(1935, directed by James Whale)

- inducted 2015 –

"Bride of Frankenstein might have been the first ever sequel to follow a masterpiece that actually improved upon its predecessor. James Whale's second Frankenstein film is very much the same type of creature feature as the first, with striking design work and a campy plot providing plenty of chills and thrills. But it's also a lot more, one of the first science fiction movies to demonstrate that movies don't need to be about people in order to explore what makes us human.

"It's a highly pleasurable film when taken at face value, providing some of the then-young medium's most compelling moments. Critics, scholars, and fans have devoted years to extracting various subtexts, particulars in consideration of Whale's personal life. Whether one prefers an allegorical or literal interpretation, the film's myriad pleasures, ranging from the farcical to the thrilling, are enough to carry it to greatness.

"The first masterstroke on the film's part is to shift Boris Karloff's iconic Monster into the role of hero, and a tragic one at that. His performance gives the Monster a pathos not present in the prior installment, and from there he becomes not just one of cinema's most unforgettable characters, but one of it's most sympathetic. Karloff suffuses the film with a very real loneliness much more frightening than the mere ghastliness of a creature.

"Not that Bride lacks for wonderful creatures. Elsa Lanchester's Bride has no lines and doesn't appear until the final moments. So it's a testament to her beautifully bizarre appearance that her Bride is one of cinema's most memorable creations, compelling by dint of her unforgettable, surreal look, and the heartbreaking moment where she unleashes the bloodcurdling scream that shatters the poor Monster's last hope for happiness.

"Everyone has seen an image of the Monster and the Bride. But what those who've seen the film remember just as well is the gentle, tender friendship between the Monster and an elderly hermit. Blind and oblivious to the Monster's physical nature, the old man recognizes the mutual need for acceptance and companionship. It's the Monster's time with the old man that sets the emotional stage for the powerhouse finale, and is arguably the highlight of a film filled with stunning moments.

"'To a new world of gods and monsters!' the mad Dr. Pretorius famously proclaims, but he's only partly right. The film's strongest, most enduring feat is showing that gods and monsters are ultimately as fragile as any mere mortal. This is the kind of movie that sticks around, one that shows us that even entertaining fantasies can inspires deep, very human sadness.

~ James Frazier