Review of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) by Carl M — 02 Feb 2013

Frankenstein's Monster returns to life in astonishing COLOR! THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is a monumental landmark in the annals of Horror cinema. As Hammer Film Production's first color picture, it shocked the world with a putrid display of blood, gore, and erotic fantasy. It would be despised by critics as such, however the impact this would have on the genre is unmistakeable. CURSE not only launched the career of television actor Peter Cushing into super-stardom, but also introduced the world to Christoper Lee as the horrifying Monster. This would be the first of many villains that Lee would play for the studio, including his versions of Dracula and The Mummy that soon would follow. In the coming years, the names Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing would rival even the great Vincent Price as two of the genre's most recognizable faces. Here, it is Peter Cushing who steals every scene as the headstrong Baron Victor Frankenstein, a man blinded by ambition and his thirst for knowledge. Cushing is simply thrilling as the Baron, becoming the true villain of the picture through the ghoulish dedication to his work and the dastardly lengths that he is willing to go 'in the name of science.' Terence Fisher's handling of the material is superb as always, blending the dark Gothic atmosphere and mood with signature amounts of sex and bloody violence. THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN would usher in a new era of Gothic filmmaking throughout the late 1950's and 1960's, and is perhaps the studio's finest film.

-Carl Manes.

I Like Horror Movies.