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Alan Tudyk recommended Young Frankenstein (1974) in Movies (curated)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Dracula (English) (1931) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I am Dracula
Dracula- such a classic film, such a excellent film. It is so perfect, its a masterpeice. This film really started "the unviersal monsters franchise", this and "Frankenstien". Without those two films, we would have no "unverisal monsters", we would have no "monster/creature films", i mean we still would but their wouldnt be good/the same. So thanks to this film and frankenstein, we got "the universal monster franchise" and films about "monsters/creatures". Also if it wasnt for "Dracula" and "Nosferatu", we wouldnt have any movies about vampires. So once again thanks to "Dracula" and "Nosferatu" we have movies about vampires.
The plot: The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to the count's never-ending bloodlust.
And of course, you cant forgot about the amazing and fantasic Bela Lugosi. When you think of Dracula, you think of him. He was so perfect as Dracula.
Like i said before this film is a masterpiece and my second favorite film of "the unverisal monster franchise".
The plot: The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to the count's never-ending bloodlust.
And of course, you cant forgot about the amazing and fantasic Bela Lugosi. When you think of Dracula, you think of him. He was so perfect as Dracula.
Like i said before this film is a masterpiece and my second favorite film of "the unverisal monster franchise".
Chris Columbus recommended Horse Feathers (1932) in Movies (curated)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Invisible Man Returns (1940) in Movies
Dec 7, 2020
See No Evil
The Invisible Man Returns- is a great sequel to "The Invisible Man". I love "The Invisible Man", he is in my opinion the best universal monster. He's funny, dramatic, crazy, and invisible.
The plot: Wrongly accused of murdering his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is found guilty and sentenced to die. But when sympathetic Dr. Griffin (John Sutton) injects him with a serum that renders him invisible, Radcliffe is able to escape and search for the real culprit. With Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard hot on his trail, Radcliffe begins to suspect that a recent hire in his family's mining company might have the answers he seeks.
Following the commercial success of Son of Frankenstein, Universal Studios announced the development of The Invisible Man Returns in March 1939.
In May, Joe May was announced as the director of the film with either Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi hinted at playing the lead.
Vincent Price when he was not covered by bandages or special effects only appears as himself for one minute in the film. Price spoke on the film saying that the special effects were done with Price being draped in black velvet and working against a set draped in black velvet. Price also spoke about working with Hardwicke, who he recalled "didn't like doing this film; he was facing home problems at the time. We became very close."
Its a great movie.
The plot: Wrongly accused of murdering his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is found guilty and sentenced to die. But when sympathetic Dr. Griffin (John Sutton) injects him with a serum that renders him invisible, Radcliffe is able to escape and search for the real culprit. With Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard hot on his trail, Radcliffe begins to suspect that a recent hire in his family's mining company might have the answers he seeks.
Following the commercial success of Son of Frankenstein, Universal Studios announced the development of The Invisible Man Returns in March 1939.
In May, Joe May was announced as the director of the film with either Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi hinted at playing the lead.
Vincent Price when he was not covered by bandages or special effects only appears as himself for one minute in the film. Price spoke on the film saying that the special effects were done with Price being draped in black velvet and working against a set draped in black velvet. Price also spoke about working with Hardwicke, who he recalled "didn't like doing this film; he was facing home problems at the time. We became very close."
Its a great movie.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie (Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
One day in Ohio Adam Meltzer is celebrating his twelfth birthday when suddenly he dies from a fatal be sting. Then he comes back to life – sort of. Jeff Norton’s children’s book <i>Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie</i> is a comical tale narrated by Adam who is, as the title suggests, a zombie.
Three months after his death Adam claws his way out of his coffin and heads home where he attempts to carry on with life (afterlife?) even though his sister has taken over his bedroom and all his clothes have been donated to charity. Oh, and his body had already started decomposing. However it is not long until he discovers that he is not the only unnatural being in his neighbourhood. Connected by their weirdness, Adam becomes firm friends with Corina (a half-vampire) and Ernesto (a chupacabra). Inspired by a school science project (being half-dead is no reason for exemption, apparently) the three of them set out to track down the bee that killed Adam and solve the mystery concerning his return from the grave.
