This black & white classic horror film from Universal Studios brought the Mary Shelley story to life.  The first mad scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, plays with God-like powers to bring dead tissue to life during a thunderstorm.  The being he creates turns out to be a monster, and could end up being his own downfall.  The story is not strictly from the novel - the creation is a monster here, and the creator is the hero (opposite of the book) - but it is a great story in its own right.  From the famous address at the beginning of the movie where the audience is warned of the terror and ungodliness that is to follow, till the burning windmill at the end, we are drawn in to the interesting tale of a man trying to be a god, and the misunderstood monster he creates.

This film brought Boris Karloff to the forefront of the horror genre, with the likes of Bela Lugosi (Dracula), who ironically turned down the part of Frankenstein's monster.  Karloff does an excellent job as a man brought to life - he's awkward, scared, curious and angry.  Colin Clive is also excellent as the doctor, his classic "It's Alive!" when the monster is given life, is intense and worthy of being remembered throughout horror film history (as it has).  The scenery and background, although obviously Hollywood sets, creates a spooky atmosphere.  It really must have been amazing to be in a movie theatre in the 30s, when people were just getting exposed to "talkies", to see this monstrous creature lunging at the screen, or choking his captors, screaming an inhuman scream.  For a 70 year old movie, it really does stand the test of time, and truly is a great film.
 
 

Quality: 9.0  Visuals: 8.0  Intensity: 7.5 
OVERALL RATING: 8.2