A 4K Special Edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein? What is this Madness?

Welcome to my column dedicated to the appreciation of physical media supplements called: Feature Presentations. The goal of this column is not to say whether a film is good or bad and worth picking up or not—I would like to highlight the discs that go the extra mile and provide film fans with enough tasty tidbits to satisfy even the hungriest of cinephiles. With all that out of the way, today’s article will focus on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from Arrow Video.

As a disclaimer of transparency, I was provided a review copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for this episode of Feature Presentations. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I remember when Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein hit theaters in late 1994. I was still a young man, but I remember the trailer had imagery that stuck with me: the screaming on the stairs, a shirtless Kenneth Branagh, and the dark clouds that ended the trailer. It had the makings of something that would pique my interest. I missed it during the theatrical run, so when the film hit video store shelves, it was a no-brainer that I’d be checking it out.

What else I remember about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was my disappointment with the film. At the time, I was unfamiliar with the source material, so I only had Branagh’s interpretation to base my review on, and it wasn’t positive. Yes, the film was good-looking, but there was a sense that nothing about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein clicked. Sadly, I returned the movie to my local video store with disillusionment in my eyes and forgot about the film.

Fast forward to the present, and Arrow Video announcing that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein would be getting the deluxe treatment with a loaded, special edition 4K disc. Once the opportunity presented itself, I popped the disc into my player, curious if my opinion had changed in the 25-plus years since my last viewing. Did it? Unfortunately, no. I have concluded that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein does not work for me and never will. On the flip side, Arrow Video did a bang-up job with the bonus features. Let’s get to them!

First up, “Mary Shelley and the Creation of a Monster” is a sit down with British gothic specialists: David Pirie, Stephen Volk, and Jonathan Rigby to discuss subsequent stage and screen versions of Frankenstein. This feature is an educational thirty-minute history lesson on Mary Shelley’s life, the history of Frankenstein‘s publication, and the reworkings of the story into a visual medium. The history lesson of Shelley’s life and the first translations of the Frankenstein story was a fascinating listen. Once the Universal iteration of the Frankenstein comes up, “Mary Shelley and the Creation of a Monster” quickly moves to the finish line, wrapping up in a hurry. All and all, this was an enjoyable and educational history lesson.

Next up, “Dissecting Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” finds David Pirie, Stephen Volk, and Jonathan Rigby discussing the differences between Shelley’s novel and Branagh’s 1994 film adaptation. The feature is an extension of “Mary Shelley and the Creation of a Monster,” as Pirie, Volk, and Rigby breakdown how Branagh adapted parts of Shelley’s novel and where the director took creative liberties. As with the previous feature, Pirie, Volk, and Rigby know their history and do well at explaining the differences between the novel and the 1994 adaptation and possible reasons for the changes.

Following this, we have a collection of interviews—the first one, “Stitching Frankenstein with costume designer James Acheson. This 15-minute interview has Acheson recounting his time working on the 1994 film. Acheson shares stories about Helena Bonham Carter’s mother, Kenneth Branagh’s coat, and Robert De Niro using a peg leg within the film. While not substantive, Acheson makes for a good listen, and his stories are interesting, even if they only come from the area of costume design.

The second interview, “We’ll Go No More a Roving,” features a sit-down with composer Patrick Doyle. Doyle recounts his time working with Branagh in composing a score to fit the style of the film the director wanted to create. Doyle talks about how he built the film’s initial melody and how the creation scene went unchanged throughout the film’s production process. “We’ll Go No More a Roving” is a short but entertaining listen, certainly for music fans.

The last interview, “Making it all Up,” is a chat with make-up artist Daniel Parker. Many of Parker’s recollections from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein come from his interactions with Robert De Niro. Parker talks about how he obtained the job, his prosthetics work, and De Niro’s requests for working in the make-up.

The feature that got me most excited was the inclusion of the 1910 adaptation of Frankenstein. Arrow Video gave this first screen adaptation of the Shelley novel a new 2K scan of the silent film. Having this adaptation of Frankenstein is a must-see for film fans. I cannot thank Arrow Video enough for this inclusion. Features like this are a cornerstone of my love of physical media. The inclusion of the 1910 film adaptation of Frankenstein shows love and care and is a reason why I enjoy writing Feature Presentations.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein also comes with a commentary track featuring film historians Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains. Brooke and Mains rehash some of the Frankenstein in literature and film adaptations while discussing Branagh’s adaptation. In a way, this commentary feels closer to the features detailing the history of Shelley and the Frankenstein history. Yes, they discuss film aspects, but the film feels second compared to the novel. It’s an entertaining listen, and the guys know their stuff, but those looking for details about the production history for the 1994 adaptation may not get all the information they desire.

Lastly, the disc also includes two theatrical trailers and an image gallery. The handful of images within the gallery are stills from the finished film.

The one thing I want to address about this disc is the lack of inclusion of people associated with the film. Writer Frank Darabont has spoken about how he disowns his credited work. Not having any input from Robert De Niro, co-star Helena Bonham Carter or actor/director Kenneth Branagh leaves me with a void and the feeling of a film no one wants to be associated with. The lack of film personnel for this release leaves one wondering if everyone dusted their hands and never wants to speak about the movie again. As no one from the film comes to defend or decry the production, I can only wonder, without an understanding what went on with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

And, there you have it! Is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the end-all-be-all of the infamous creation? Personally, no. I will say that Arrow Video did a bang-up job in compiling features that give a thorough and detailed history of Mary Shelley and her novel. Those looking for a comprehensive disc loaded with information on the 1994 film’s production will be left out in the cold. Either way, I recommend the disc because if you’re a fan of the 1994 film, this is the best the film has looked or you’re a fan of the story, as Arrow Video gives love to the history of Frankenstein and his creation.