Frankenstein 80th Anniversary: A Monster of Many Faces
by Ben Bussey
To wrap up our 80th birthday celebrations of Universal’s Frankenstein, I thought we could just take a moment to reflect on how deeply ingrained Frankenstein’s monster is in our collective consciousness. The name Frankenstein alone has long since become a byword for any fears about breakthroughs in science and technology that may go beyond our control (say, GM crops being labelled ‘Frankenfoods’), but above and beyond that it is the image of the monster that stays with us. Whether it is being used as a metaphor, or a joke, or a cash-in, or a nostalgic indulgence, or even – horror of horrors – as something we might actually still get scared by, the monster has been everywhere these past 80 years. Nor have we seen the last of it by any means. Aaron Eckhart is set to don the neck bolts for the comic book adaptation I, Frankenstein. Bruce Campbell is lining up for a clash of mighty chins with Bruce Vs Frankenstein. A new TV series of The Munsters is said to be in development. And that is to name but a few.
So, as a simple way to bring our celebrations to a close, here are but a few of the many different forms the monster has taken over the years, ever since a certain Mr Karloff was plastered in make-up by a certain Mr Pierce…
Happy birthday, Frankenstein. You might belong dead, but we’re not letting you go that easily.
