Week One - Frankenstein

Tonight I chose to watch Van Helsing (2004) as a contemporary take on the  character Frankenstein and his Monster. Id seen the movie previously but re-watched it with new eyes. I'v got to say I do like this movie and its mash up of different horror stories. Frankenstein as a employee scientist for Dracula was a pretty cool and scary choice for this movie, the fact that Hugh Jackman played Van Helsing helped a bit too, he doesn't make a bad werewolf either! Haha.

Usually in films Gothic is described as spooky, eerie, atmospheric, dramatic and romantic. Usually there are supernatural elements but not all the time. In this case however, Supernatural definitely is at the heart of this film. Its got three of the the BIG TIME gothic folklores and some small other ones. Frankenstein, Vampire, Werewolves, are the big top three known gothic themed folklores out there.
Van Helsing works as a gothic film because it is able to provide the dramatics and romance without sacrificing the atmosphere and spooky-ness that pulls all the different monsters together without complications.







An over all very entertaining take on the classics and warp of the monster.
I actually liked that they gave the monster a voice. everything I sort of felt for The Monster in Mary Shelley's original novel- was said or felt threw the Monster in Van Helsing. I liked seeing a " happy" ending for him. though the movies ending was questionable with the somewhat of a "Lion king face in clouds" reference but i was able to deal with it..... for the most part.
I would watch it again though. if i didn't have better movie.
Here have a awesome Dracula still~