The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

James Whale's The Bride of Frankenstein is the fifth film in the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection box set and is probably the best of the bunch. That's saying quite a bit, especially considering you've got some really heavy-hitters here such as the original Dracula, Frankenstein, and more. 

Yet it was quite unusual - even in 1935 Hollywood - for a sequel to best the original. Whale had to be lured into making the sequel and he insisted on several things: a bigger budget, Karloff, and Elsa Lanchester, to name just a few. The sets on The Bride of Frankenstein are absolutely spectacular in every way from the nighttime scenes of the monster romping through the graveyard to the creepy castle interiors. In many ways, Bride set the standard for black-and-white horror cinematography. The way Whale uses light and shadow, contasts - it's simply amazing. Also amazing is the score by Franz Waxman, who really knew how to shape each scene with just the right touch, especially as the tension mounts in the film's last 10 minutes. 

Bride marks the first time a woman was used effectively in horror films as a monster. Make-up artist Jack Pierce decided to retain Elsa Lanchester's natural beauty (and she was a beautiful woman - 32 years old when this was filmed, but looking much younger) placing the scars just below her face and accentuating those wide, dark eyes. The first three establishing shots of the Frankenstein monster in the original 1931 film remain iconic (and rightfully so), but Lanchester's quirky movements, combined with expert lighting and Waxman's score take iconic to a whole other level. (And that scream could shatter crystal.)

In the extras, Karloff's daughter commented that her father was against having the monster speak in the sequel, although Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's monster in the novel was practically verbose in comparison. Against his better judgment, Karloff delivered the lines and added a depth and sadness to the performance that could not have been achieved through silence. 

The entire cast is nothing short of stellar. Ernest Thesiger (above) as Doctor Pretorius is one of the strangest scientists in all of horror films; Colin Clive (who would die two short years after the release of the film) as Doctor Frankenstein; Una O'Connor as the meddlesome publican's wife; and 17-year-old Valerie Hobson (replacing Mae Clarke from the original film) as Baroness Frankenstein. 

The extras on this disc specific to the film include "She's Alive! Creating The Bride of Frankenstein" (39 min.), an audio commentary with film historian Scott MacQueen, and "The Bride of Frankenstein Archive," 13 minutes of stills, promotional materials, etc. 

5/5