Thomas Edison’s Frankenstein

From a link on one of the blogs of the Halloween-a-thon (I wish I could remember which, and when I find it, I’ll give credit), Thomas Edison’s 1910 version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Yeah, Thomas Edison.

The monster’s creation is really sort of gross, and simply, but creatively done. Once finished, the monster seems more obnoxious than anything else. Whiny, argumentative, nagging, petulant … not exactly terrifying.

The ending doesn’t make any sense either. But this is a thrill to watch for two reasons; because it’s Thomas Edison’s take on it, and because the visual aesthetic is a joy, whether you’re a historian or a steampunk, horror, science fiction, or silent movie fan.