Frankenstein (1993)

Ten years ago, James Rolfe did a review of a made-for-television film, “Frankenstein.” He mentioned it premiered on TNT on June 13, 1993. That same month, TNT was running “MonsterVision” every Saturday night, and they showed “Frankenstein” as an encore showing. I remember reading Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, and this film is very close to the book and is a contender for one of the adaptations that is closest to the book. However, like all novel adaptations, this one does have many differences.

Patrick Bergin plays Victor Frankenstein, who ranges his acting ability when playing this role. During the cholera epidemic, he tells his friend, Dr. Clerval, played by Lambert Wilson, that he has discovered the meaning of life in his laboratory. Much to the doubt of Clerval, Frankenstein creates the monster, who he believes after running tests, will be like him, minus his flaws. The novel doesn’t describe how Frankenstein creates his monster and it is left vague. However, in this adaptation, Frankenstein creates his monster through a cloning device in a tank of water. Unlike the novel where Frankenstein is repelled by his creation and abandons the monster, this film, once again, shows the monster running from the lab after breaking out of the tank of water.

Randy Quaid plays Frankenstein’s monster, who is somebody that you do feel sympathy for. However, as a result of cloning the monster, Frankenstein and the monster are connected, like E.T. and Elliott. Whenever one gets hurt, the other feels it. When the monster is near, Frankenstein senses it. I think this is a nice idea the filmmakers had thought of for this adaptation. If you have seen the 1931 “Frankenstein” movie and remember the part where the monster accidentally drowns a little girl, in this adaptation, the monster saves a little girl from drowning, only to get shot at by the parents.

John Mills plays De Lacey, the blind man who befriends the monster, allows him to stay in his cottage, and teaches him everything he needs to know. That is until the monster is being tracked by people for a reward and De Lacey tells the monster to run away.

One thing this film includes, which most adaptations do not, is that the monster kills Frankenstein’s brother, William, played by Timothy Stark. His girlfriend, Justine, played by Jacinta Mulcahy, is so traumatized due to being a witness to what happened, that she commits suicide. Frankenstein tracks down the monster, only for the monster to tell Frankenstein to create a bride for him.

This is all during when Frankenstein is having a great time loving Elizabeth, played by Fiona Gillies, and proposes to her. Frankenstein uses Elizabeth to clone the bride, but it puts her in so much pain that he aborts the creation, causing the monster to get enraged, crash through the ceiling, and destroy the lab. This is where the connection doesn’t seem to work because everything the monster does in the lab does not affect Frankenstein.

When the monster kills Elizabeth on Frankenstein’s wedding night, it causes Frankenstein to go on an act of revenge against his creation and chases him to the North Pole.

For a made-for-television movie, this is some intense material. However, this is not that bad. I seriously think it faithfully brings the pages to the novel on screen, and the main actors ham it up, acting like they want to win awards for their roles.

I’m surprised at how underrated this film is. No one seems to talk about this compared to other Frankenstein adaptations. Maybe it is because the next year, “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” was theatrically released, and that became the more popular version. That film was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and had very famous actors playing the roles. The 1993 “Frankenstein” movie seemed to have been completely forgotten by those who may have watched it, unless there are those, like James Rolfe, who remember it.

I had never heard of this film before James Rolfe reviewed it and I was curious about it that I wanted to watch it. However, I could not find it anywhere. I think this is one of those films that was only released on VHS and was never re-released on DVD or Blu-Ray. However, you can purchase it on YouTube or Amazon Prime. The film never got the recognition it deserved so hopefully I was able to raise awareness on it. If you have a YouTube or an Amazon Prime and want to watch any adaptations of Frankenstein, don’t skip over the 1993 made-for-television film. See it and realize what you have been missing. I bought this film on Prime and watched it while exercising, so I give it a recommendation.

However, how is “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.” To find out what I thought about it, stay tuned Friday to find out in the continuation of “Halloween Month 2023.”