<i>Memoirs of Neurotic Zombie</i> is full of humour targeted at nine to twelve year olds, so reviewing this from an adult’s perspective if rather difficult. As people get older child humour becomes less funny, particularly in relation to certain bodily functions – namely poo. Even though being a children’s book limits the amount of seriousness, some of the story line did not feel quite right. Adam’s parents and sister were far too accepting of the situation and the lies he told at school to explain what had happened were rather farfetched.
An important element to the story was that Adam was suffering from OCD and as a result was gripped by a fear of dirt, bacteria and disease – rather ironic considering his physical condition. There is nothing wrong with writing for children about characters with disorders such as OCD, however there was no explanation about the seriousness of this mental illness. Adam’s behaviour was used to make him appear less “normal” than other children his age – something campaigners are encouraging people <u>not</u> to think!
There were some deliberate inaccuracies in Adam’s narrative, which added to the hilarity, although how much the reader will benefit from these will depend on their own intelligence. On the other hand there were one or two errors that may not have been intentional. “I lurched forward like a tweenage Frankenstein” – surely that should be “Frankenstein’s monster”? Unless, of course, Norton intended Adam not to be aware that Frankenstein was the scientist?
The storyline overall is enjoyable and something children, particularly boys, would enjoy. Then again it may not be suitable for the more sensitive child as it deals with themes of death and paranormal creatures. Adam comes across as rather intelligent for his age – despite taking some things too literally – so there are footnotes to explain definitions of difficult words or to clarify something further. In spite of a few misgivings I would recommend this book to its intended target audience.
One day in Ohio Adam Meltzer is celebrating his twelfth birthday when suddenly he dies from a fatal be sting. Then he comes back to life – sort of. Jeff Norton’s children’s book <i>Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie</i> is a comical tale narrated by Adam who is, as the title suggests, a zombie.
Three months after his death Adam claws his way out of his coffin and heads home where he attempts to carry on with life (afterlife?) even though his sister has taken over his bedroom and all his clothes have been donated to charity. Oh, and his body had already started decomposing. However it is not long until he discovers that he is not the only unnatural being in his neighbourhood. Connected by their weirdness, Adam becomes firm friends with Corina (a half-vampire) and Ernesto (a chupacabra). Inspired by a school science project (being half-dead is no reason for exemption, apparently) the three of them set out to track down the bee that killed Adam and solve the mystery concerning his return from the grave.
<i>Memoirs of Neurotic Zombie</i> is full of humour targeted at nine to twelve year olds, so reviewing this from an adult’s perspective if rather difficult. As people get older child humour becomes less funny, particularly in relation to certain bodily functions – namely poo. Even though being a children’s book limits the amount of seriousness, some of the story line did not feel quite right. Adam’s parents and sister were far too accepting of the situation and the lies he told at school to explain what had happened were rather farfetched.
An important element to the story was that Adam was suffering from OCD and as a result was gripped by a fear of dirt, bacteria and disease – rather ironic considering his physical condition. There is nothing wrong with writing for children about characters with disorders such as OCD, however there was no explanation about the seriousness of this mental illness. Adam’s behaviour was used to make him appear less “normal” than other children his age – something campaigners are encouraging people <u>not</u> to think!
There were some deliberate inaccuracies in Adam’s narrative, which added to the hilarity, although how much the reader will benefit from these will depend on their own intelligence. On the other hand there were one or two errors that may not have been intentional. “I lurched forward like a tweenage Frankenstein” – surely that should be “Frankenstein’s monster”? Unless, of course, Norton intended Adam not to be aware that Frankenstein was the scientist?
The storyline overall is enjoyable and something children, particularly boys, would enjoy. Then again it may not be suitable for the more sensitive child as it deals with themes of death and paranormal creatures. Adam comes across as rather intelligent for his age – despite taking some things too literally – so there are footnotes to explain definitions of difficult words or to clarify something further. In spite of a few misgivings I would recommend this book to its intended target audience.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Frankenweenie (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Before he hit the big time, director Tim Burton made a live-action short film named “Frankenweenie” which was a loving tribute to the classic horror films of old, in particular “Frankenstein”. Due to various issues, the 30-minute film never got the attention it deserved and was relegated to a video release after Burton’s stock had risen thanks to hits such as “Beetlejuice”, “Batman”, and “Edward Scissorhands”.
Disney has given Burton a chance to complete his vision for “Frankenweenie”, and Burton has done so by combining the visual themes of classic black and white with modern 3D and stop-motion animation.
