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The Curse of Frankenstein

The Curse of Frankenstein

1957
Drama, Sci-fi
1h 22m
Baron Victor Frankenstein, in prison for murder and trying to evade the guillotine, tells a priest how he and his mentor, Paul Krempe, had performed many scientific experiments, eventually leading to the resurrection of a dead body. The baron's obsession and the monster's homicidal nature cause the deaths of several of those around them. Finally the Baron is confronted by an enraged monster about to throw Victor's fiancée Elizabeth, from the castle parapet. (imdb)
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The Curse of Frankenstein

1957
Drama, Sci-fi
1h 22m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 56.37% from 379 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(379)
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Rated 28 Jul 2023
85
63rd
The languid pace and obviously low budget are made up for by a fantastic performance from Cushing. Has probably the most famous pre-Godfather gunshot to the eye.
Rated 04 Oct 2008
75
73rd
Good Hammer horror. Peter Cushing is great.
Rated 16 May 2011
85
86th
Peter Cushing is fantasticstein
Rated 06 Oct 2011
80
59th
A lot of fun. Two scenes stick out in my mind: the fluid slowly draining out the tank, and the creepy smile slowly spreading across Cushing's face as he listens to the puppy's heartbeat.
Rated 01 Feb 2013
80
66th
Strays from the source material but in very entertaining ways! The Baron is more violent than the creature! Peter Cushing (surprise surprise) is amazing as Victor. Lee fills the part of the lumbering, sewn together, snazzy jacket wearing monster well enough but it's not a role that particularly showcases all his skills. Great sets/costumes/supporting cast as well. A fine version of the Frankenstein tale, though not enough emphasis on doctor/creation relationship/parallels. An '80' I say!
Rated 06 Feb 2012
82
81st
An early Hammer horror flick and an awesome one at that. The revamped monster makeup is pretty impressive and the story is awesome, even if it follows very closely to "Son of Frankenstein". I didn't find it scary, and Victor Frankenstein was a douche, but Cushing made it work anyway.
Rated 25 Feb 2011
83
69th
A fantastic horror film, and one of the finest to ever bare the name "Frankenstein". Peter Cushing is the best actor to ever portray the scientist who dared to enter God's domain, and while Lee seems a little bit lost as the monster, the film itself is still an entertaining, fantastic horror romp after all of these years.
Rated 09 Dec 2013
68
78th
This film was not only the big break for Hammer studios, but also resurrected horror as a serious mainstream genre. First thing that catches the eye is beautiful cinematography, achieved with the use of EastmanColor, elaborate sets and wardrobe - this makes the film very classy. Peter Cushing is unforgettable, I think I like him more than Universal studios horror stars.
Rated 05 Jun 2013
81
60th
One of the best of the Hammer horror films. This is a very interesting take on the story of Frankenstein. It puts less focus on the monster and more on Dr. Frankenstein, played by Peter Cushing. His performance is fantastic, portraying the doctor as less sympathetic and more obsessed and, in a way, evil.
Rated 06 Oct 2008
90
83rd
Very nearly rivals Whale's Frankenstein.
Rated 06 Oct 2010
93
79th
Gory, creepy, disgusting and a fantastic almost better than the original remake/re-imaging with horror legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The monster's reveal is wonderfully gross, and having Dr. Frankenstein turning into a murderous obsessed madman is a nice touch. One of the best if not the best of the Hammer Studios horror films.
Rated 25 Mar 2011
84
75th
The focus here is definitely more on the character of Frankenstein than on the monster. Peter Cushing portrays one of the more sinister, mad, frightening versions of the character I've seen. A very well fleshed out and impressive interpretation. I do wish there was more time spent on the monster though. Unlike the James Whale classics, this version of the monster is entirely one-dimensional. Over all this is a solid and enjoyable adaptation of the story and one of Hammer's better films.
Rated 30 Jan 2015
75
68th
A puppy isn't physiologically simpler than a dude...don't watch this movie if you have a Bio test the next day.
Rated 21 Jan 2018
87
80th
If this has a flaw it's that this is yet another version of a tale that's been told so many times it's reasonable to think any surprises are wrung dry. Not so here with the script shifting the focus from the monster firmly onto the doctor. This sounds like a banal idea, but the story surprises, progressively revealing new sides & depths of cruelty from the doc. The newer characters also challenge him in ways that don't feel contrived. It's blasphemy but this may be better than the original.
Rated 30 Oct 2011
81
51st
The first, and best, Hammer horror film. Peter Cushing plays Dr. Victor Frankenstein in "The Curse of Frankenstein." While Frankenstein is one of literature's great sympathetic characters, in this film he is portrayed as someone who will stop at nothing to complete his experiments. While this portrayal of Frankenstein is not accurate at all, I rather enjoy it. While Cushing made a great Van Helsing in Hammer's "Dracula" series, to me he will always be Victor Frankenstein.
Rated 17 Dec 2018
55
34th
