Frankenstein

Dan Curtis delighted in all things horror, especially the old school shivers of classic gothic macabre, which he employed in his ‘60s cult phenomenon soap opera Dark Shadows. When the TV series was finally cancelled, Curtis turned his attention to bringing classics of the horror genre to life, and one of his most successful was the 1973 TV movie Frankenstein (originally broadcast on Wide World of Mystery). Adding a few nods to Universal's film version of Mary Shelley's original, Curtis created a fairly faithful adaptation of the famous tale, which centers on a well-meaning scientist whose experiments in tissue regeneration lead to the creation of a monster that wreaks havoc on the surrounding countryside. In key roles, Robert Foxworth is very good as Victor Frankenstein, while Susan Strasberg more than holds her own as love interest Elizabeth. But the best performance perhaps is from Bo Svenson as the creature, seen here as more human than in other interpretations. DVD extras include an audio commentary by Foxworth and costar John Karlen, as well as a set of broadcast promos for the film. Recommended. (B. Gibron)