To date, there are 2 Oscar-winning pictures about directors who made horror films Ed Wood (1994) and Gods And Monsters (1998). The latter focuses on James Whale, who only made a handful of genre movies, but those movies were Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride Of Frankenstein (1935). By anyones standards, thats a remarkable list it includes not one, but two of the definitive monster films, the greatest sequel of all time and the archetypal tale of stranded travellers gathering together during a storm. Each one is loaded with iconic images, from the arrival of the monster (in the legendary Jack Pierce make-up), through Karloffs creepy butler in The Old Dark House, to The Invisible Man removing his bandages and the first appearance of the Bride herself. Whales films have been parodied numerous times (most memorably by Mel Brooks), immortalized in song by bands such as Misfits and continue to influence filmmakers. Most recently, characters inspired by the Bride have appeared in Hotel Transylvania and Penny Dreadful.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