It was decent. I liked that it distanced itself from Frankenstein (1931) by being more about Victor Frankenstein than the monster itself. The first half of the movie is fairly dry, but once the monster shows up, it's pretty fun. Cushing is good. Lee is too, but he doesn't get to do all that much. I liked the make-up on him though, and his coat was badass. I though the ending was pretty interesting and unexpected, too. Overall, I didn't love it, but I'm glad I watched it.
Rated 23 Mar 2022
25
13th
I have never cared much for Hammer Horror 
I always thought it was silly and over the top 
But I like Frankenstein 
So I decided to give this a try 
Story itself is okay for it’s time 
But the overacting and cheesy effects are just horrible 
I much prefer the Universal Frankenstein movies
Rated 21 Oct 2013
67
19th
Different perspective on Frankenstein for sure, one where the monster plays a smaller role as compared to Frankenstein's obsession with the creation of life. Cushing is great at depicting the descent into madness. Still, I don't really appreciate the thematic implications of the film which are more disdainful of science and exhibit a fundamental disgust with the very idea of interfering with nature, rather than society's reactions to the monster and its own internal struggles with life.
Rated 14 Jun 2014
88
84th
Por pouco não se equipara a versão do Whale.
Rated 23 Jan 2012
56
31st
Peter Cushing is enthralling to watch but the movie can't hold a corpse to other Hammer-films. There's pretty poor FX and only a decent soundtrack. Still better than the original Frankenstein though.
Rated 02 Mar 2009
71
73rd
The first in Hammer Films' long-running series of Frankenstein movies. A '50s classic whose success sparked a revival in gothic horror after nearly a decade of sci-fi monsters, this has an awkward flashback structure but crisp direction and excellent acting from Cushing and Lee. It was remade as _The Horror of Frankenstein_ and followed by five sequels, beginning with _The Revenge of Frankenstein_.
Rated 29 Dec 2013
3
73rd
A shaky start but a short and sweet Hammer melodrama.
Rated 02 Apr 2011
72
57th
An interesting and original take on the Frankenstein legend.Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein is very good.I would have liked to see the Monster have a little more screen time then he did.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
60
27th
Atmospheric but slow. Frankenstein's monster is more corpse-like but unconvincing.
Rated 25 Mar 2014
79
61st
78.500
Rated 19 Mar 2007
55
49th
Passes the time.
Rated 25 Mar 2007
60
47th
Interesting fresh take on the Dr. Frankenstein character, but Hammer hadn't yet hit its stride. _Revenge of Frankenstein_ is better
Rated 31 Jan 2010
65
35th
Probably more influential than entertaining. I've never cared for the dilated, muted palette of these early color films, but the spare moments of blood and gristle are quite striking against the otherwise dusty Victorian sets. I'm way too busy to dive headfirst into Hammer horror right now, but I suppose I'll have to make time soon.
Rated 26 Jul 2013
60
52nd
Christopher Lee is absolutely wasted in this. I didn't even realise it was him until the credits rolled, and his monster is unintentionally funny rather than menacing (think Liam Gallagher with a bad case of acne and you're there). That said, Cushing is good and the costumes and set designs are excellent. All in all, good cheesy fun.
Rated 26 Mar 2009
75
54th
Cushing is the infamous baron and Lee his misbegotten creation. Not as good as _Horror of Dracula_ but briskly entertaining in its own right.
Rated 06 Dec 2019
74
67th
It makes a lot of deviations both from the original story and the older movies, but makes a compelling story out of the basic ideas. Rather than an adaptation of the Frankenstein novel, it feels more like an entry in Frankensteinian myth.
Rated 29 Oct 2018
4
59th
Very good. The lab in this movie is awesome. All the lab shots and then the Viktor/Paul relationship reminded me quite a bit of The Invisible Man
Rated 14 Nov 2018
80
55th
Chekov's conveniently human-sized acid bath.
Rated 01 Sep 2020
70
41st
Basically devolves into a two-man show. And how many times are we going to see that same scene enacted in a doorway (with Cushing adamant and the other guy turning away in disgust)? But of course it all looked great...so what the heck.
Rated 08 Jul 2022
60
31st
This was a pleasant surprise after Hammer's take on The Mummy. It still doesn't touch many of the Universal classics, and aesthetically I don't find it hugely appealing, but I can't deny that I had fun with it. The sets are well put together, plot and characterisation are decent, Lee's monster looks disgusting to the point of being provocative, and Cushing as Frankenstein is enough of an asshole to bring audience satisfaction when he gets what's coming to him. Camp, grim and engaging.
Rated 30 Aug 2022
72
58th
He really fell hard off that balcony.
Rated 18 Jun 2023
55
47th
"The curse of Frankenstein" did not haunt me forever, albeit the unhinged and unscrupulous take of Dr. Frankenstein's character. Peter Cushing gives it his best and is very unruly. The support cast is awesome too, and there are indeed a couple of scenes that, I wouldn't say scared me, but certainly had a strong punch in the moment. The monster itself is a bit on the blander side not portrayed with the usual hint of depth, compared to other versions of the film, but Mr. Lee is still memorable.
Rated 15 Oct 2023
53
53rd
It's good but I didn't enjoy this as much as most people, Lee seemed kind of wasted and it generally felt bloated. Obviously Cushing is great and the sets are fantastic.

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