Now Viewing, Son Of Frankenstein 1939

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by GuildX700, Oct 24, 2014.

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  1. EdgardV

    EdgardV ®

    Location:
    USA
    Wow — great angles, great lighting!
     
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  2. andy749

    andy749 Senior Member

    Possibly my favorite horror movie...no, make that possibly favorite movie of all-time period. Was the first Frankenstein I saw back in about 1960 at grandmother's house on late-nite tv. I was 5 yrs. old.

    Hated it when monster got knocked into the pit. Little did I know that he would come back...again and again.

    Bela Lugosi was fabulous in this.
     
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  3. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    This is a good reason to upgrade to the latest new re-release sets. Some fans have complained about movies occasionally freezing up on them with those older "Legacy" editions at some point in time, even though they previously had played fine. I have those too (I collect all of the updated ones when they come out, since I'm such a huge Universal Monsters fan). But it's really nice having the new releases, which are not on those dual-layered discs.
     
  4. CusBlues

    CusBlues Fort Wayne’s Favorite Retired Son

    I have this collection. I know some have had issues, but I have never had a problem with a double sided disk.
     
  5. I haven't to date had any issues BUT the biggest issue I have with Universal when they released this was that they cheaped out when releasing this in the double side, dual layered format. They tend to not stand up to wear and tear as readily as single sided discs.
     
  6. CusBlues

    CusBlues Fort Wayne’s Favorite Retired Son

    I can't disagree that it isn't the optimum configuration. I was just stating my experience.
     
  7. I agree.
     
  8. Rocker

    Rocker Senior Member

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    That is, sadly, 100% accurate. I'm spending the entire weekend alone, as usual. :sigh:
     
  9. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    The problem with discs like those (called DVD-18s) is that you never know when they'll stop working properly. Or sometimes they will play in one machine but not another. That's why they've stopped producing this format.
     
  10. captainsolo

    captainsolo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Murfreesboro, TN
    And why on Netflix rentals and the new DVD reissue, all discs are standard one sided DVD-9s.

    SoF is one of the great surprises of Uni Horrors, and arguably IMO the last truly great picture in the cycle, despite its starting the second run. As much as I love The Wolf Man, (and The Mummy's Hand, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Invisible Man Returns) it seems that everything that came after 1939 lacked the same spark of the earlier films, primarily due to the new studio heads mindset in maximizing profit at every opportunity. It forms the bridge between the 30's and 40's horrors and is such a complete film in terms of narrative, design, performances and direction that not only is there nothing to complain about but the degree of satisfaction that arises by the ending is just incredible.
    Just a unbelievably great movie that deserves to be among the great immortal movies of 1939. It should be better known and regarded, it is not a dumb second sequel to Frankenstein, but instead a highly realized and fully involved picture that dares to evolve the series in a new direction without losing the Whale spirit or the Uni horror style.
    Rathbone is outstanding, Karloff does very well despite really having little to do, Atwill as usual knocks your socks off, but the picture is Lugosi's who is a revelation as Ygor.
    There is an HD version on some of the streaming services at times which is the DVD transfer in a sort of quasi-HD. Hopefully this bodes well for an eventual Monsters 2 boxset, though if they had just swapped the '43 Phantom for SoF, all the greats would have been together.

    Each year when I watch the cycles in order, I usually can't get through Ghost as the drop off in quality is so massive. But count me among those who still want to see the cut footage of the Lugosi voiced creature in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.
     
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  11. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Outstanding post!:cool:
     
  12. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I love THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, and FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN is hands down my favorite. I'm also a huge fan of THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS. I probably single out HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE MUMMY'S HAND as being the two films which hooked me as a Universal Monsters Fan For Life!

    As much as I've grown up for decades loving SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, something is definitely lacking. I think it's the way it's clear to see the deterioration of the Monster's character, relegated to a prop. And there really isn't all that much of a plot. I do love the actors, the sets, the soundtrack, and the interplay between Rathbone, Lugosi, and Atwill...
     
  13. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    The VHS looks horrible on my 32" 1080p Samsung, so off to Buybacks it goes.
    Grabbed the twofer DVD, which is highly recommended by DVD Talk, whom I trust.
    $10.58 all in, Amazon.

    Thanks OP !
     
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  14. sloaches

    sloaches Forum Resident

    Yeah, I need to buy one of those Universal Monsters sets. I DVR'd Son of Frankenstein and watched it last night, not knowing it was presented by someone called "Svengoolie". He looked like an over-the-hill version of Slash and came across like a cheap Elvira knockoff.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2015
  15. I doubt it The original soundtrack reels still exist but the monster spoke in Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman. The studio decided it didn't work so All the dialogue Lugosi Spoke was scrapped
     
  16. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    To any and all fans of the Universal Monster movies, and all classic horror in general, I can't recommend the Shotime series; Penny Dreadful, strongly enough. A fantastic series that's intelligent, beautiful, sexy,but still absolutely creepy and gory. Featuring Dr. Frankenstein, the monster, the bride, vampires, witches, demons, and of course, the Wolfman. It oozes that gothic authenticity and the actors are excellent. And it always throws little 'cookies' to us old universal fans, it took 'til late in the 2nd season when they revealed that the Wolfman's true name was Lawrence Talbot, the fanboy in me got positively giddy! It occurred to me after seeing the colorized clip, that the show further honors the Universal Frankenstein by having the monster be bone white (as he should be)! I've been binge-watching season 2 these last few days, Happy Halloween!;)
     
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  17. antoniod

    antoniod Forum Resident

    SON OF FRANKENSTEIN made an indelible contribution to American popular culture, in that every crazed lab assistant henceforth had to be called Igor.(Well, not really EVERY one).
     
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  18. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Let's not forget the news we got back in July, in a thread I've been Watching ever since...

    " Began 4k restoration work on “Ghost of Frankenstein”, “Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman”, “House of Dracula”, “House of Frankenstein”, “Son of Frankenstein” and “The King of Jazz”. These will be completed in Q4 "

    http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/marx-bros-on-blu-ray.448750/
     
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  19. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    "I stole bodies... they... said." Funniest line in the whole movie, from Lugosi.
     
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  20. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Classic. I love it.
     
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  21. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Such a simple line, but read soooo well.
     
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  22. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I'm not sure what I like more, him sticking the darts in his arm, or Frankenstein pulling his arm off?
     
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  23. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    The last really good Universal horror?
     
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  24. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Both great bits. I was screaming with laughter when I saw these movies as a kid. While I loved Son of Frankenstein very much, I always have a soft spot in my head for Ghost of Frankenstein, because it's the first horror movie I ever saw. It's silly, it's cheap, it's got bad sets... but it's a lot of fun. The entire Universal Frankenstein story is very entertaining... and I'd include Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein in that group.

    Everybody kinda forgets how great Bela Lugosi was in those movies. He had a twinkle in his eye and clearly had a great time. Though I have no doubt he was very jealous of the fame and success that went to Boris Karloff...



    It's the wrong aspect ratio, but I suspect this wasn't too far off from how the real Lugosi regarded Karloff in his last years...
     
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  25. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    I read that Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein was a last ditch attempt by Universal to milk their 'Monsters' franchise as it was petering out. All I know is, as a kid, I saw all of them at the same time on my B&W TV and was totally engrossed, and man, did I ever love A&B meet F! Much more than the ones that followed with them meeting The Mummy. As a kid I didn't know from franchises or time frames, I thought they all happened at the same time!
     
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