Thursday, June 23, 2022

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man Through a "Kid's" Eyes


It's truly amazing how connected these films all are, and how they carry the story through them. Sixty-five years before Tony Stark showed up at the bar General Thunderbolt Ross was in, the tales from one film series and a whole separate movie met head on in this very early shared universe.

The film continues the "first sequel is really good" trend of Bride of Frankenstein and Dracula's Daughter.  Lawrence Talbot is the key character in the franchise now. Starting with The Wolf Man he's the only role that's the same actor in every film, and he's the focal point.  He looks so sad and desperate all the time that the audience pulls for him. 
It works.

This is also where the "Even a Man Who is Pure of Heart" poem changes to reference the full moon, establishing that is when werewolves change.

Man, the sets have gotten vastly better across the board since Son of Frankenstein, haven't they?
 
On the crypt of Lawrence Talbot:
Rosa- "Its a wolf woman?"
Me- "No, its Larry from the last film."
Rosa- "His nails are so long, I got confused."
 
On the grave robber's extended speech:
Rosa-"He’s dead, who are they talking to?
Me- "They're explaining the plot of the last movie."
Rosa- "Are they going to explain why he isn't still dead?"

On the full moon:
Rosa- "Isn't the moon full for three nights."
Me- "Usually, but in these films, sometimes more." 
Rosa- "Uh huh."
*Larry begins to change*
Rosa- "Uh oh...
Wait.
Just the moon shining on him after they moved the plant and he's back to life?
Okay then."
 
On his transformed appearance:
Rosa- "He looks more like a human than a wolf."
Me- "That's why he's a wolf- MAN."
Rosa- "Whatever."

On Wolf Man attacking a police man:
Rosa- "AAAAAAAHH!! 
He's going to make more wolves."
Me- "No, he eats his victims."
Rosa- "Shakes head at me disapprovingly*
  
On popular things in our house:
*Someone is named "Bruno," or says "no no" or stops someone from talking, 
or really any reason*
Rosa- "We don't talk about Bru- no no no no"
*sings whole song, I join in, Anabelle calls in from college to do harmonies*

On using characters that already exist:
Me- "Maleva has a nomadic life, so of course she travels all over Europe, attaining knowledge to allow the two different movie locations to connect. 
She's awesome, they should have brought her back again after this."

On getting into these movies enough to be emotionally moved by the obvious outcomes:
Rosa- "He [Talbot] killed the girl that liked him...awwww."
 
On these films moving into World War Two time frame:
Me- "The villagers are in old timey German clothes, and the inspector... 
is in a Nazi uniform.
Also, everyone in Europe is Lionel Atwill"
 
On finding the ice under the ruins:
Rosa- "Something's there.
It's a person.
Is that Frankenstein?
Didn't he burn in the last one?"
Me-  "He fell through the floor and froze."
Rosa- "Of course he did.
Wait...
Isn't he the one with the bad brain?"
Why can't he talk? He talked before."
Me- "They edited it out. And the blindness too, 
that's why he walks that way, waving his arms around. 
Its a shame. I still think Ygor is Lugosi's best role. 
They could have made this monster terrifying."

On casting the Baroness Frankenstein:
Rosa- "Is that the same actress."
Me- "No."
Rosa- "Yeah, that voice is weird."

On the big wine festival:
Me- "I guess this is where Transylvania 6500 got it from."
*The guy sings "Farola faroli"*
Me- "I forget this song is here every time I watch this...
Then it gets stuck in my head for a month."
Rosa- "His voice is creepy."
*Larry freaks out on the part of the song about not dying, the Baroness laughs*
Rosa- "It's like a normal party to her or something."

On Larry's doctor changing his mind  in the middle of draining the Monster by saying he could kill it...unless:
Rosa- "UNLESS!!!!"
*The doctor talks about changing from plus to minus*
Me- "Young Frankenstein used that too."
Rosa- "Does the doctor recall that the Monster is a killer?
Is he a psychiatrist or just a regular doctor fiddling with brains?
And where is the husband of that woman?"
Me- "She's alone, I guess she ditched Ralph Bellamy."
 
On the exterior shot of where the experiment to (supposedly) drain both monsters is happening:
Rosa- "Didn’t that castle burn down and fall apart?
It doesn't have a scratch on it."
Me- "Maybe not from that angle."
Rosa- "Suuuuuuure."
Me- "Also, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a castle in the last film."
Rosa- "Ah."
 
On them getting to the part where they draw off the energy:
Rosa- "He's not going to do that. 
He’s going to get crazy and Frankensteiny."
*he does*
Rosa- "You see? 
Told you." 
*Sigh*
 
On the possibility of knowing me too long:
*The Monster and Talbot are attached to the same machine*
Rosa- "Will he make a Frankenswolf or a Wolfstein?"
Me- "No."
Rosa- "Why not?"
 
On the Baroness having her hair in huge braids when sleeping:
Rosa- "Where did all that hair come from?"
Me- "Maybe it was tucked under her hat?"
Rosa- *Shoots me, "the look"*
*the Baroness confronts the Doctor*
Rosa- "You lied to me. Boo hoo."
 
 On things getting worse in the experiment:
*Larry transforms*
Rosa- "It's a full moon again? It’s like five days in a row."
Me- "Maybe traveling took a long time and there were, days between."
Rosa- "Uh huh."
*The monster awakens*
Rosa- "Is he smiling or in pain?"
Me- "Wow, look at that. 
It's clear the powering up made the Monster see again. 
All without saying a word. 
Lugosi could have been spectacular if they let him play Ygor as the Monster."
Rosa- "Uh huh."
 
On the final fight:
*The Monsters push each other out of the way of falling rubble*
Rosa- "Oh, he saved him."
*They go back to strangling each other*
Rosa- "Oh no, he’s killing him."
 *The dam explodes and the castle collapses*
Me- "Whoah, great model work."
Rosa- "That’s it? 
So they're supposed to be dead now. 
*beat*
Suppoooooooooosed..."


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