AVS Discussions
Movie and TV Discussion => Movie reviews => Topic started by: Barry on March 28, 2026, 03:56:02 PM
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First, Abbott and Costello never meet Frankenstein, we should all get our money back. Of course they meet the monster of Frankenstein.
Let me put aside my normal ratings of good, great, bad, etc. I need a movie rating of “Fun” for this picture. You may not laugh, but you will continuously smile when you watch this movie. It is silly yet it is dark, it is outrageous yet it is focused. This is because the three actors playing the Wolfman, Frankenstein and especially Dracula, play it straight. Lon Chaney, Glen Strange and Bela Lugosi, reprise their famous roles, and their makeup makes them look just great.
When we were discussing the movie, the Mask, we discussed that performers often have a shelf life. Abbott and Costello replaced Laurel and Hardy. An Abbott and Costello are about to be replaced by Martin and Lewis. And well, while I don’t appreciate many of the following movies that it had them meet other horror characters, this movie is certainly entertaining.
The 4K presentation here is outstanding for a movie. Of this age. The blacks are just so black and the whites are just so white and they seem to be amplified here by the absence of gray. The audio here makes the dialogue totally legible but there’s nothing outstanding or special.
The bonus features here are:
Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni: another Commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani and a third by Film Historian Gregory W. Mank. There is also a Theatrical Trailer.
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First, Abbott and Costello never meet Frankenstein, we should all get our money back. Of course they meet the monster of Frankenstein.
Let me put aside my normal ratings of good, great, bad, etc. I need a movie rating of “Fun” for this picture. You may not laugh, but you will continuously smile when you watch this movie. It is silly yet it is dark, it is outrageous yet it is focused. This is because the three actors playing the Wolfman, Frankenstein and especially Dracula, play it straight. Lon Chaney, Glen Strange and Bela Lugosi, reprise their famous roles, and their makeup makes them look just great.
When we were discussing the movie, the Mask, we discussed that performers often have a shelf life. Abbott and Costello replaced Laurel and Hardy. An Abbott and Costello are about to be replaced by Martin and Lewis. And well, while I don’t appreciate many of the following movies that it had them meet other horror characters, this movie is certainly entertaining.
The 4K presentation here is outstanding for a movie. Of this age. The blacks are just so black and the whites are just so white and they seem to be amplified here by the absence of gray. The audio here makes the dialogue totally legible but there’s nothing outstanding or special.
The bonus features here are:
Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni: another Commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani and a third by Film Historian Gregory W. Mank. There is also a Theatrical Trailer.
I remember seeing this as a kid. I'll have to revisit it. Thanks for the review Barry.
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For those interested, Kino Lorber has all five of their 4K Abbot and Costello titles currently on sale for $17.99 each (MSRP $39.95), which includes their Frankenstein movie.
Kino Lorber - Experience Cinema (https://kinolorber.com/search?q=abbott costello)