The film centers around the town of New Holland, where young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) lives in suburbia and spends his days, when not in school, on his love of science, and his beloved dog Sparky. His father, wants Victor to diversify his skills and agrees to allow Victor to take part in a local science fair if he agrees to play baseball as well. Victor agrees, but sadly tragedy strikes when Victor loses his beloved Sparky in an accident.
Devastated, Victor loses his will and his way until he is inspired by his science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) who explains how anything can be reanimated via electricity. Since their town is famous for its nightly lightening storms, Victor sets about to revive Sparky, and is able to do so much to his delight. While he is thrilled to have his beloved dog back, Victor must keep Sparky’s return a secret which proves to be a very difficult challenge.
In time, the secret gets out and chaos ensues, especially when Victor’s classmates decide to reanimate other dead objects so that they can compete at the science fair. Things quickly go amok, and Victor and Sparky must find a way to save New Holland and each other.
The film has the trademark Burton visuals which are indeed very lavish. The nature of stop-motion and 3D does at times have some jerkiness to the film, but all in all it is a rich visual experience. I am a fan of Burton, but I have always said he far to often puts substance over style as his visuals have often overshadowed plot and characters in his movies. This time out, Burton has kept the film basic and does not go overboard trying to over-complicate his plot and characters. The film is, at the core, a story about a boy and his dog and their enduring love for one another.
The film is loaded with quirky characters and visuals and several references to the classic horror films of old which inspired it. I was not sure that many of the younger viewers in the audience would be able to get several of the jokes in the film, but they, along with their parents, laughed and cheered throughout the film.
While it will not break any new ground in visuals and story, “Frankenweenie” is a pleasantly fun film that the family will enjoy and is well worth checking out.
Disney has given Burton a chance to complete his vision for “Frankenweenie”, and Burton has done so by combining the visual themes of classic black and white with modern 3D and stop-motion animation.
The film centers around the town of New Holland, where young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) lives in suburbia and spends his days, when not in school, on his love of science, and his beloved dog Sparky. His father, wants Victor to diversify his skills and agrees to allow Victor to take part in a local science fair if he agrees to play baseball as well. Victor agrees, but sadly tragedy strikes when Victor loses his beloved Sparky in an accident.
Devastated, Victor loses his will and his way until he is inspired by his science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) who explains how anything can be reanimated via electricity. Since their town is famous for its nightly lightening storms, Victor sets about to revive Sparky, and is able to do so much to his delight. While he is thrilled to have his beloved dog back, Victor must keep Sparky’s return a secret which proves to be a very difficult challenge.
In time, the secret gets out and chaos ensues, especially when Victor’s classmates decide to reanimate other dead objects so that they can compete at the science fair. Things quickly go amok, and Victor and Sparky must find a way to save New Holland and each other.
The film has the trademark Burton visuals which are indeed very lavish. The nature of stop-motion and 3D does at times have some jerkiness to the film, but all in all it is a rich visual experience. I am a fan of Burton, but I have always said he far to often puts substance over style as his visuals have often overshadowed plot and characters in his movies. This time out, Burton has kept the film basic and does not go overboard trying to over-complicate his plot and characters. The film is, at the core, a story about a boy and his dog and their enduring love for one another.
The film is loaded with quirky characters and visuals and several references to the classic horror films of old which inspired it. I was not sure that many of the younger viewers in the audience would be able to get several of the jokes in the film, but they, along with their parents, laughed and cheered throughout the film.
While it will not break any new ground in visuals and story, “Frankenweenie” is a pleasantly fun film that the family will enjoy and is well worth checking out.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Frankenstein in Baghdad in Books
Jul 23, 2019
This book won at least two awards; the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and France's Grand Prize for Fantasy, and the author had previously been named one of the 39 best Arab authors under the age of 39. I picked it up to read for the Year of the Asian Reading Challenge, since the Middle East is all-too-often neglected in regional groupings like that. People don't think of it as Europe or Asia. I also try to read translated books on occasion, in an effort to diversify my reading. So this hit a number of my interests - I wish I had actually liked the book more!
