The Curse of Frankenstein – Warner Archive Collection (UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1957
Director: Terence Fisher
Writer: Jimmy Sangster
Cast: Peter Cushing, Hazel Court, Robert Urquhart, Christopher Lee

Release Date: October 14th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 30 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision, 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision, 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR 10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Italian, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.99

"Driven by obsession and defying the laws of nature, Baron Victor Frankenstein dares to reanimate the dead, creating not just life but a monstrous force beyond his control. As his experiments spiral into madness, Frankenstein must confront the consequences of playing God in a world unprepared for the horrors he unleashes." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (All Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K restoration of the three versions of the film."

The Curse of Frankenstein comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 86.2 GB

Feature: 43.1 GB (1.37:1 Aspect Ratio), 34 GB (1.66:1 Aspect Ratio)

The Curse of Frankenstein comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 75.8 GB

Feature: 55.7 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)

This release presents the film in three different aspect ratios, and the source used for these transfers looks excellent. Fleshy tones look healthy; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH and French, Spanish, Italian, and German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on 4K UHD disc one include UK censor card (11 seconds, no sound), UK theatrical trailer (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), alternate eyeball scene (1 minute 11 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a restoration featurette titled Reviving The Curse of Frankenstein (8 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about Peter Cushing titled Beside the Seaside: actress Madeline Smith and Hammer expert Wayne Kinsey visit Peter Cushing’s hometown of Whitstable (50 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with author and critic Kim Newman, horror anthologist and writer Stephen Jones and Barry Forshaw, author of British Gothic Cinema, and an archival audio commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby.

Extras on 4K UHD disc two include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (posters/stills/articles), an interview with scriptwriter and novelist Stephen Volk titled A Gothic History of Frankenstein, in which he discusses Mary Shelley's original novel, its adaptation to cinema and the legacy of Hammer's genre-defining 1957 film (24 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer/publisher Dick Klemensen titled Painting with Fine Brushes, in which he discusses cinematographer Jack Asher (11 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about screenwriter Jimmy Sangster titled Good or Tuesday?, featuring comments by writer/actor Mark Gatiss, Dick Klemensen, author Stephen Laws, screenwriter/novelist Stephen Gallagher, screenwriter/producer David Pirie, and writer/publisher Wayne Kinsey (39 minutes 6 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about long-time Hammer costume designer Molly Arbuthnot titled A Fitting Vocation, featuring comments by  professor Melanie Bell and the British Film Institute's Jo Botting (10 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), another featurette about Molly Arbuthnot titled Topped and Tailed, featuring comments by actor Melvyn Hayes, Melanie Bell and Jo Botting (16 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Recreating the Creature, where Igor Studios' Lou Elsey and Academy Award-winning Dave Elsey recreate Leakey's iconic make-up on actor James Swanton (34 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with writer/producer Dr. Steve Haberman and filmmaker and film historian Constantine Nasr, and an audio commentary with Heidi Honeycutt, writer, filmmaker and film programmer, and cult movie expert Toby Roan.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an 8mm abridge version of The Curse of Frankenstein (10 minutes 35 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English with burnt-in English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer David J. Miller titled Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher (15 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author and cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling titled Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition (22 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Christopher Drake titled Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror (17 minutes 5 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Richard Klemensen titled The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film (21 minutes 51 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Life With Sir, featuring comments by Peter Cushing’s secretary and long-time friend, Joyce Broughton (12 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival featurette titled Frankenstein Reborn, featuring comments by Melvyn Hayes, Hammer experts Denis Meikle and Jonathan Rigby, James Bernard's biographer David Huckvale, producer Michael Carreras, and screenwriter Jimmy Sangster (34 minutes 45 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Terence Fisher directed The Curse of Frankenstein. His other notable films include The Man Who Could Cheat Death, Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, and The Mummy (1959).

Not only is The Curse of Frankenstein an important film that reshaped UK horror cinema, but it is also a film that forever changed Hammer Films' legacy. Founded in 1934, Hammer Films primarily produced dramas and comedies before branching out into sci-fi and eventually creating their landmark horror film. The Curse of Frankenstein. That said, while The Curse of Frankenstein retains core elements of Mary Shelley's story, it is a reimagining that bears little resemblance to previous Frankenstein film adaptations.

At the start of the narrative, Baron Victor Frankenstein's fate is unveiled: he is awaiting execution for the murder of his maid. From there, the narrative is mostly told via a lengthy flashback, retracing his life from childhood to bringing the dead back to life and the monster turning on its creator. While his fate is immediately known, the narrative does a superb job holding your attention by fleshing out his backstory.

Although Peter Cushing (Corruption) and Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man) both appeared in Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet, the first time they appeared in a scene together was in The Curse of Frankenstein. While both actors are known for their horror films, before The Curse of Frankenstein, neither of them, up to that point, had worked in horror cinema. Their roles are strikingly different: Peter Cushing’s character delivers extensive dialogue, while Christopher Lee’s performance relies solely on physical expression. Another performance of note is Hazel Court (The Man Who Could Cheat Death) in the role of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s cousin and fiancée.

Besides Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher was the other key component of most Hammer Films' success in the horror genre. His direction for The Curse of Frankenstein: not only does he get the most out of his cast, but he also delivers a handful of visually arresting moments. When it comes to the overall visual look, The Curse of Frankenstein is filled with breathtaking cinematography that’s infused with gothic horror elements.

From a production standpoint, The Curse of Frankenstein is a film where everything perfectly aligns. Although only 83 minutes in duration, its narrative covers a lot of ground and has more depth than films that are half an hour longer. James Bernard's exemplary score should not be overlooked, as it does a remarkable job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The Curse of Frankenstein is a film deserving of its landmark status, and it has not lost any of its luster after all of these years.

The Curse of Frankenstein gets an exceptional release that leaves no stone unturned; it comes with a solid audio/video presentation, there are three aspect ratio options, and a wealth of informative extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer