Eventually, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee would become the faces of the various Hammer Studios horror franchises. All good things start somewhere, and 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein brings their first collaboration under the Hammer Horror banner.

The first of seven Hammer Frankenstein films made through 1974, Curse adapts the 1818 Mary Shelley novel that inspired James Whale’s 1931 classic Frankenstein. As always, the story introduces us to Baron Victor Frankenstein (Cushing), a wealthy scientist.

At the film’s start, Victor finds himself in prison, as he awaits execution for murder. Victor confesses to a priest (Alex Gallier) the actions that brought him to this fate.

Victor studied under mentor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) and developed an interest in the basics of life – and potential revivification of dead matter. Eventually they manage to resurrect a dead dog, Paul gets spooked by these experiments and steps away from them.

On the other hand, Victor feels emboldened by these successes and craves more. As such, he attempts to assemble a man based on component parts, a task that works – but not as Victor hoped.

As noted, Curse comes from the oft-adapted Shelley source, so no one should expect a whole lot of surprises from its story. All of the various adaptations take their liberties, and Curse does as well.

At least this means it doesn’t offer a rote remake of the 1931 version, as it goes its own way. These choices don’t always work, but I appreciate the variations, and they usually seem fairly successful.

In particular, Curse focuses more on Victor and less on the Creature than the standard Frankenstein tale. We don’t get Lee’s Creature until well into the running time.

On the surface, that choice could frustrate, as audiences may grow anxious to get to the meat of the tale. However, Curse builds matters in a compelling enough manner that we don’t resent the delay in the Creature’s introduction.

This decision works because Curse makes Victor much more intriguing than usual. As much as I like the Whale version, Colin Clive’s Frankenstein – there called “Henry” – never becomes especially dynamic or interesting, so the movie relies much more heavily on Boris Karloff’s legendary Creature to carry the film.

In this case, Cushing’s Victor more than holds his own. More sinister than Clive’s Henry, as the latter gives off more of a standard “mad scientist” vibe.

Instead, Cushing’s Victor feels less nuts and more sociopathic, and the actor handles the part with aplomb. Cushing carries the story and makes it an involving effort.

Though not as big a part of the film as anticipated, Lee’s Creature also works, partially because the character’s design seems more horrifying than Karloff’s. Perhaps that stems from our intense familiarity with Jack Pierce’s 1931 makeup. We’ve seen that image so many times over the last 94 years that the Karloff/Pierce Creature lacks the ability to shock.

Still, I think Lee’s Creature feels more objectively terrifying. He looks more like an actual “cobbled together” being than Karloff’s, and that makes him more awful to view.

I will admit I wish Curse spent a bit more time with the Creature, as its short 83-minute running time leaves room for additional material. Still, the movie does much more right than wrong and turns into an effective rendition of this oft-told story.

The Curse of Frankensteing appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1, 1.66:1 and 1.85:1 on these 4K UHD Discs. Why do we get three separate ratios?

The 1.66:1 and 1.85:1 versions replicate how the movie played in the UK and in the US, respectively. The 1.37:1 edition brings an “open matte” take that exposes more information – albeit visual material that was never intended to be seen – and reminds many viewers of the TV screenings that acted as their first experiences with the movie.

All three come from 4K scans. For the purpose of this review, I watched about 27 minutes of each one: I started with the 1.66:1, moved to the 1.85:1 and finished with the 1.37:1.

In terms of picture quality, all three seemed equivalent on these Dolby Vision discs. I felt they all boasted seemingly identical visuals.

While most of the movie offered reasonably good definition, one shouldn’t expect much that I’d call razor sharp, and occasional softness interfered. Still, the film usually offered fairly positive delineation.

I saw no examples of moiré effects or jagged edges, and the presentation lacked evidence of edge haloes. Source flaws also failed to create any distractions, and grain remained natural, without signs of digital noise reduction.

Colors came across as fairly full. The movie opted for a reasonably natural palette that could lean a bit toward teal. Though the hues didn’t excel, they felt largely productive, and HDR gave them added power.

Black levels stayed fairly deep and dense, while shadow detail showed positive consistency. HDR brought extra punch to whites and contrast. These old Hammer movies often don’t hold up well in terms of picture, so Curse provided an above average – though still erratic - visual presentation given the nature of the source.

When I compared the framing of the three versions, obviously the 1.66:1 and 1.85:1 felt the most similar. Minor alterations resulted from the two, but they looked a lot alike most of the time.

Unsurprisingly, the 1.37:1 left a different impression, as the “open matte” image exposed more information on the top and bottom – too much information, in my opinion. This extra space made characters seem too small in the frame most of the time.

The disc notes that Warner included the 1.37:1 version as a bone toward fans who grew up with the “TV presentation”, and they might like it best. For those who want a more appropriate rendition of the film as intended, I’d go with the 1.66:1.

When I listened to the original LPCM monaural track, it held up fine. Speech sounded intelligible and clear, with only a little edginess at times.

The movie offered a moody score, and these elements came across reasonably well. While the music lacked great range, it seemed clear enough.

The effects represented the source elements in a competent manner. All of this worked fine for a movie of this one’s vintage.

The set also sported a DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix that remained decidedly restricted in scope. It came with audio quality that seemed very similar to what I heard from the mono,

The 5.1 expanded the soundscape somewhat but it lacked much ambition. Score spread moderately across the front and I heard some localized speech at times.

Actually, some of the latter choices became a distraction. When dialogue cropped up on the sides, that worked fine, but sporadic instances of lines from the rear seemed forced and artificial.

Effects broadened in a minor manner. Honestly, this felt like a mono mix most of the time, as only a handful of mildly expanded sonic sequences materialized.

How did the 4K UHD compare to the 2020 Blu-ray? Though the 4K UHD went with LPCM mono instead of the 2020 disc’s DTS-HD MA, both sounded virtually identical.

As noted, the UHD brought a 5.1 track absent from its predecessor. The modest soundscape did nothing to better then single-channel original, so I found nothing memorable from the nearly pointless remix.

On the other hand, the 4K UHD’s Dolby Vision image offered superior delineation, blacks and colors. While the presentation still demonstrated the limitations of the source, the UHD became a definite step up in picture quality.

Note that Warner Archive also released a Blu-ray set that updates the 2020 release. Though the 2020 BD came from a 4K scan, apparently the 2025 version stems from a newer transfer. Because this UHD set doesn’t include the movie on Blu-ray, I can’t compare the 2020 and 2025 BDs.

This 2025 edition brings back the 2020 extras and adds many more, including four separate audio commentaries. Found alongside the 1.85:1 version, the first repeats from the 2020 Blu-ray.

This opening chat involves film historians Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, drafts of the screenplay, cast and crew, genre areas and related domains.

Nasr and Haberman combine well during this chatty and engaging track. They cover a lot of ground and deliver useful material, especially in terms of the script and its permutations. Expect a high-quality discussion here.

Paired with the 1.37:1 presentation, we find a 2011 commentary from film historians Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby. They sit together for their running, screen-specific examination of cast and crew, censorship issues, genre connections, some production notes and their thoughts on the film.

While we get occasional useful notes about the film, Hearn and Rigby mainly reflect on the movie from their own POV. This becomes a decent but erratic piece, as we just don’t learn a whole lot about the production.

The remaining two commentaries come new to this 2025 release. With the 1.66:1 version, we hear from film historians Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw and Stephen Jones as they chat together for their running, screen-specific take on horror in the 1950s and genre domains as well as the movie’s influence, cast and crew, and their take on Curse.

Take my reference to this track as “screen-specific” with a grain of salt. The participants sporadically discuss the action as it happens, but mostly they riff regardless of the movie’s events.

This means that they largely discuss their thoughts about the movie and its place in the genre. At times it feels like they primarily want to one-up each other, and that turns this into an oddly competitive chat, albeit one with some insights along the way.

Finally, the 1.85:1 cut brings a commentary from film historians Heidi Honeycutt and Toby Roan. With their running, screen-specific discussion, they look at story/characters, cast/crew, genre domains and their thoughts about the flick.

You might wonder if a fourth film historian commentary can bring anything new to the table. In this case, the answer comes back yes, but very little.

The factoids we hear generally repeat from elsewhere, and any fresh tidbits don’t seem especially compelling. None of this really matters, though as Honeycutt and Roan mostly make this into an appreciation for Curse rather than a look at those other topics.

Which would seem fine if they provided real insights, but their thoughts remain pretty superficial. This doesn’t turn into an unpleasant chat but it doesn’t offer much of interest, especially for anyone who already screened any of the other tracks.

By the way, Honeycutt displays intense negativity toward George Stevens’ 1956 film Giant. It seems unclear why she feels such animosity toward the movie, as it got massive praise nearly 70 years ago and it seems to continue to enjoy a good reputation.

Honeycutt doesn’t really elaborate why she hates Giant so much. Whatever the case, her disdain for it creates a weird distraction.

Disc One brings other extras as well, and Beside the Seaside runs 50 minutes, 17 seconds. It features comments together from film historian Wayne Kinsey and actor Madeline Smith.

They discuss the life and career of actor Peter Cushing, and we also see artifacts from Cushing's life. Kinsey does the heavy lifting and Smith turns in some personal memories to make this an engaging chat.

Reviving the The Curse of Frankenstein goes for eight minutes, 11 seconds and features Hammer Head of Restoration Mark Stanborough and Silver Salt Restoration Head of Restoration Anthony Badger and Silver Salt colorist Ray King as they discuss the work done to bring the movie up to 4K and 5.1 snuff. We get good insights about these efforts.

A few odds and ends complete Disc One. Alternative Eyeball Scene runs one minute, 11 seconds and offers what it implies: a different version of a movie sequence. It does little to change the segment in the finished film.

A UK Censor Card simply shows what audiences would've seen in that territory pre-showings. Finally, we find the flick's original UK trailer.

As we head to Disc Two, Recreating the Creature occupies 34 minutes, 41 seconds. It involves makeup artist Dave Elsey and actor James Swanton along with archival audio from Curse makeup artist Phil Leakey and modern remarks from Leakey's son Peter.

Elsey uses Swanton as "guinea pig" to show how the movie's monster makeup got put together and they also chat about the film and their experiences. Leakey's notes relate how he came up with the designs and this turns into an effective view of the subject.

A Fitting Vocation lasts 10 minutes, 11 seconds. We find info from film historian Josephine Botting.

She discusses the life and career of costume designer Molly Arbuthnot. Botting provides a good look at Arbuthnot's overall work.

With Topped and Tailed, we locate a 16-minute, 21-second reel. It features Botting, actor Melvyn Hayes and costume designer Melanie Bell.

Costumes become the focus here, as we learn about the wardrobe of Curse. This embellishes "Vocation" in a positive manner.

Good or Tuesday? runs 39 minutes, six seconds. We hear from Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine editor Richard Klemensen and film historians Davie Pirie, Stephen Gallagher, Wayne Kinsey and Stephen Laws.

They reflect on the life and career of screenwriter JImmy Sangster. The participants get into Sangster's history and his work on Curse well.

Next comes Painting with Fine Brushes. In this 11-minute, 49-second program, we find remarks from Klemensen and lighting cameraman Jack Asher.

After an intro from Klemensen, we get an archival recording of Asher from an interview with Klemensen years ago. We get solid information about Asher's career and his labors on Curse.

A Gothic History of Frankenstein fills up 24 minutes, 15 seconds. It delivers material from Gothic screenwriter Stephen Volk.

As implied by the title, we get info about the origins of Frankenstein, aspects of the Gothic genre and aspects of Curse. This becomes less a "Gothic history of Frankenstein and more Volk's appreciation for Curse, so we don't learn a lot here.

Disc Two finishes with an Image Gallery that provides 283 frames of material. We find a mix of ads, publicity stills and behind the scenes shots in this surprisingly excellent compilation.

A Blu-ray, Disc Three comes with plenty more featurettes, and we start with The Resurrection Men. It runs 21 minutes, 51 seconds and brings remarks from Klemensen.

“Resurrection” looks at the state of horror films in the mid-1950s as well as Hammer in the period, Curse’s production and its impact on the genre. Klemensen offers a solid overview of these subjects.

Hideous Progeny goes for 22 minutes, 49 seconds and features film historian Sir Christopher Frayling. He covers aspects of the Gothic genre as well as the adaptation and creation of Curse. Frayling makes this another good piece, one that complements Klemensen’s chat.

With Torrents of Light, we find a 15-minute, 14-second featurette that involves cinematographer David J. Miller. He talks about the work of Curse director of photography Jack Asher in this informative overview.

Diabolus in Musica, a 17-minute, five-second program. It offers notes from composer Christopher Drake, as he tells us about the work of Curse composer James Bernard. Like “Light”, “Diabolus” offers a nice perspective on the movie’s music.

From 2012, Frankenstein Reborn goes for 34 minutes, 45 seconds. We find remarks from Hayes, Rigby, executive producer Michael Carreras, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, film historian Denis Meikle, biographers David Huckvale and David Miller, and Deluxe 142 VP of Film and Digital Services Paul Collard.

The program examines aspects of the movie's development and production as well as its reception in 1957, its legacy and the movie’s 2011 restoration. Unsurprisingly, “Reborn” repeats some elements from prior shows and commentaries, but it nonetheless offers a good summary, even if the notes about the 2011 scan of the film now seem obsolete.

Life with Sir spans 12 minutes, 31 seconds and features Peter Cushing’s secretary Joyce Broughton as she reflects on her time as his assistance. She brings worthwhile insights into the actor, especially his personal life.

Finally, we get an 8mm Home Movie Abridgement (10:35). It provides a severely edited version of the film I assume got sold for people to view on their home projectors.

I had a “home 8mm” edition of Star Wars in 1978, but it didn’t attempt to tell the whole tale. Instead, it just showed two separate scenes in their entirety.

This Curse abridgment tries to deliver a single story, one that revolves around the Creature. It’s basically unwatchable as a version of the movie but it becomes an interesting artifact.

A seminal horror film, The Curse of Frankenstein becomes a quality affair. Dark and complex, it reworks the material in a satisfying manner. The 4K UHD brings generally positive picture and audio along with a slew of bonus materials. Fans should feel pleased with this solid release.