Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Forgotten Horror

Wow, I completely forgot that we watched Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994). I guess it wasn't all that memorable. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who played Victor von Monster (or was Monster the monster's name?). It sticks closer to the book then most movies (Mary Shelley's book), including the Arctic part, letting the monster speak, skipping Igor, etc. It also leaves out something like heart, or maybe fun.

Along with Branagh, we have Ian Holm as his dad, John Cleese (seriously) as the original re-animator, Tom Hulce as Frankenstein's friend, and Helena Bonham Carter as his sickly half-sister and lover.

And the monster: Robert De Niro. So it's good that this version was articulate. He got a lot of great dialog - almost shook the Brooklyn accent too.

There was a lot to like about this movie - some real lunacy, like using electric eels for the re-animation. There's some surreal dream sequences that are fun. And when HBC dies (spoiler) we get a nice Bride of Frankenstein scene (not from the book? I haven't actually read it).

But all this didn't seem to add up to a good movie. It's somehow related to Coppola's Dracula (he produced, or was going to direct, or something), and was bad like that movie, too. That is, good in many parts, but bad overall. At least Frankenstein didn't have Keanu Reeves.

Heck, Keanu might have helped.

1 comment:

mr. schprock said...

I saw that movie when it came out and all I can recall is how visually arresting Helena Bonham Carter I thought was.