Review of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) by Andrew F — 05 Oct 2007

A very different take on the book, with Victor portrayed as a more blatantly terrible, arrogant scientist with no regard for any life other than that which he creates. In that regard, it reflects the character better than in most versions, and Peter Cushing does a great job in the role.

It has some lush color cinematography and a more accurate period setting, but I prefer the expressionist black and white look of the Universal version. The construction of the creature and his make up are far more gruesome and disgusting than in any other version, which is pretty impressive for a movie that's 50 years old.

This was probably the most important and influential of the Hammer horror films, but not my favorite.