Halloween Video Crypt

Gruesome Hammer Films reinterpretation of the classic Universal monster movie vehicle of a mad, maverick doctor and his attempts to bring life to dead bodies.  Made in 1957, this horror remake is a graphic, Technicolor chronicle of the despicable practices that Dr. Frankenstein engages in.  Portrayed as a kind of sadistic, cold-hearted deviant, Peter Cushing is marvelous as the doctor.  Cushing carries on an affair with his housekeeper even while his long suffering fiancé is sleeping upstairs in the castle.  Having previously promised the housekeeper marriage, as well, Cushing laughs in her face and says he never had any such intention.  When he learns that the housekeeper is pregnant and threatens exposing his behind closed door hobby of reanimating dead things, the good doctor locks the lass in the lab with the hideous creature and lets him rip her to pieces.  Christopher Lee is more a less seen as one of the unluckiest characters in movie history.  The “creature” never asked for this treatment but endures a horrific, miserably short lived existence.  The brute stumbles out of Frankenstein’s estate and out in to the countryside.  Killing at least one other unfortunate he has come across, the Creature is put out of its misery with a bullet to the head by Frankenstein’s assistant.  If that isn’t enough, Dr. Frankenstein brings the beast back to life and the brain damaged result is converted in to a shambling, semi obedient pet following Frankenstein’s commands.  It is a pathetic sight indeed.  Frankenstein’s dream of creating the perfect “Superman” does in fact turn into a compete failure.  This Hammer Films reboot makes that point quite painfully clear.

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