By no means am I an expert on the monster horror subgenre and have enjoyed a few of the classics like Frankenstein and The Mummy, Frankenstein 1970 had a fun and unique premise, the execution was rather bad.
Frankenstein 1970
— Warner Archive Collection —
(1958)
Genre(s): Horror, Science Fiction
Warner Archive | NR – 83 min. – $21.99 | April 9, 2019
Date Published: 04/21/2019 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 2.5/5 |
| Plot Synopsis: An aging Dr. Victor Frankenstein (BORIS KARLOFF), hulking shambles of dignity and menace agrees to let a TV crew shoot a horror flick at the family castle. The crew members don’t know it yet, but they’re just what the doctor ordered: fresh body parts, ready for harvesting.
Quick Hit Review: There are very few old school horror icons and perhaps no better than Boris Karloff, known for his portrayal as Frankenstein’s Monster and now I guess he came full circle now playing Dr. Frankenstein himself in this 1958 horror film that certainly had its moments and perhaps one of the first meta movies. However, despite an interesting and even unique premise and Karloff’s scene-chewing performance, this was a half-ass and poorly made production that lacked any scares and even this new Frankenstein (under some heavy plaster) was hardly frightening. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5 |
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Included on this release is an Audio Commentary with Actress Charlotte Austin and Historians Bob Burns and Tom Weaver as well as a TV Spot Trailer. The commentary was a lot of fun to watch as both Burns and Weaver are lively and energetic while also providing trivia about the movie and give questions for Austin who also gives information on her work on the film. |
VIDEO – 4.5/5, AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
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With these releases, I wish Warner provided notes, like Arrow does, but I do know Frankenstein 1970 did undergo some sort of restoration but whatever the process, this 1080p high-definition transfer looks absolutely incredible. Detail is incredibly sharp throughout and the natural film grain and noise has been left intact. The black levels meanwhile is deep giving an otherwise mediocre movie some modest atmosphere. The included DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is serviceable and although dialogue did come across with good clarity, there was an underlying hissing sound noticeable throughout the film’s duration. But other than that, there wasn’t any apparent pops or clicks. |
OVERALL – 2.75/5 |
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By no means am I an expert on the monster horror subgenre and have enjoyed a few of the classics like Frankenstein and The Mummy, Frankenstein 1970 had a fun and unique premise, the execution was rather bad though what made the film tolerable due to Boris Karloff’s scene-chewing performance. This Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection does include a fun commentary track to go along with the incredible video and audio transfers. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.