National Theatre At Home is currently streaming Danny Boyle's Frankenstein, in which Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternate between the title role and that of the Creature.
The critically acclaimed production won critical plaudits and multiple awards, and is now available to watch at home. So, to celebrate, we thought we'd round up several classic Frankenstein movie adaptations.
1. Frankenstein (1931)
Boris Karloff, born William Henry Pratt, turned his back on a privileged upbringing to become a truck driver in Canada. Later lured to Hollywood, he was cemented in movie history with his role in Universal's Frankenstein movie. The image of the flat-topped, bolt-necked Karloff is arguably the most famous visual depiction of Frankenstein's monster, with director James Whale exploiting the actor's towering height to memorable effect.
2. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Actor Elsa Lanchester proved just as iconic as Boris Karloff with her appearance in Bride of Frankenstein. With her flowing white robe and shock of electrified hair, Lanchester's appearance has been frequently parodied throughout the decades, notably in Mel Brooks spoof Young Frankenstein. But there's no denying the crackling, overwrought atmosphere of this sequel, directed by James Whale.
3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Frankenstein is an adaptable story, and not all of its iterations fall under the horror genre. Beloved American comedy duo Abbott and Costello (famous for the "who's on first" sketch) encountered Mary Shelley's monster in the affectionately remembered Meet Frankenstein movie. In fact, the duo interacted with several classic Universal monsters throughout their movie career, including the Invisible Man and The Mummy.
4. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
British horror studio Hammer became infamous for its lurid, gory, sexually-charged depiction to horror. Actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee became the standard-bearers for the studio, famously via the likes of Dracula. But they also tackled Frankenstein to memorable effect, with Cushing playing the mad scientist and a memorably off-putting Lee as the Creature.
5. Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)
This bizarre cult classic is perhaps best known for its gimmicky use of 3D effects. Credited as Andy Warhol's Frankenstein on its release in the USA, the film's over the top gore landed it in trouble with the censors. This is most apparent when actor Udo Kier, here playing Baron von Frankenstein, waves blood and guts in the face of the audience – we wonder what Mary Shelley would have made of that.
7. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Best Frankenstein movie ever? Many claim it's this rib-tickling Mel Brooks spoof, shot in luminous and nostalgic black and white to ape the atmosphere of the classic Universal monster movies. The late, great Gene Wilder is Frankenstein (pronounced 'Fronkonsteen') and Peter Boyle is the Creature, both of whom share the classic 'Putting on the Ritz' musical number. The excellent supporting cast includes Marty Feldman as the bug-eyed Igor and Teri Garr as Inga.
8. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
Upon its release, Kenneth Branagh's take on Mary Shelley's story was criticised for being a load of hysterical style over substance. But time has been somewhat kinder to Branagh's vision. It's pitched at a deliberately operatic register, with its frenetic editing and borderline-hysterical performances (including a regularly shirtless Branagh) almost pushing the material into parody. A memorably creepy Robert De Niro is the Creature, although he and Branagh are upstaged by Helena Bonham Carter as the doomed Elizabeth.
9. Van Helsing (2004)
Frankenstein's monster is just one of the classic movie monsters that features in Stephen Sommers' headbanging horror-adventure. Hugh Jackman plays creature-hunter Van Helsing (complete with flowing long hair), who is locked in battle with Richard Roxburgh's Dracula. Refreshingly, the movie allows the monster to redeem himself during the final battle, reconfiguring him from outcast boogeyman into reluctant antihero. And that black and white opening scene is sensational.
10. Hotel Transylvania (2012)
In the manner of earlier comic takes on Frankenstein, here we have a family animation that incorporates the spectre of Mary Shelley's classic monster. In fact, the beast is only one character residing at the eponymous Hotel Transylvania, presided over by Adam Sandler's Dracula. When Andy Samberg's hapless human stumbles on the hotel, however, chaos breaks out. So popular was the concept that it spawned two successful sequels.
11. Victor Frankenstein (2015)
Origin stories are currently all the rage, and Frankenstein has also fallen victim to the trend. In Paul McGuigan's overcooked horror, we're witness to the early days of the monster creator, as played by X-Men's James McAvoy. The movie also elaborates on Frankenstein's relationship with assistant Igor – often depicted as a hunchbacked oddball, he's played in this instance by the decidedly more handsome looking Daniel Radcliffe.
What are your favourite Frankenstein movies? Let us know @Cineworld and be sure to watch the National Theatre At Home production of Frankenstein.
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