31 horror movies. One for each day in October. How hard can it be….

Story:  Man creates monster.  Monster is, well, a monster, so friends are hard to come by.  So, man is forced to make a mate, or he’ll never see his own lady love again.

Scares:  Since the ending scene of this movie has been shown just about everywhere, you’d think there wouldn’t be a scare to be had in this ol’ gal.  You’d be wrong.  The atmosphere is full of fog and shadows, and Karl — this movie’s Igor-like bitch boy, a murderer forced to help out Dr. Pretorius — has his own way of obtaining body parts.  This movie is more mysterious and creepy than all-out scary nowadays though, and I had to chuckle at Frankenstein’s Monster puffing on a stogie with a stupid-large grin on his face.  “Gooood!”  Um, I’ll take your word for it.

Splat factor: Vague flashes of body parts, all shot in black-and-white.  This movie is about atmosphere, not bleeding.

Closing scene “shocker”?: No, thank goodness!  Back when this was made, movies didn’t have to resort to stupid stunts like that to hold an audience’s attention.

Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Though this is a sequel to 1931’s Frankenstein, this classic is also an OG in it’s own right.

Trick or Treat?: This is the real deal; the full sized Snickers you hide from your parents so you can have it all to yourself.  For a movie filmed in 1935, Bride of Frankenstein holds up surprisingly well.  From the opening scene where Lord Byron and the Shelleys gather to hear Mary Shelley continue her story — “That’s not the end…” — to the amazing Strickfaden machines that spark and crackle at the laboratory, it’s a fun thrill ride that doesn’t lose any of the magic just because you know how it’s gonna end.  (And a tip of the hat to Elsa Lanchester for her portrayal of Mary Shelley at the beginning of the movie, a role all but forgotten with her riveting performance as The Bride later in the film.)  Just about every horror monster cliché started with the 1930’s Universal Studios monsters, and a lot of ’em are right here: “It’s ALIVE!”, the weird little German-like town, pitchfork and torch-wielding townsfolk…even the strangely dressed maid Minnie is someone you’ll see later.  Or don’t you recognize Frau Blücher (Neiiiiiigh!) from Young Frankenstein?  The way Frankensten’s Monster and his maker survives after the first film is believable too, another item today’s slasher pics seem to leave by the wayside.

Bride of Frankenstein isn’t just a great horror film, the lighting, cinematography and set design is breathtaking too.  Beware: after seeing this film you may find that the current crop of modern-day horror films pale in comparison.

Score: out of 5 pumpkins.