Customer Reviews

Frankenstein

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The 1973 Dan Curtis "Frankenstein" is an eloquent, 2-part video-taped production. A contemporary of the equally stylish "Frankenstein: the True Story", the Curtis version was originally relegated as episodes of the late-night, television series, "Wide World of Mystery".

Bo Svenson (coined as the "giant", as opposed to the "monster" or "creature") gives a powerhouse performance as Shelley's misunderstood specimen. Indeed, Svenson conveys the anticpated danger that one naturally associates with this character, but his focus is ultimately on confusion and sensitivity. In essence, such traits have always been the essence of Shelley's iconic figure; Svenson expertly understands and embodies such.

Robert Foxworth is an excellent, credible Victor; Susan Strasberg is an on-target Elizabeth. The auspicious John Karlen, of Curtis' "Dark Shadows", is also featured. (Incidentally, he and Foxworth offer commentary on the DVD release.) In a twist of casting, a lovely blonde replaces the blind man/hermit, and the result is uniquely engaging, touching.

In addition to Karlen's presence, those who fancy "Dark Shadows" will appreciate the production's overall, unpretentious feel. (For those in the know, "Dark Shadows" actually tackled Shelley's themes with its "Adam/Eve" storyline.) This version also sports Robert Cobert's distinctive music, which further invokes a "Dark Shadows" aura. (In the same vein, fans of Curtis' "Jekyll/Hyde" and "Dorian Gray" will feel at home with this "Frankenstein". Fans of the BBC, Louis Jourdan "Count Dracula" will also find it worth while.)

If one has a hankering for classic monsters and good, old-fashioned horror retellings, Dan Curtis "Frankenstein" is a must to view and own. Simply put, they just don't make them like this anymore. A pity, indeed, but at least through this DVD release, one will have a chance to re-experience an example of a gothic story done right.

I was very excited to see this Frankenstein advertised, being a fan of other Curtis productions like Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker, and the Jack Palance version of Dracula. However, this movie occupies a curious limbo. In style, production values, and acting, it is very much like the original Dark Shadows TV series. It even has almost identical music by the same composer, and the presence of John Karlen (Willie from Dark Shadows) as the doctor's sidekick. But what worked well in the context of an ongoing Gothic soap is rather disappointing when transplanted to a feature. The whole look of the production is particularly stagebound, which is probably the fault of poor lighting. It's a bit like watching an amateur theatrical. Nothing becomes believable, or atmospheric, enough to be moving. A much better TV adaptation from around the same time is Frankenstein - The True Story with James Mason and Jane Seymour.

In 1973 Dan(Dark Shadows)Curtis produced this made-for tv 2-part adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN for ABC's late night programming.Unfortunately,because the similar FRANKENSTEIN:THE TRUE STORY appeared on TV the same year in prime time with a stronger cast,the Dan Curtis version retreated to the shadows.So FRANKENSTEIN:TTS is the one everybody remembers.Thanks to video,we can see what we missed and it's very good!Robert Foxworth is a good Victor Frankenstein and Bo Svenson is a credible creature.This is not Mary Shelley's story,nor is it a mere copy of previous adaptations.Obviously low budget,but highly enjoyable.

If your bar is set as low as "Dark Shadows" in terms of production values (read 'cheap') then this Dan Curtis edition may be to your liking. I found it poor not only in those terms (and I say that as one who loved the original "Dark Shadows") but also found its story telling weak. I am still looking for an impressive made-for-TV version I saw as a child in the seventies. This ABC video Frankenstein is not it.

This is a very well done staged production. Always in search of John Karlen films, once again, I had to be content with few scenes. Few but good. He's worth it. Though not a Hollywood treatment, this film is professional and arty. The settings and lighting are particularly good. Robert Foxworth is quite interesting and appealing as the doctor. Karlen has too small a part, as usual, but nonetheless, he, as always, handles himself well. Bo Svenson makes the monster more sympathetic than frightening. All in all worth the purchase.

This Dan Curtis television adaptation was wonderfully made with classy production design and fantastic performances by Foxworth as Frankenstein, the beautiful Susan Strasberg as Elizabeth and Bo Svenson as the gentle, misunderstood Monster. If you're a fan of those super sweet shot-on-video Dark Shadow's soaps of the 60's & 70's this is an absolute must and a perfect addition to any classic horror collection.

I positively loved this release. Obviously, there's not going to be a ton of available extras for something from 1973 but that's to be expected. The video transfer is a tad rough at times as well but, once again, I'm sure Dark Sky did the best they could with what they had to work with. Many of those old made-for-TV movies are in poor shape these days so I'm going to give this a big thumbs up that this even saw the light of day. Great film, highly recommended.

With imagination, a viewer might be able to see some connection to Shelley's novel; however, the production was extremely poor. (Example that brought a chuckle: brown hair sticking out from under a black wig!) I haven't really seen a Frankenstein movie that I thought was good, but this rendition falls to the bottom of my list! A waste of money!

To sum up, I recommend this Dan Curtis's version of the classical monster tale. Aside from a few flaws (the monster could have even learnt to write poetry!!), an entertaining story. For obvious reasons, it is imposible not to appreciate similarities with Dan Curtis's Dark Shadows, including the TV filming format, some artefacts and special effects during the lab experiments, the music score, and some of the characters such as the blind girl (you even have John Carlen on the cast).

I have been looking for this for a couple of years. The quality was perfect and the timing of the shipment was ideal.

It doesn't take Victor & the Creature to the Arctic, but it's still so close to the spirit of Mary Shelley's masterpiece. This was first on TV when I was 11 & I felt so sad for the Creature. There a few changes- the blind friend is a pretty young woman, but it makes matters even more poignant. The film starts with the Paradise Lost quote of the title page of the book, and the theme continues throughout. If you love the tale of Frankenstein, you need this version!