TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Scott LeBrun Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is moping inside a jail cell, awaiting execution by guillotine for his crimes. Desperate for somebody to believe his story, he calls in a priest (Alex Gallier) and relates his sad tale. He'd been determined to realize his dream of contriving a man made being, and succeeded to some degree, bringing a scar faced brute (Sir Christopher Lee) to deadly life. But his associate / tutor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) had developed a severe case of scruples, deciding that absolutely nothing good could come of their activities.This was the film that really made the fortunes for Britains' famed Hammer Studios. They truly gave the Gothic horror a fresh coat of colorful paint in the 1950s, and set a standard in period detail and set decoration that they would maintain for over the next decade and a half. Even after period horror was no longer in vogue, they gamely continued in their pursuits. They played up the sex appeal of the material with their attractively costumed, lovely female cast members, and also upped the level of on screen violence.Hammer makeup expert Phil Leakey gave the towering Lee an appropriately gruesome face to behold, no matter if it's not iconic as Jack Pierces' work was in the Universal horrors of the 30s and 40s. Director Terence Fisher does a commendable job that would help see him become a favorite in house filmmaker for Hammer. And that laboratory equipment is quite fun to look at; there are some potent images here for fans to enjoy.Cushing is, as always, wonderful, and he makes a character that otherwise would come off as a coldly stubborn, dangerous fool a definite degree of likability. Lee does a fine job, equally menacing and somewhat sympathetic. Beautiful Hazel Court is our appealing leading lady, and Urquhart is excellent as the moral centre to Mary W. Shelley's classic tale. Valerie Gaunt, Paul Hardtmuth, and Melvyn Hayes are among those in an engaging supporting cast.Although not as thickly atmospheric as it might have been in black & white, "The Curse of Frankenstein" does entertain in a straightforward, quickly paced manner.Seven out of 10.

Nigel P "It's alive!" So gasps Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein, as he infuses the spark of life into a creature previously dead. On this occasion, it is a puppy used as an experiment. Cushing, taking over from Melvyn Hayes (as the younger Baron), makes the part instantly his own. Every flicker of the eye, every movement, every sideward glance is meticulously measured – a trait of Cushing's acting, and one of the reasons he has been admired over the years by fans and fellow cast and crew members. As 'Curse of Frankenstein' starts, its credits intoned over swirling red smoke, Frankenstein is dishevelled and desperate, imprisoned for his foul deeds and a cert for the guillotine – his story is told in flashback.This was Hammer's first major success, the Mary Shelley novel condensed by writer Jimmy Sangster (but not as much as Dracula was the following year). Robert Urquhart, who played Paul Krempe, Frankenstein's tutor, walked out of the premiere, and in disgust gave an interview slating its horrific nature; needless to say, he never appeared in another cinematic film for Hammer. He was not alone – 'revolting, degrading, pathetic and depressing' are four words amongst many scathing reviews of 'Curse of Frankenstein' upon its release, usually from the prissy pens of the British critics. Happily, the film made seventy times the money that was needed to make it, which tells its own story.Goat's eyes, severed hands and heads, and Cushing's blood spattered lapels certainly brought 'Curse' a huge level of notoriety upon its release which fuelled its popularity and put Hammer forever on the map – as well as making stars out of both Cushing, and his 'creature' Christopher Lee (a role for which Bernard Bresslaw was also considered). Lee was chosen mainly for his height and smothered in car-crash make-up and an obvious wig, which provides an effective scare but is hardly memorable in the way that Jack Pierce's make-up had been for the Universal original. It is unfair to compare the two films however – they were made in a different age for a different audience - and that is the last time I shall do so.The few wisps of humour in this doom-laden story are provided by The Baron's affair with maid Justine, who naively believes his lies and tried to blackmail him, and another scene which involves The Baron politely asking for the marmalade during a genteel breakfast directly after the scene in which he locks Justine into his filthy laboratory with his reborn creature.The Creature has a magnificent introduction. Left in an emptying water tank, with its chest heaving, there is a crash which leads Frankenstein to scurry into his deserted laboratory. There stands his creation, uncoordinated arms and hands reaching to rip away the bandages covering his face. Phil Leakey's make-up is revealed, and the creature (or rather the late Professor Bernstein, whose brain is in the monster's head) immediately recognises the man who originally killed him and reaches out to strangle him. No mild-mannered monster, he still invites a kind of sympathy – in the way a rabid dog would invite sympathy for its plight, if not for its temperament.At the finale, we return to The Baron's incarceration, with Frankenstein facing the guillotine after his last hope, Paul Krempe, has wilfully failed to save him. Krempe is hardly as virtuous as he seems, I think. For all his gallant protection of Frankenstein's intended Elizabeth (Hazel Court), it is clear he has designs on her – by the film's end, he happily places an arm around her as he escorts her out of Frankenstein's cell. The cad.

Rainey Dawn Peter Cushing was good no matter what film he played in... he took his roles seriously and Dr. Frankenstein was no exception. This one of Peter's better horror films. He's brilliant... played this role with passion.Christopher Lee plays the Creature. It's not role with dialogue but it is a role which conveys feeling - much like a silent film star - and Christopher does well as usual.It's great late night horror film with two of the finest actors Hollywood has ever seen. This Hammer film is well worth the hour it takes to watch it.9.5/10

l_rawjalaurence One of the earliest Hammer horror movies, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN tells a familiar tale, one that closely follows the plot of other adaptations, notably James Whale's groundbreaking film for Universal in 1930.What makes Terence Fisher's version so compelling is the way in which the story has been treated; for the late Fifties it is surprisingly explicit in the way it depicts Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) handling various body-parts - eyes, limbs - and at one point is shown sawing the head off the corpse that forms the basis of the monster (Christopher Lee). The principal female characters Elizabeth (Hazel Court) and the maid Justine (Valerie Gaunt) wear period costumes whose décollété leaves little or nothing to the imagination. The only concession to the more squeamish viewers that Fisher makes is to refrain from showing the Monster killing his various victims, notably Grandpa (Fred Johnson) in gory detail.Cushing turns in a memorable characterization of the Baron - an enthusiastic scientist who has spent much of his life being spoiled. In early sequence, the Baron is shown as a young boy (played by Melvyn Hayes) running the house on his own - ordering the servants around, and engaging a tutor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) to teach him about life's basics. This independence, acquired at so early an age, has both positive and negative effects: the Baron learns to fend for himself, but at the same time proves reluctant to take advice - even when it is well-intentioned. The adult Baron becomes more and more committed to the project of creating the Monster, even if it means contravening the laws of Nature. Krempe tries his best to dissuade him, but the Baron takes no notice; on the contrary, he becomes quite frenzied in his efforts to finish his experiments. Cushing suggests this cleverly through a series of bird-like movements; his body taut, his hands flitting across the instruments and test-tubes that clutter his laboratory.In the end the Baron gets his comeuppance, as he is sent to jail and hanged. But Fisher does not send him to his death without providing a memorable denouement, which does not exist in the source-text but emphasizes the extent to which the Baron's brilliant intelligence has been corrupted by his scientific work.Although only just over eighty minutes long, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN still has the capacity to startle audiences through its combination of memorable sequences and taut storytelling. Definitely worth repeated viewings.