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Out There in the DarkAuthor: Basement Inc.
Hosts Azed Majeed and Tom Alexander discuss philosophy, psychology, politics and culture through film. Language: en Genres: Film History, Film Reviews, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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024: FRANKENSTEIN
Episode 99
Tuesday, 9 December, 2025
Few works of art have ascended to the level of universal archetype, even fewer by 19 year old women in 1818, but Mary Shelly's Frankenstein has achieved this place of distinction in the world of letters. The story of the writing of the novel (Lord Byron and the Shelly's stuck indoors during a stormy few days, deciding to write ghost stories as a way of passing time) is as mythic as the book. With the invention of cinema our long and varied relationship with the whole Frankenstein mythos began. Starting in the silent era Frankenstein has been a consistent cautionary tale of hubris and ambitious overreaching and marks the start of the "body horror" genre. In this episode Azed and Tom discuss Guillermo del Torro's latest version of Frankenstein and take the opportunity to discuss the history of cinematic renderings of the Frankenstein story and it's influence on film as a whole. From James Whales' original masterpiece the themes of giving birth to something (or somone) who eventually destroys you, has been a mainstay of artistic re-imaginings from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things onto del Torro's latest. Tune in and find out which Frankenstein themed films make our favourites list.
