Frankenstein Through a Kid’s Eyes

The original monster, sequel spawning hit.  Dracula came first in 1931 but it was Frankenstein that launched the franchise.

As usual the current generation in the form of my daughter Anabelle had some interesting reactions:

On the experiment in general:

“Has anyone tried this?”

On me saying Dwight Frye is terrifying:

“Of course, he’s Renfield.”

On the Doctor’s name change to avoid sounding Germanic:

“Henry? Really?”

On Dwight Fry being Fritz (since she has seen Mel Brooks films):

“Fritz?  Who’s Fritz? Isn’t he supposed to be Igor?

On Dr. Frankenstein’s maniacal question, “Crazy am I?”:

“Oh God.”

On the Doctor’s friend:

“Why isn’t that guy’s name Henry?”

On the doctor claiming to have discovered “The great ray that first brought life into the world,” that is “beyond ultraviolet:”

“What!?  *unhappy face*

When they talk about making the creature from multiple dead bodies:

“Ewww, what? Wouldn’t it be easier and less gross to use just one body?”

On the restored line, “Now I know what it feels like to be God:”

“Strange, is that the word you’re looking for?”

On Henry’s giant pipe smoking father:

*much laughter* “He is one cool and goofy old guy.  He doesn’t seem to know what kind of movie he’s in.”

On the Burgermeister:

“He does look kinda like the Rudolph guy.”

On Henry’s speech about scientific curiosity,

Henry - “Where should we be if nobody tried to find out what lies beyond? Have you never wanted to look beyond the clouds and the stars?...:”

Anabelle- “He’s kind of got a point, but still, maybe too far beyond there Henry.”

On the dramatic initial reveal of the monster:

“Eh.  Hey, he’s not green.”

“They never explain why he has a big forehead.”

On the presence of torches in the film:

Anabelle- “Why do they have torches?”

Me- “To see.”

Anabelle- “Oh, why is he waving it at the monster? He’s mean.”

*the monster kills his tormentor*

Anabelle- “Yaaaaaay!  I didn’t like Fritz.”

On the suggestion of trying a different sedative:

“Pound him on the head with a mallet!”

On still being a kid in many ways:

*grave robbing*

“Eeeeeeewwwww!”

*kissing*

“Eeeeeeewwwww!”

On audiences focusing more on animals than people:

*Maria is killed*

“Ooh, a kitty!  Where’d the cat go?”

On the weird crowd grief reaction when Maria’s murder is announced:

“Did they say ‘yay’?”

On understanding the monster:

“He only killed by accident or the people tormenting him, everyone else he left stunned but alive.”

On the whole mob chasing the monster:

“Weren’t they all searching separately?”

On being a master of understatement when they burn the monster in the windmill:

“That’s not very nice.”

Come back for the Bride.

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