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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Directed by Terence Fisher
UK 1957
Baron Victor Frankenstein was the archetypal aristocrat, well-read, cultured and arrogant. Beyond the sophisticated veneer existed a cruel, utterly unscrupulous man, obsessed with ambition. Determined to realize his greatest dream to create life, he had assembled a creature from organs gathered from various unwilling donors. The creature is successful brought to life but the instability of the brain, damaged during surgery, causes uncontrollable violent spasms that result in indiscriminate murder... and it is the Baron to whom the blame is laid with fatal consequences. The Curse of Frankenstein is a classic 1957 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions, based on the novel Frankenstein (1816) by Mary Shelley. It was Hammer's first colour horror film, and the first of their Frankenstein series. Its worldwide success led to several sequels, and the studio's new versions of Dracula (1958) and The Mummy (1959) and established "Hammer Horror" as a distinctive brand of Gothic cinema. *** Curse of Frankenstein was the "breakthrough" picture for the fabled Hammer Studios. Told in flashback, the story centers around Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), a dangerously arrogant scientist who takes it upon himself to play God. Using portions of dead bodies, Victor fashions a synthetic monster (Christopher Lee) with a bad attitude. In a radical departure from the Frankenstein canon, it is the imperious Victor who orchestrates the film's two murders by "borrowing" the brain of a learned professor, then leaving his next victim at the mercy of the monster. In 1958, the film spawned the sequel Revenge of Frankenstein. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 2nd, 1957
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Lionsgate - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Lionsgate - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:23:11.708 | 1:23:11.027 |
Video |
1.66:1 / 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 37,660,424,469 bytes Feature: 14,389,690,368 bytes X 2Video Bitrate: 19.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1.66:1 / 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,255,103,917 bytesFeature: 24,539,179,008 bytes X 2 Video Bitrate: 33.49 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Lionsgate (UK) Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Warner Archive Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio English
1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1780 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1780 kbps / 24-bit (DTS
Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1843 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1843 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) |
Subtitles | English (SDH), None | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Lionsgate
1.66:1 / 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 37,660,424,469 bytesFeature: 14,389,690,368 bytes X 2Video Bitrate: 19.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Commentary by Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby • Frankenstein Reborn: The Making of a Hammer Classic (32:53) • Life With Sir (12:05) • Four Sided Triangle (1:17:59) • Tales of Frankenstein (27:26) • The World of Hammer with Roy Skeggs - The Curse of Frankenstein (24:54) • Gallery (2:02) 2 DVD included
Standard UK Blu-ray Case Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Archive
1.66:1 / 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,255,103,917 bytesFeature: 24,539,179,008 bytes X 2 Video Bitrate: 33.49 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Commentary by Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr for both 1.66 and 1.85 ratios Blu-ray 2 • 1.37 "Open Matte" Version (1:23:35)• Subtitles: Off Featurettes - • The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film (21:51) • Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition (22:49) • Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher (15:15) • Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror (17:06) • Theatrical Trailer (2:19)
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 36 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
NOTE: We have added 46 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Warner Archive use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the
original English language. It is another advancement over the 16-bit
transferred Lionsgate audio rendering. I noticed this improved depth in
the chilling full-orchestra score by
frequent Hammer composer, James Bernard (X
the Unknown, The
Devil Rides Out, The
Plague of the Zombies,
Dracula
Prince of Darkness,
These Are the Damned,
Across the Bridge,
The Terror of the Tongs) sounding a bit deeper.
Dialogue is clearer and more consistent. Warner Archive offer optional
English (SDH) subtitles but their
Blu-ray
discs are Region FREE.
The Warner Archive
Blu-ray
The second
Blu-ray
is also dual-layered and houses the 1.37:1 version and about 1.5 hours
of featurettes including the 22-minute The Resurrection Men: Hammer,
Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film which focuses on how
The Curse of
Frankenstein
initiated a new era of Gothic Hammer horrors. There is another 23-minute
piece entitled Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the
English Gothic Tradition, a third running 1/4 hour - Torrents of
Light: The Art of Jack Asher. He was the director of photography on
Curse as well as several other Hammer horror films including Dracula
(1958), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Hound of the
Baskervilles (1959), The Mummy (1959) and The Brides of
Dracula (1960.) the last featurettes - Diabolus in Musica: James
Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror and details the work
of the composer of Curse and many other Hammer efforts. There is
also a trailer for the film.
The Curse of Frankenstein was
Hammer's first color horror film, and the first of their 'Frankenstein'
series that produced many sequels helping establish "Hammer
Horror's beloved brand of Gothic cinema. It's very satisfying to
have this in such a complete Warner Archive Blu-ray
|
Menus / Extras
Lionsgate (UK) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Lionsgate (UK) (1.37) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Warner Archive (1.37) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Lionsgate (UK) (1.66) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Warner Archive (1.66) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Lionsgate (UK) (1.37) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Warner Archive (1.37) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Lionsgate (UK) (1.66) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Warner Archive (1.66) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Lionsgate (UK) (1.37) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Warner Archive (1.37) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Lionsgate (UK) (1.66) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Warner Archive (1.66) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Lionsgate - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |