Music of Frankenstein

This assignment focuses on the multimedia aspect of Frankenstein and the meanings behind those that have been made. The first assignment was to listen to and watch the song “Frankenstein” by the group Willoughby and make insights into the reasonings behind the song. The second portion of the assignment was to view the clip “Frankenstein’s Wedding-The End-My Body is a Cage” by the group Arcade Fire.AVI. Similarly, we are to analyze the clip through its lyrics and make comparisons to what we know of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Lastly, we are given the task of finding a source of multimedia which pulls from the ideas of Frankenstein in a way that helps us further our understanding of Mary Shelley’s novel.

For the first portion of the assignment, the song “Frankenstein” by Willoughby, many similarities made which show relation to Mary Shelley’s novel. I believe that the author is writing about his love for someone and that certain someone has left him. For this reason, he feels alone in the world and recollects the memories they had together. He is desperately trying to find this someone again to end his suffering, posting fliers listing the person (Frankenstein) as missing. The songwriters are trying to portray how much the missing person is part of the man searching for him, much like how Victor desperately searches for Frankenstein in the novel; albeit for different reasons.

The second portion of the assignment focusing on the lyrics of “My Body is a Cage” shows that the song is basically portraying the exact life of Frankenstein (from his perspective). The song relays the message in many ways, one of the first you notice is the song title “My Body is a Cage.” Frankenstein spirit is essentially being held captive by his grotesque body. Everyone that sees him immediately jumps to the  ”judging a book by its cover” cliche and do not give him a chance to express his intelligence, including his creator Victor. The song also describes how “my language is dead,” which refers to the groaning of Frankenstein that audiences often associate with him, giving the impression that he is incapable of creating or understanding any type of language; this also goes back to show how his “body is a cage.” It’s almost as if the song is showing Frankenstein’s sorrow, as he feels he can never truly love someone just due to his physical characteristics and he feels as though he is “standing on the stage of fear and self-doubt” (Arcade Fire).

Lastly, the media I found that relates back to Frankenstein is the song “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park. The songs talks about the feelings of wrongdoing and injustice; attempting to overcome what he has done in order to wash away his sins and restart anew. At the same time however, he realizes he needs to “face himself” and accept what he is although he may not like it. This is much like Frankenstein in the novel, as he realizes what he has done to William is an act of injustice, but he doesn’t want the image of a murderer and tells his creator Victor that he will be the bane of humanity or will simply try to fit in.  They used Frankenstein as a base for their song because of what the song is about, and why not use it? It is one of the most known stories in history and many people can relate to it.

Overall, all of these types of media relate to Frankenstein in similar ways. Most portray the feelings of Frankenstein: abandonment, loneliness, grief, and that of being misunderstood. Each one pulls from Frankenstein in a manner that enhances the media and makes it more relatable to an audience that, for the most part, already have background knowledge of the story of Frankenstein.

Quotes

The goal of this post is to choose quotes from what we have read in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and explain how we will use them in our argument paper. So far, I have read up to the point where Frankenstein is created so I will choosing my quotes from that section of the book.

There are many lines of this book that could be used in some form or another to enhance the argument papers that we will be writing for our English class. However, it is the process of choosing only a select few that have in depth meaning that will make our paper good. One such quote that I believe will be useful for my paper reads “One of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal with life. Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?” (Shelley, 52). This quote exudes Victor Frankensteins ambitions for experimenting with life, as this, I believe, is the first time he actually questions life and the principles around it. It shows his interests and kind of even sounds as though he is excited by such thoughts.

There are also many quotes from the book show the “mad scientists” point of view that audiences today often  associate with Victor Frankenstein. One such line reads “…and the moon gazed on my midnight labours…Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal” (Shelley, 55). This quote shows just how “mad” Victor Frankenstein is. He no longer cares about any of his doings, right or wrong, and has nothing on his mind but that of his experiment. He is essentially throwing all the morales he has ever had out the window at this point and is vandalizing the bodies of those that have passed; he has no respect for the dead. To go along with this, Shelley later tells us that Frankenstein realizes this, stating that “I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.” (55). He literally admits that he believes he has lost touch with his own soul. What kind of man would ever want to loose the very foundation of what makes us as a person? Apparently, it takes a mad scientist, and for this reason I now see why Frankenstein is labeled as one.

These are just a few of the many quotes that I will be using in my argument paper. If I were to list out every line that I believe has potential for use I would probably be writing the equivalent of a ten page paper. The quotes I picked for this blog will be used to support my stance on Frankenstein being the crazy mad-man that is truly the evil character in the book. No man should have such an obsession to the point of forfeiting your own soul and family to reach any goal, no matter if it is for a good reason or not.