It's an interesting retelling of Frankenstein - which I haven't actually read, and now feel like I really should. But it bounces around between several viewpoints. It's not too many to keep straight, but it's definitely too many to truly care about. And it suffers from an unreliable narrator - it's written as several stories told to an author from multiple people that he's woven together into a single narrative, and while he does that well, it suffers from contradictions between how different characters recall things, scenes that don't play a part in furthering the plot but the characters thought they were important, and no authoritative "this is what REALLY happened" to draw it all together.
And I very much dislike unreliable narrators, so that alone is enough to make me dislike the book. If you like ambiguous narratives and vigilante stories, however, you might enjoy this, and the writing style itself was quite engrossing.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
It's an interesting retelling of Frankenstein - which I haven't actually read, and now feel like I really should. But it bounces around between several viewpoints. It's not too many to keep straight, but it's definitely too many to truly care about. And it suffers from an unreliable narrator - it's written as several stories told to an author from multiple people that he's woven together into a single narrative, and while he does that well, it suffers from contradictions between how different characters recall things, scenes that don't play a part in furthering the plot but the characters thought they were important, and no authoritative "this is what REALLY happened" to draw it all together.
And I very much dislike unreliable narrators, so that alone is enough to make me dislike the book. If you like ambiguous narratives and vigilante stories, however, you might enjoy this, and the writing style itself was quite engrossing.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sawyer (231 KP) rated Pokemon Colosseum in Video Games
Jun 1, 2019
A wild offbeat detour in the Pokemon world
Pokemon Colosseum is one of those rare occasions where a establish franchise decides to really experiment and the end result well not quite Frankenstein it's definitely not the Mona Lisa either
The game centers around West a strong silent rebellious youth it was formerly a member of the games antagonist organization which is a big departure from the main characters you usually play in the Pokemon games
The first missed opportunity is that this never speaks which makes it really hard to connect with the character
One of the key features of the game is the ability to steal certain Pokemon from trainers this is a unique way to acquire Pokemon also very against the usual moral compass of the characters you play in the Pokemon series the game
doesn't have wild encounters which means you only have certain Pokemon you can get and that's it I believe there's like 40 something all together which is a insanely low amount when considering how many Pokemon the franchise had at this point
The game also was mostly comprised of 2 on 2 Pokemon battles something you really never see have such a focus it is a fresh idea and it does make for some interesting enemy encounters the animations are quite slow also the fact that you want to fight are inherently slower than normal it's quite easy to fall asleep at the controller
Don't get me wrong though I do really enjoy this game such a breath of fresh air for this franchise
So many interesting ideas I even loved the world I know it's part of the same world as the rest of the games but this region just feels so vastly different it has a very barren wasteland mad Max type of style to it
If you are a big Pokemon fan you should try this game for sure
The game centers around West a strong silent rebellious youth it was formerly a member of the games antagonist organization which is a big departure from the main characters you usually play in the Pokemon games
The first missed opportunity is that this never speaks which makes it really hard to connect with the character
One of the key features of the game is the ability to steal certain Pokemon from trainers this is a unique way to acquire Pokemon also very against the usual moral compass of the characters you play in the Pokemon series the game
doesn't have wild encounters which means you only have certain Pokemon you can get and that's it I believe there's like 40 something all together which is a insanely low amount when considering how many Pokemon the franchise had at this point
The game also was mostly comprised of 2 on 2 Pokemon battles something you really never see have such a focus it is a fresh idea and it does make for some interesting enemy encounters the animations are quite slow also the fact that you want to fight are inherently slower than normal it's quite easy to fall asleep at the controller
Don't get me wrong though I do really enjoy this game such a breath of fresh air for this franchise
So many interesting ideas I even loved the world I know it's part of the same world as the rest of the games but this region just feels so vastly different it has a very barren wasteland mad Max type of style to it
If you are a big Pokemon fan you should try this game for sure
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Frankenstein in Books
Mar 5, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
It's been a while since I read this book but I remember why I did and did not enjoy this book. Firstly, the book it worth the read. It may seem slow to start with but you do get rewarded in the end. It is just that, unfortunately, Victor Frankenstein is a very boring character. He is just so boring and, lets face it, a little bit fickle. He spent his life working towards this goal, leaving his family and loved ones behind, practically, all to be able to resurrect the dead back to life. He accomplishes it only to realise what an abomination he has created. So what does he do? He runs away.
The most interesting part about the book actually comes from the perspective of the monster himself. It is here where we see true voice, character, and emotion. We see the monsters side of things and realise he is not in fact a monster. He is a product of his surroundings. He was treated like a monster and so he became one.
