Journal on "Bride of Frankenstein This Is the Oldest"

Journal 4 pages (1441 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Bride of Frankenstein

This is the oldest film of these four, and it seems dated and overacted compared to today's standards. At the time, it was said to be one of the "greatest" horror films of all time, but compared to today's films, it seems old-fashioned and not very scary at all. It has the classic elements of a horror film, thought, including a frightening menace that terrorizes people, a sympathetic hero, and terrorized townspeople on a manhunt for the monster. There are the requisite storms, dark nights, and screaming women that are popular in horror films, too. It was interesting to see how the genre has changed over the times. Today, horror films are much bloodier and scarier, which shows how audiences have changed. This was almost humorous at times, which is also common in many horror films, I think they do that to tone down the violence and put the audience at ease, just so they can scare them again later on.

It was interesting to see how the actors approached their roles, and how the sets were developed. The actors seemed to be overacting, like many early Hollywood films, and they took their parts very seriously, even during the humorous moments. I'm a fan of Mel Brooks and his "Young Frankenstein" remake of these films, and so, I was interested to see how much he really used from the original films in his parody. I think that helped make this film more interesting to watch. I'm not sure I would have watched it on my own, it was too campy for my tastes, but I enjoyed comparing it with other films, and with films of today. I think that filmgoers are more sophisticated now, and used to more special effects and other enhancements that add to the horror aspect of the film. This was really not very frightening at all, although I suppose it was at the time. Some of it, such as the scene with the old blind man, just made me laugh, and I didn't appreciate how the introduced the author, Mary Shelley, at the beginning of the film, I thought that was totally unnecessary and contrived.

The Stepford Wives

All of these horror films seem to be quite a bit different from what we think of horror films today. This film wasn't really a "horror" film as such, but it was certainly scary for the characters involved. The acting wasn't as over the top as it was in "The Bride of Frankenstein," but this film, made in 1975, seems a little dated too, and not just because of the costumes and the hairdos. The entire premise of the film, that husbands would replace their wives with robots and robots that only cooked and cleaned, is kind of silly. The idea that all the men of a community would band together and prefer a robot over a real woman with vitality and interests seems pretty outdated and outlandish.

This really didn't seem like a horror film to me. Certainly, the situation for the women was horrific, but it wasn't a traditional horror film. I suppose you could call the men and their plot "horrifying" or "monsters," but it lacks a lot of the traditional horror elements. The townspeople aren't revolting (they've been replaced), and many other elements don't add up. The women are stalked by the men and eventually replaced (even Joanna loses in the end), but it just doesn't seem that horrific. Clearly, the film is satirizing humanity and how husbands and wives view each other, and that is another element of many horror films. While they attempt to be serious and frightening, they often parody or satirize elements of society and humanity, so they attempt to be serious films, too. This film is really looking at relationships between husbands and wives, and while that can be a scary topic (pun intended); it doesn't come across in the film. All it really shows is that these men are so shallow and incomplete that they prefer a robot to a woman like Joanna, who is vital, interesting, and totally alive. If these men really prefer robots, they are shallow, weak, and totally unsympathetic individuals, and that they win out may be the most horrifying part of this film.

The Bad Seed

This film, made in… READ MORE

How to Reference "Bride of Frankenstein This Is the Oldest" Journal in a Bibliography

Related Journals:

Frankenstein -- a Critique of the Monster Essay

Frankenstein -- a Critique of the Monster and the Family

He approached; his countenance bespoke bitter anguish, combined with disdain and malignity, while its unearthly ugliness rendered it almost too… read more

Essay 7 pages (3053 words) Sources: 2 Style: Chicago Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Frankenstein and Candide Term Paper

Candide & Frankenstein

The Fall of Man, the Fall of Humanity from a State of Grace: The failure of religion and science in both Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Voltaire's Candide… read more

Term Paper 8 pages (2597 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Let the Right One in by Tomas Alfredson Term Paper

Tomas Alfredson's 2008 film Let the Right One In follows the story of twelve-year-old Oskar as he attempts to deal with school bullies and his parents separation, but it complicates… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (1085 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Film / Movies / Television

---

Myth of the American Dream: Mr. Smith Essay

myth of the American dream: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Dumbo

One of the most enduring myths of American culture is the notion of the American Dream, or the… read more

Essay 2 pages (658 words) Sources: 2 Topic: Government / Politics

---

Boris Karloff Career Term Paper

Career of Boris Karloff - Monster's Best Friend

"the monster was the best friend I ever had."

Boris Karloff

Boris Karloff is best known for bringing Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" monster… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1785 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Film / Movies / Television

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>