Purely Academic #24 - The FRANKENSTEIN Episode: The Original Novel, The 1931 Film, and the 2025 Film
Description
For our November topic – coming just in time for the start of December – we celebrate the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein with a three-part retrospective on one of the most famous stories in the English language. First, we take a look at the original 1818 novel by Mary Shelley – which has been one of Sean’s favorite books, but was new to Jonathan – and celebrate its tremendous accomplishments, all of which still feel revelatory today. Then we talk about the classic 1931 Universal movie, directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff, which doesn’t take much from the book, but establishes much of the story’s endearing iconography. And finally, we give a full review of the brand new version, directed by the inimitable Guillermo del Toro, who leave his own original stamp on the material in ways that are very much worth discussing.
Enjoy!
TIME CHART:
The 1931 Film: 1:27:22 – 1:56:35
The 2025 Film: 1:56:35 – 3:12:26
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