_THE FRANKENARCHIVE

FRANKENMOVIEZ

Hello! I will be updating this page chronologically to include more Frankenfilms.Frankenfilm: A film containing, as a main plot point, biological animation/reanimation, as expressed by a "monster"-equivalent character and a "scientist"-equivalent character._{This page last updated on the 22nd of January, 2025.}

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FRANKENSTEIN

DIRECTED BY J. Searle Dawley in 1910

ARCHIVIST'S NOTES:_{I love this short film!! Suuuuper low-quality, but insane that it came out less than a century after Frankenstein was published. Charles Ogle you will always be famous to me. And, props to Edison Studios for including my fave, Clerval. Even though he wasn't named, I can sense him in spirit. Anyway, Enjoy the first-ever Frankenfilm made, courtesy of the same man who invented the phonograph, lightbulb, and carbon microphone!!}Spirits and Spectres,
The Archivist

FRANKENSTEIN

DIRECTED BY JAMES WHALE in 1931

ARCHIVIST'S NOTES:_{As a long-time disciple of Mary Shelley's novel, I can confirm this movie is not book-accurate. But I choose not to give a shit, and to have fun actually!! I love Karloff's performance as the Creature, and Colin Clive as Frankenstein was soooooo hot. I love mad scientists!!! I only wish Whale foresaw the success of his film, so he could've made an ending that didn't kill the Creature off. I do appreciate the nod to the Creature's death in Shelley's novel, in which he commits suicide by flame in the Arctic. Sadly, my Arctic king Robert Walton was not in this film. But we had a Henry Clerval-equivalent named Victor, strangely. Also, Victor Frankenstein's name was changed to Henry in this film to "accomodate Western viewers". They could've picked any name, but they chose to have a character named Henry Frankenstein, an amalgamation of the names of Frankenstein and his lover best friend from the novel. I would say they meant it in a no homo sense, but the director of this film was openly gay, so I guess anything's possible between those two. Anyway, whether this is your first time viewing this Universal masterpiece, or you're a seasoned Karloffian, I wish you a pleasant viewing!!}Guts and Gore,
The Archivist

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

DIRECTED BY JAMES WHALE in 1935

ARCHIVIST'S NOTES:_{Ohhhh boy. I cannot EXPRESS my love for this film. This movie, better by far than its predecessor, has everything. Sexy scientist, even sexier laboratory, Dr. Pretorius (For novel fans, he's like M. Waldman but gayer), monster heartbreak, and the bride herself. Elsa Lanchester heard "strange and off-putting creature-girl" and ran with it, and by God do I love her for it. Lanchester's iconic hair was actually red behind the scenes! The subtext between Frankenstein and Pretorius is so palpable that multiple research papers have been written about it (Read Gary Morris' outstanding article here!) The duo, to me, are what Drs. West and Cain from Re-Animator could've been if they were both on psychiatric medication. Overall, Bride is a hilariously camp film with nods to Shelley's novel (Cabin scene with the Creature), and one of my favorite Frankenfilms produced.}Screams and Shrieks,
The Archivist

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN

DIRECTED BY ROWLAND V. LEE in 1939