YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

US, 1974, 109 minutes, Black and White.
Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Gene Hackman.
Directed by Mel Brooks.

Young Frankenstein, Mel Brook's latest send-up, is not a send-up in the outrageous style, although some of the situations and dialogue are far-fetchingly humorous. Rather, the film pays respect to the horror genre and parodies it. Casting is clever: Gene Wilder as the hero is excellent and Marty Feldman a marvellous Igor. Cloris Leachman parodies Judith Anderson as the housekeeper; Madeleine Kahn is any immaculately-coiffeured 30s heroine, especially at her station farewell. Peter Boyle endows the monster with feeling, parallelling hilariously the original's child sequence, and in his unexpected stage appearance. Good fun and acceptable to horror-enthusiasts too.

1. An enjoyable film? Why? Did it succeed in its aims at humour? what is the nature of a parody?

2. How close to the original is it? In ideas, themes, style, treatment? In what does the spoofing consist? How much is farce an exaggerated send-up? Was this a parody of a send-up?

3. Comment on the horror techniques used. The use of black and white etc., storm sequences, bodies, laboratories, exaggerations on this? The monster and the overtones of terror?

4. If you saw the original Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein, how closely did the present film parallel them? How well done were the parallels?

5. Did this film appropriately use black and white photography? Its use of music for the horror genre? Its use of sets - lecture rooms, the castle, the laboratories, the Transylvania settings?

6. How funny was the film? Was its humour always in good taste with respect to the horror genre? what in the horror genres appeals to audiences? To be frightened? Scared? What appeals in the Frankenstein story? The man playing with life? wanting to play God? The role of science? The mad assistant? The monster? And the monster's terror?

7. How well did the film use a modern setting as parallel to 19th century settings? How did the 19th century atmosphere absorb the present? How did the 20th century reassert itself at the end - on the stage, the song and dance routine, the tone of the ending of the film?

8. How interesting a character was Young Frankenstein? Was he a parody of the original Dr. Frankenstein? Did he caricature him in any way?

9. His early lectures, his family heritage, name pronunciation, refusal to play the role of his grandfather, love for Elizabeth, meting of Igor and relationships with him, the fascination of the experiments, playing God, his assistant, the housekeeper, his creation of the monster, his response to the minister, his presenting him on the stage for science, the song and dance, his waking, his relationship with Elizabeth, the happy ending for him?

10. What was your response to the monster? Was he monstrous? How fearful? How endowed with feeling? The performance of Peter Boyle and the humanity for the monster? His playing with the child? On the stage? The song and dance? The only future for him was to settle down with Elizabeth in ordinary suburban life - the satire in this?

11. Comment on Marty Feldman’s comedy as Igor - his appearance, the hunch, his wise-cracks, his atmosphere of horror films etc. Was he an asset to the film?

12. How appropriate was the girl assistant? In her relationship with Young Frankenstein? For the ending?

13. The take-off of Judith Anderson in Rebecca in the housekeeper? How humorous? A caricature? Any humanity? The neighing of the horses at the mention of her name etc.?

14. The parody and satire in Elizabeth? The 30s film heroine saying farewell at the station and the comedy in this? Her relationship to Young Frankenstein? Her infatuation with the monster? Her fulfilment with him?

15. What were the highlights of the film?

16. What is the value of laughing at horror genres?