Ian’s review published on Letterboxd:
67/100
”I've harmed nobody, just robbed a few graves!”
Haven’t been too impressed much by Hammer Films horror films as much as I would have hoped with the select few that I’ve seen. Not totally bad at all, just was hoping for a bit more when it comes to the reputation that they hold within the horror genre. This continues here with arguably one of, if not the, most popular of their films - The Curse of Frankenstein. Much more my style then the previous films I’ve seen and man I have to admit, I didn’t expect this film to have Peter Cushing’s performance being my favorite aspect of the film.
Once I saw the cast list and the straight talent that was involved I knew that it would be character driven and I’m so thankful with the excellence I saw. Peter Cushing is a fantastic Victor Frankenstein; equally scaring in his obsession but also the charm is equally there. Robert Urquhart plays against this so well too. Both make some of the most entertaining aspects of the film and really carry the film. I guess my only disappointment is having the powerhouse of Christopher Lee being the Creature and unfortunately he’s only there for a very few select scenes; not bad, just not enough.
I can recognize how great Hammer can make a film look. The color and the sets all bring out the exact life you need in a horror film like this and it’s spectacular to look at. Terence Fisher, who seems to just be to thank for nearly *every* Hammer picture, definitely understands what makes entertainment and it’s exactly what you get here. The Curse of Frankenstein deserves its status simply because how how entertaining the performances are and in relation to the simply wonderful looking sets.
