HallowScream - Young Frankenstein (1974)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and for HallowScream today, it's another review of a film based on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. But, in this case, we'll be taking a look at the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein, starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars, Cloris Leachman, Gene Hackman, and Madeline Khan. 

       The movie focuses on Frederick Frankenstein, who has chosen to distance himself from his grandfather Victor's legacy by insisting his name is pronounced "Fronkensteen." One day, after teaching a college class on the central nervous system, Frederick is approached by a man named Gerhardt Falkstein, who is a lawyer from Transylvania representing the will of Baron Beaufort von Frankenstein, which leaves the castle and estate to Frederick. Saying goodbye to his fiancee Elizabeth, Frederick travels to Transylvania, where he meets his new bug-eyed hunchbacked servant Igor (pronounced "Eyegore"), as his lovely new lab assistant Inga. 

       At the castle, Frederick, Igor, and Inga meet Frau Blücher, an intimidating housekeeper whose name causes the horses to freak the hell out. Anyway, Frau Blücher shows everyone inside, and shows Frederick to his room, which once belonged to Victor. Late in the night, Frederick is awakened by odd sounds coming from the castle basement, which he investigates along with Igor and Inga. During the investigation, which includes a bunch of fourth wall breaking jokes (because of course Mel Brooks is gonna break the damn fourth wall), Frederick, Igor, and Inga find the secret laboratory, as well as a book detailing Victor's original experiment. 

       Fascinated, Frederick decides to repeat the experiment, taking a recently buried corpse of.a man hanged for unknown reasons, and sending Igor to collect the brain of Professor Hans Delbruck. However, a lightning strike causes him to drop the brain, destroying it, and forcing him to collect a brain marked as abnormal. Back at the lab, the experiment is conducted, but the creature does not awaken, frustrating Frederick. A town meeting is held, and the citizens of Transylvania are thoroughly concerned about Frederick, as he is a Frankenstein after all. However, the town elders decide instead to leave the matter to the discretion of local law enforcement leader Inspector Kemp.

      Back at the castle, Frederick's creation finally awakens, and Frederick instructs him to perform basic movements. But, the creature is startled by Igor's lighter, as the flame freaks him out, and he begins choking Frederick. Using charades, Frederick instructs Inga and Igor to give the creature a sedative and knock it out. Catching his breath, Frederick asks Igor about the brain, and he says it was marked "Abby Normal." Figuring out that the creature has an abnormal brain, Frederick is understandably angry, but is distracted by a knock at the door upstairs, and Frederick goes to meet Kemp, and reassure him that he's not following in his grandfather's footsteps. 

       Frau Blücher, meanwhile, sees the creature and releases him, much to the concern of Frederick. However, Frau Blücher uses a violin and plays a soothing piece of music that takes the creature, and she reveals that she guided Frederick, Inga, and Igor to the lab, left a cigar in Victor's library, and that she was Victor's girlfriend. A spark scares off the creature, who goes wandering into the night. On his travels, the creature meets a small child and plays on a see-saw with her, and later meets a blind hermit, who offers him soup, alcohol, and a cigar. But, the hermit pours the hot soup on the creature's crotch, breaks his drink cup, and eventually lights the creature's thumb on fire. Using his familial violin skills, Frederick draws the creature to him, and has him sedated to be returned to the castle. 

        Frederick goes in to convince his creation that he is good, not bad, in easily one of the film's funniest moments where he goes from instructing everyone not to open the door to begging them to let him out. After finally beginning to work with the creature, Frederick accepts the proper pronunciation of his family name of Frankenstein, and prepares a demonstration. At the demonstration, Frederick showcases the creature's ability to perform basic movements, and then follows it up with a tap-dancing musical number to where the two perform the song "Puttin' on the Ritz," which is easily the most iconic scene of the movie. But, a spark freezes the creature in its tracks, and it's apprehended after going after the angered crowd. 

      Back at the castle, Frederick is upset by what's transpired, but Inga does her best to make him feel better and the two have sex. But, Elizabeth has arrived, and she is given a room in the castle. The creature escapes confinement, returns to the castle, and abducts Elizabeth to a hidden place, where the two have sex. The villagers, led by Kemp, go to storm the castle, with Kemp even proclaiming that Frederick "will curse the day that he was born a Frankenstein." Again using the violin, accompanied by Igor on French horn, Frederick draws the creature back to the castle, and he proceeds with a procedure to transfer some of his intellect to the creature to stabilize his brain. The mob storms the lab, and the creature awakens, this time with a more complex means of communication, and he explains everything. Kemp offers his hand in friendship to the creature, and suggest that all the villagers head to his place for some sponge cake and wine. But, his prosthetic arm pops out, and he remarks "Oh, shit. To the lumberyard!" 

       So, the movie ends with Frederick married to Inga, and the Creature married to Elizabeth. But, since it was a two-way transfer with the Creature getting some of Frederick's intellect, Frederick got some of the Creature's libido in exchange. 

         Young Frankenstein, which was predominantly penned by Gene Wilder, was absolutely hilarious. The performances by Gene as Frederick, Marty Feldman as Igor, Peter Boyle as the Creature, Teri Garr as Inga, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher, Kenneth Mars as Inspector Kemp, and Madeline Khan as Elizabeth were all fantastic, and Gene Hackman as the blind hermit made me laugh my ass off. The overall look of the movie was fantastic, and I think that it was cool of Universal to loan Mel Brooks the laboratory equipment from the original Frankenstein for use in this movie. Also, Mel's decision to film in black-and-white was brilliant, as it made the film feel like one of the classic monster movies. Definitely a must-watch, I'm giving Young Frankenstein a rating of 5/5. 

        Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and HallowScream will be getting back to the world of Stephen King with the next review: Doctor Sleep.