Young Frankenstein is the all-time great one ever, with Frankenstein Created Woman as runner-up, just because it's one of the most oddly subversive films Hammer ever made, and I love that.
_________________ "They'll bite your finger off given a chance" - Junkie Luv (regarding Zebras)
(And I can't watch Son of Frankenstein without laughing, because of the visual jokes that inspired Young Frankenstein. The enormous door knockers alone make me laugh out loud.)
(And I can't watch Son of Frankenstein without laughing, because of the visual jokes that inspired Young Frankenstein. The enormous door knockers alone make me laugh out loud.)
It's incredible how much of Young Frankenstein is taken from Son of Frankenstein. No only that, iconic elements that we tend to subconsciously think were there all along first appeared in Son of Frankenstein.
I have a theory that Son of Frankenstein was a very big turning point in our pop culture -- at a very early time, it established the precedent of an ongoing mythos in horror/sf, an idea that you can pick up and just keep going for an established fanbase.
A post I had in a previous thread about the concept of "continuity" in its early stages:
Li'l Jay wrote:
Here's an idea for an archaeological study of continuity: the Universal Frankenstein pictures.
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein were considered masterpieces -- same director (James Whale), Karloff as the monster, and both drew elements from the Shelley novel.
Son of Frankenstein then has Karloff as the monster, with a weak attempt to explain how he survived the ending of Bride. PLUS, Bela Lugosi as Igor ( people think the assistant's name was Ygor to begin with, but it was not. Bela was the first Ygor). Most of the most recognizable funny parts of Young Frankenstein come from Son of Frankenstein.
The Ghost of Frankenstein then repirses Lugosi as Ygor, and weakly attempts to explain how the monster still surives. But the monster is played by Lon Chaney, Jr. (of Wolfman fame).
Then it's time for continuity crossover -- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Chaney is the Wolfman, so the monster has to be played by . . . . Bela Lugosi!
Then it's on to House of Frankenstein. Karloff is back in this one, but doesn't play the monster. The monster is played by Glenn Strange.
Then, in one of the original fanwankeries, it's Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. In this one, Bela Lugosi played Dracula on the only occasion he ever played the character, other than the Dracula movie (and plays). And the monster is again Glenn Strange.
Is it any wonder that Young Frankenstein was such an appealing idea for a movie? All this Frankenstein stuff was the continuity-porn of an older generation than the selfish man-babies we call the Baby Boomers.
Hold yourself together, (T)Eddy----it's only IMWAN
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From what I've heard, The Bride of Frankenstein is arguably the best version, followed closely by the 1931 Frankenstein.
However, I have not seen either of those films recently, so for now my vote goes to Young Frankenstein.
One thing about Young Frankenstein which I did not know. Since this is one of Mel Brooks' classic films, I assumed that Brooks was the genesis behind the creation of this movie and Gene Wilder just happened to star in it. Instead, I got it backwards. This was Wilder's idea, and he brought in Mel Brooks to direct it. Also, he successfully argued with Mel Brooks to keep the "Putting on the Ritz" sequence.
Hold yourself together, (T)Eddy----it's only IMWAN
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I'd like to see a new version of Frankenstein establish---in homage to Gene Wilder---that the REAL pronunciation of the name is actually Frank-en-STEEN. (Which Isn't out of the question since French is presumably the native language of Victor, who is from a respected Genevan family.)
I want modern day Hammer Horror stuff, done in that style and set in the 19th Century, and with all the gratuitous nudity, but with amazing special effects and stuff.
If I was an eccentric billionaire, I'd make that happen, and Frankenstein Created Woman would be re-made very early on....before I ran out of money.
_________________ "They'll bite your finger off given a chance" - Junkie Luv (regarding Zebras)
Hold yourself together, (T)Eddy----it's only IMWAN
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While it is nowhere near as good as the James Whale films or Young Frankenstein, I think honorable mention should go to I, Frankenstein. I like the idea of Frankenstein's monster not only becoming the true hero of the story, but also redeeming himself as well. This may not be the first movie where the Creature is actually called "Frankenstein" instead of his creator, but it may be the first to argue---in the movie---that there's a perfectly good reason to do so.
Besides, no film that gives this much screen time to Bill Nighy can be all bad!
Last edited by (T)Eddy on Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I see I'm not the only one who voted for Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein...
Wasn't me, but I really, really love. It breaks my heart that there weren't more Lugosi Dracula films, because even this comedic effort years later shows how it could have worked cinematically.
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