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DISC 1: MAIN FEATURE
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# Karloff: The Gentle Monster. A half hour documentary tribute to horror icon Boris Karloff, tracing his career using film highlights and interviews, and examining his relationships with Frankenstein director James Whale and fellow actor Bela Lugosi.
# Monster Tracks. While watching the film, viewers can elect to see interactive pop-ups presenting obscure, interesting and amusing facts about the making of Frankenstein.
# Audio Commentary with film historian Rudy Behlmer.
# Audio Commentary with film historian Sir Christopher Frayling.


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DISC 2: EXTRA FEATURES
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# Universal Horror Documentary, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, takes you on a fascinating chronological journey through the making of the most memorable monster films of all time.
# The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster. A documentary hosted by film historian David J. Skal discusses the influence of Mary Shelley?s Gothic novel on Hollywood horror films. Features interviews with an array of filmmakers, writers and actors, including Boris Karloff's daughter, Sara.
# Frankenstein Archives.