The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

I recently watched Swamp Thing and concluded it was dated and corny. Right afterwards, I watch The Curse of Frankenstein and decided it was dated but charming.

To a degree both stories are about madmen whose selfish desires produce grotesque creatures. Neither film boasts profound make-up or effects, but there is a quaintness to Hammer’s Frankenstein monster that blends neatly with the heavily costumed and overly stagey feel of The Curse of Frankenstein that transforms these faults into pleasant, acceptable, low-budget depictions of the Victorian era. Where as Swamp Thing places its action and its lousy effects in a real swamp. The incongruity between the swamp’s realism and the creature’s costume is too much. The difference between the two films is a lesson in creating a believable world.

It’s also nice to see Victor Frankstein, played by Peter Cushing, portrayed as a real prick.