Reel Rap: Branagh's 'Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' (1994)

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is too wonderful for words, a movie that perfectly encapsulates the unique appeal of an “actor-turned-director.” You probably think of Victor Frankenstein as a mad scientist. Kenneth Branagh is capable of reading more deeply. He recognized that Dr. Frankenstein, while mad, was also always half nude. Come rain, shine, blood, or amniotic fluid, Branagh’s Victor Frankenstein is stripped to the waist and soaked to the gills. In the first of two creepy, scary October Reel Raps, Bennett and Shane discuss Tom Hulce’s slide into obscurity, the thrills of belligerent academia, and the acceptable level of gothness. They don’t often recommend the movies they discuss, but this one is definitely a must-see.