This has to be the worst of the Frankenstein series. I pretend this one never even happened. What a stupid ending. When I watch the Frankenstein movies I start with Frankenstein, then I watch Bride of Frankenstein, then Son of Frankenstein, and then I'll start on The Wolf Man and I'll end with Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. I'm glad Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman ignored Ghost of Frankenstein.
shareI really disagree with you on this one. I always thought the end of this one was great. Also, FMTWM really didn't ignore "Ghost ..." even though the footage of the monster (with Ygor's brain) speaking was edited.
The movie took place in Vasaria, which was where most of "Ghost ..." occurred, and there was mention of things that happened in the previous film, such as the death of Ludwig Frankenstein and the destruction of his house.
I guess they didn't totally ignore it. But I'm just glad they didn't continue with Igor's brain in the Monster. I didn't like that Igor's brain was in the Monster. If they stuck with that it wouldn't even be the same Monster. And what the heck happened to the original brain? What did they throw it away. You know what I mean? I think we discussed this on another thread. I can understand why you liked the movie, but I guess it just wasn't for me. I think we also agreed on how the Monster was stripped of his humanity. My favorite sequel with all the monsters was Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. My favorite sequel with the Frankenstein Monster would have to be Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. But I like Son of Frankenstein a lot. I liked how Basil Rathbone played Henry Frankenstein's son Wolf. I thought he was the best part. On another thread I remember you telling me how you loved Lugosi's performance as Igor. I loved Bela as Igor myself. But I loved him even more as Dracula. In the first Dracula and even in the Abbott and Costello movie, Lugosi had such a commanding presence. Which Universal Monster movie do you think was the worst?
shareJust think, if other movies stuck with the Igor brain in the Monster it would've ruined other movies that followed. And it wouldn't have been the Monster anymore. I think it would've ruined Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and it most definitely would've ruined Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. They wouldn't have even been able to use the same storyline.
share[deleted]
Disagree. I LOVE Son. Basil, Boris, Lionel Atwill, and Bela are a perfect combination. It's a terrific ending too.
That being said, I have a few problems with this movie. How does the monster end up in Frankenstein's CASTLE in Frankie meets the wolf man? Didn't he just die in this laboratory?
I don't know, but along with the fact that the Monster never spoke again, I think the Universal execs dismissed Ghost as canon.
This one is alright, but at 68 minutes it's rather brief and slow at times, nothing much really happens until the big gas-filled finale. Lugosi's speech in the Monster's body is pure brilliance.
(3/5)
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Maybe it is, but that's not saying much as I enjoyed them all to some degree, but the ridiculously short House of Dracula seems more likely to be the weakest to me.
"It's not about money
It's about sending a Message
Everything Burns!"
It may not be the best of the seires but I did get something out of it the last time I watched it. I saw some of the seeds where Mel Brooks got Ideas for "Young Frankenstine" This was the first time The Monster spoke in the films.
Q: How does Soylent Soda taste?
A: It varies from person to person.
"Futurama"
The Monster spoke several iconic lines in The Bride of Frankenstein.
shareI have to beg to differ with you. Just watched this last night, and the thing I liked best about it, and which I'd never noticed before on multiple previous viewings, is that the Monster is basically portrayed as a gentle child; all he wants to do throughout most of the movie is hang out with the little girl and play with her ball. It's only when he's under the influence of Ygor's malevolent horn-playing that he does anything violent or antisocial (or by accident, like burning down the little girl's house). And she can sense that he's not violent or evil and wants to "play" with him, too.
Then, in a brilliant plot twist, they transplant Ygor's evil brain into the Monster, turning him into a bad guy at the last minute so they can destroy him and not get the audience upset after being made to sympathize with him throughout the whole movie. If they'd killed the gentle, childlike Monster Chaney played in the first part of the movie, the audience would be have been outraged, but everything works perfectly the way it's written.
Gave me more respect for this movie (which much conventional wisdom says is the worst in the series) than I'd had before.
My vote for worst of the Universal Frankensteins would probably go to House of Dracula. It's too much like a rehash of House of Frankenstein, which I love, even down to the "hunchback" character, but not as good. And they spend way too much time on Onslow Stevens's transformation scenes, and not enough with the monsters, particularly Frankenstein's Monster. It's a bit dull overall, with little new to add to the series.