barrosjared

This British film from the 1980s is far from being the best Frankenstein adaptation. It's low-budget is obvious, the monster's character development is rushed, and the ending is anticlimatic. But the film's strengths come from the competent performances from the cast and the solid script.

To be fair, I saw this film on YouTube for free, so the quality might not be what it truly is. Although the makeup is pretty bad and nowhere near James Whale's level of talent, David Warner does a great job of playing the Frankenstein Monster. He conveys horror and pathos as the character should. Robert Powell is a solid Victor Frankenstein that conveys the madness and tragedy of the character, but nowhere near the level of Colin Clive or Peter Cushing. Carrie Fisher doesn't have as much screen-time as I originally thought despite being top billed, but she delivers a great performance as Elizabeth when she's onscreen. She's instantly unforgettable and absolutely beautiful; her smile alone melts your heart. Her natural British accent puts Keanu Reeves to shame. And her singing is off the charts. Elizabeth is supposed to be angelic and no one has pulled that off as well as Carrie in my opinion.

The filming locations are another highlight of this television movie. Looking at every single location makes me feel content. This makes me want to visit the United Kingdom. The outfits and hairstyles are spot on from the 19th century as well.

Is this film a major classic? No. But is it fun? Yes! It's also just over an hour and is free to watch on YouTube. It has a surprisingly moving plot and is better than half of the Frankenstein movies. Rip Carrie Fisher, you are surely missed.

Friday the 13th: Jason Lives, finally reaches higher than mediocrity or downright awfulness in a sequel; it's good. The cinematography and music score are top notch, Harry Manfredini added new tracks to his score, which is definitely 1980s music, but it works. The story is a precursor to Scream and can be funny, but the silliness becomes far too much in some scenes. The paintball scene is just slapstick, Looney Tunes style silly. That is another thing to bring up, the film is NOT scary! It is not very creative in the kill sequences, the buildup is not very great, some of the kills are just too goofy and are not very disturbing like earlier installments. Thom Matthews is Tommy Jarvis, he is one like able dude, but has lost that Part 5 psychology aspect that is very interesting. Jennifer Cooke is ok, but is charming enough.

Now let's talk about Jason Voorhees himself, while he has always been portrayed as a mortal human being in the previous sequels, this film resurrects Jason as a unkillable, zombie character with superhuman abilities. This allows the murder sequences to be more over the top. I don't prefer this portrayal of Jason, he is much more frightening, interesting, and much more grounded than he is in this film. Even though I have been mostly bashing on this film, I love it. I can appreciate it for it's quality, the best installment since the original F13. Is this as good as the first F13 in the strict sense? NO! But it was never trying to be and it is incredible fun! 7/10

Frankenstein the miniseries from 2004 is well performed. The story which is about 200 years old, resonates within this faithful adaptation. It's characters are well performed, the Monster and Victor the most. If you want to see an entertaining, close to the original story, Frankenstein is the one to watch.