The Curse of Frankenstein: The Hammer Horror Classic Makes Its 4K Debut (4K)

The Film:

It's impossible to overstate the important impact of Hammer Films as a major stage in the history of horror cinema. Their numerous classic films, which primarily involved beloved horror stories like "Dracula," "Frankenstein," and "The Mummy," had their own distinct look & feel that created rich atmospheres to go along with their well-known tales, leaving behind an incredible legacy of entertaining & absorbing works that continue to delight audiences to this day.

With "The Curse of Frankenstein," their first color horror film & the one that really put them on the map, approaching its 70th anniversary, Warner Bros. is celebrating by giving the film a remarkable 4K upgrade and throwing in a multitude of special features as well, so once again we find ourselves going back to revisit a classic to see why it had the impact that it did and why it continues to resonate with viewers nearly 70 years later.

The film begins by introducing us to Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), who is currently awaiting execution for murder. As he tells his story to a priest, we flash back to when he was a young man whose mother died when he was 15, leaving him the sole heir of the Frankenstein estate. He soon engages the services of scientist Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) as a tutor, with the two working together for years on research about restoring life. The two are eventually able to resurrect a puppy, which leads Victor to want to experiment with using their techniques to create a person out of different body parts. Paul helps him for a little while, but eventually becomes greatly concerned about the entire ordeal, concern that becomes even greater when Victor's cousin Elizabeth (Hazel Court) comes to live with them. Will Paul be able to talk some sense into him, or will Victor see his ambitious plan come to fruition?

Looking at "The Curse of Frankenstein" in a superficial manner, one won't really find much in the way of deviation from the usual story of the mad scientist creating his creature, but Hammer films were so often about much more than just their narratives. They were an atmospheric mood that drew you in with their intricately-designed settings & costumes, transporting you to another time as they unfolded their familiar tales of monsters & mayhem, with this monumental outing being no different.

Even if you were to put all of that aside, the film gives you the utter delight of watching the great & legendary Peter Cushing as the aforementioned mad scientist, contributing even more to its compelling nature. There were few who could take a role that could easily be seen as rather cliched and turn it into something much more memorable than it otherwise might have been. Then, of course, you have the equally-legendary Sir Christopher Lee, who may not get that much screentime in this brief 83-minute outing, but who still manages to make a grand impact as The Creature, in a performance that has no doubt sent shivers down many a spine over the decades.

Overall, "The Curse of Frankenstein" may not completely blow you away with its telling of the usual tale alone, but with all of its other extraordinary elements thrown in on top of it, it's able to lift itself above the familiarity of the story and deliver a chilling rendition that has delighted audiences for nearly 70 incredible years, and will continue to do so for many more decades to come.

Video/Audio:

This edition of "The Curse of Frankenstein" comes with three versions of the film, presented in 1.66:1 (UK), 1.37:1 (Open Matte), and 1.85:1 (US), 2160p Ultra High Definition transfers of fantastic quality. The picture has been cleaned up beautifully for all versions, perfectly highlighting its gorgeous period settings & costumes. Likewise, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA Mono/5.1 DTS-HD MA audio tracks are outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a marvelous job in both departments for this new upgrade of the horror classic.

Special Features:

Disc 1 (4K):

2025 Commentary Featuring Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw, and Stephen Jones (UK Version)

2012 Commentary Featuring Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby (As-Filmed Version)

Beside the Seaside (50 Minutes)

Reviving The Curse of Frankenstein (8 Minutes)

Alternative Eyeball Scene (1 Minute)

Disc 2 (4K):

2025 Commentary Featuring Heidi Honeycutt and Toby Roan (US Version)

2020 Commentary Featuring Dr. Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr (US Version)

Recreating the Creature (35 Minutes)

A Fitting Vocation (10 Minutes)

Topped and Tailed (16 Minutes)

Good or Tuesday? (39 Minutes)

Painting with Fine Brushes (12 Minutes)

A Gothic History of Frankenstein (24 Minutes)

Disc 3 (Blu-ray):

Frankenstein Reborn (35 Minutes)

Life with Sir (13 Minutes)

The Resurrection Men (22 Minutes)

Hideous Progeny (23 Minutes)

Torrents of Light (15 Minutes)

Diabolus in Musica (17 Minutes)

8mm Home Movie Abridgement (11 Minutes)

When it comes to bonus material, Warner Bros. certainly didn't skimp, with this new release featuring not only four different commentaries, but also a ton of featurettes, totaling about five and a half hours, that delve into the history of the film, its making, and the people involved. The studio has simply outdone themselves with this incredible collection of material, all of which is certain to please every Hammer fan out there.

Conclusion:

"The Curse of Frankenstein" may not deviate much from the usual tale of the mad scientist & his creature, but by utilizing its stunning production design & costumes, as well as unforgettable performances from screen legends Peter Cushing & Sir Christopher Lee, it's able to lift itself above the familiarity of the narrative and deliver a chilling & memorable rendition of the classic story.

Score: 3.5/5

Now available on 4K.

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