To me, it spreads an important message about love and acceptance. The monster would not have become evil is Victor had remained with his creation and helped him instead of fleeing and leaving the monster, new to the big wide world, by himself.
Although I believe Mart was trying to give us a different, more religious message, about the dangers of man performing a woman's role of giving birth and how that is an abomination to mankind, I think the message I stated beforehand is better and stronger.
If you can get through Victor's boring and annoying personality then the book is worth the read. If not, then maybe just read the middle of the book-- from the monsters perspective, although it would probably seem a little weird and out of context without the rest of the story.
The most interesting part about the book actually comes from the perspective of the monster himself. It is here where we see true voice, character, and emotion. We see the monsters side of things and realise he is not in fact a monster. He is a product of his surroundings. He was treated like a monster and so he became one.
To me, it spreads an important message about love and acceptance. The monster would not have become evil is Victor had remained with his creation and helped him instead of fleeing and leaving the monster, new to the big wide world, by himself.
Although I believe Mart was trying to give us a different, more religious message, about the dangers of man performing a woman's role of giving birth and how that is an abomination to mankind, I think the message I stated beforehand is better and stronger.
If you can get through Victor's boring and annoying personality then the book is worth the read. If not, then maybe just read the middle of the book-- from the monsters perspective, although it would probably seem a little weird and out of context without the rest of the story.
JT (287 KP) rated The Wolfman (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
As what we would describe as the classic monster horror, this remake of the 1941 black and white picture in some way does itself and the original some justice.
Back then horror was starting to carve itself out to a market of film goers who really didn’t have much of an idea as to how film could and would change their lives. The likes of Dracula and Frankenstein had also achieved great historic status.
The plot of the story stays true, man is bitten, man becomes werewolf, all hell breaks loose and it is the efforts of a love interest that tries in vein to break the curse. Something which not even the gypsies could achieve.
Special effects wise its impressive, Del Toro went through make up hell in order to gain the look, some three hours to apply and one to remove so his dedication must be applauded. As to whether he was the right choice for the part is another question, in some parts, in human form he loodke out of place with his foreign slightly merged American accent.
The original film ultimately was basic, a drama that based itself around a werewolf, there was no gore and hardly any blood. So of course it was only fitting that this film should contain both, and vast quantities of flying limbs and spouting red stuff. Did it need it? It surely must have only been there too satisfy an age where any lack of these effects would seem a disappointment.
The supporting cast ranging from Anthony Hopkins as Sir John Talbot, Hugo Weaving as Inspector Abberline and the beautiful Emily Blunt as Gwen all do a wonderful job adding their talents to the narrative. Hopkins especially was his usual dark, sinister and composed self.
There are some truly scary scenes, and some fantastic shots of a Gothic London but the film tends to drift off in places. Overall its a worthwhile watch but doesn’t do enough to really make it one of standouts of 2010.
Back then horror was starting to carve itself out to a market of film goers who really didn’t have much of an idea as to how film could and would change their lives. The likes of Dracula and Frankenstein had also achieved great historic status.
The plot of the story stays true, man is bitten, man becomes werewolf, all hell breaks loose and it is the efforts of a love interest that tries in vein to break the curse. Something which not even the gypsies could achieve.
Special effects wise its impressive, Del Toro went through make up hell in order to gain the look, some three hours to apply and one to remove so his dedication must be applauded. As to whether he was the right choice for the part is another question, in some parts, in human form he loodke out of place with his foreign slightly merged American accent.
The original film ultimately was basic, a drama that based itself around a werewolf, there was no gore and hardly any blood. So of course it was only fitting that this film should contain both, and vast quantities of flying limbs and spouting red stuff. Did it need it? It surely must have only been there too satisfy an age where any lack of these effects would seem a disappointment.
The supporting cast ranging from Anthony Hopkins as Sir John Talbot, Hugo Weaving as Inspector Abberline and the beautiful Emily Blunt as Gwen all do a wonderful job adding their talents to the narrative. Hopkins especially was his usual dark, sinister and composed self.
There are some truly scary scenes, and some fantastic shots of a Gothic London but the film tends to drift off in places. Overall its a worthwhile watch but doesn’t do enough to really make it one of standouts of 2010.