30 Day Horror Challenge: Day 5

When I think of monster movies, thoughts instantly turn to the Universal monsters. It's many of those monsters that have endured generations and become timeless treasures. The stories were told and retold countless times, but hardly ever lost their luster. Many of the current day monsters are just variations on the classic Universal lineup.

Your favorite monster movie.

The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

Sequels rarely outshine their predecessors, but this movie really is up to the task. Immediately following the events of the first film, the film manages to convey a subtle emotion that humanizes the monster, while still sticking to the original novel for inspiration.

Twice the doctors, twice the insanity and twice the monsters. The film follows the basic boardroom logic that gets sequels to successful movies greenlighted. That's where the similarities end. Simply put, this movie is the best Frankenstein film put to celluloid.

Director James Whale, who also directed the original, was given artistic freedom with this sequel. He crafted a tale where the story is enhanced by the camera angles, the hidden humor, the horror, the musical score and the superb acting. The growth of the characters is nothing short of miraculous in a film that by all accounts should be a retread of the first. "To a new world of gods and monsters", proclaims Dr. Pretorius. This is a world that I return to often.