Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Books on Film Series) » (Special Value)

A cautionary tale of modern science run amok and a classic Gothic thriller, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the personal chronicle of Victor Frankenstein, a dedicated science student obsessed with discovering "the cause of generation and life" and "bestowing animation upon lifeless matter." In his secret laboratory, Frankenstein assembles a human replica from stolen body parts, but upon bringing it to life he recoils in horror at the creature's hideous soullessness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and embarks on a campaign of murderous revenge against its creator. Features a new introduction by Maitland McDonagh, former senior movies editor for TV Guide and author of numerous books, including Movie Lust.

Critics praised Kenneth's Branagh's 1994 film Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a thrilling modern horror story that remained true to the original novel. Branagh himself plays the young doctor whose obsession with death leads him to create life. But his "creature" (De Niro), crafted surgically from the parts of exhumed corpses, is a hideous mockery of humanity. When the creature realizes it will never be accepted by men, it seeks revenge on Dr. Frankenstein and his family. A vivid cinematic adaptation that is both emotionally complex and truly terrifying.