Advertisement

Of the Frankenstein advertisements posted, there are a certain type that stand out to me the most. The beer/alcohol vendors of Heineken and Absolut advertise their products through Frankenstein in a way that is both visual pleasing and even comical. The Heineken brand shows Frankenstein’s creation opening a bottle of beer via using the bolts (or bottle-openers as shown) to open the product. Another add by them also shows Frankenstein in a bathroom with other famous monsters such as Dracula, the Wolf-man, a mummy, and a zombie. The Absolut brand is more straightforward with their ads, focusing only on their bottle designs to advertise Frankenstein. Naming one, which would be for the female demographic I assume, the Absolut Shelley, and the other, for the male demographic, which is called the Absolut Karloff.

The Heineken Brand is the most effective in my opinion of the two brands. The ad is shown in a manner which is both visual pleasing and is comical. The way Frankenstein’s creature is shown opening the bottle with his neck bolts really appeals to the audience and I’m sure it produced many laughs from those who viewed it. It’s obvious why they would choose Frankenstein during Halloween season, as it most likely produced a significant sales boost during the time surrounding Halloween. I think that Heineken was able to present their product in combination with Frankenstein very well and the only change I would make would be to make Frankenstein have a grin to lighten the mood of the ad.

On the other hand, the Absolut Vodka brand made their ad solely based on the visual perspectives. They modified their Absolut Shelley bottle by giving it stitches to make it look sewn together and also gave it Frankenstein’s famous neck bolts. The other one, called the Absolut Karloff, depicts Frankenstein’s creature as the wrapped up monster on the table as the bottle itself it sheathed in mummy-like wrappings. From looking at the names and characteristics of the bottle, I would most definitely say that they are gender specified as aforementioned, giving each demographic their own choice of bottle. But once again, I think that this company also did a very good job of advertising their product. They created a cool twist to what is usually a pretty bland bottle.

Both companies did a good job in advertising their products. Heineken through making its ad comical and Absolut through its visuals displayed their products alongside Frankenstein in a way that integrates the two ideas nicely. Overall, I believe both companies benefited through using Frankenstein in their ad, as it never hurts to have one of the most subconsciously known characters of all time being shown not with just these products, but frankly any and every product one can possibly think to advertise.

 

 

Onion A.V. Club and Oh the Horror Reviews

Both of these reviews reflect on the significance and impact of the original horror movie Frankenstein(1931). In the “Onion A.V. Club” review the author, Keith Phipps, discusses how Frankenstein is truly one of the few movies that have integrated themselves into our society in a way that is so common we don’t think twice about it. On the other hand, the “Oh the Horror” review goes into detail about the impact of the movie on the author, Brett Gallman, himself. Each provides glances into  unique aspects of the movie that have made it what it is today.

First off, the “Onion A.V. Club” review. The author seeks to show how Frankenstein’s creature has left an impression that will forever be a part of who we are as a society today. This is best shown when Phipps states  that “His dull eyes, flat head, working-man’s clothes, and bolt-adorned neck, the creature entered the public consciousness seemingly instantly and forever.” His description is almost exactly what comes to mind when the everyday person thinks of the word Frankenstein, although Frankenstein refers to the doctor and not the creature. This description and the characteristics surrounding Frankenstein have truly made Mary Shelley’s original story a part of our subconscious, as stated by Phipps, no matter what era or generation we grew up in. This also goes to show that even if you haven’t seen the movie, you can still recognize the creature just from the unique characteristics that are associated with him.

The next review, “Oh the Horror” by Brett Gallman, is more about how the movie made an impact on the author’s personal life involving the horror movie genre and also goes into more depth and description of the movies than that of Phipps’s. As a child he was introduced to the horror genre at a young age by his father. He had heard about Frankenstein by the time he was four, but had never seen the movie, so when his father decided to rent it for him to watch “…it was an unbelievable experience.”  From this point on, he would always be a fan of the horror genre, and if it wasn’t for his father introducing him to Frankenstein, he doesn’t believe he would have the same appreciation for it as he does today.  Gallman also talks about what truly classifies a movie as great and how “…gore isn’t everything when it comes to horror.” This shows that all aspects of a movie make it great and that it can’t be one dimensional, as things such as thrills and acting also play a significant role.

Overall, both Phipps and Gallman have taken away a positive experience from watching Frankenstein and it’s one that they are likely to never forget. Both the reviews show the impact of the movie on both our culture and our subconsciousness as unique individuals. Leading to the conclusion that the creature of the movie Frankenstein will not soon be forgotten and will, in all likelihood, continue to perpetuate in society, literature, and culture.

“The Cemetery Skeleton” Summary

In Jame’s Whale’s “Frankenstein” the audience isfirst expossed to a scen involving Dr. Frankenstein and his hump-backed assistant Fritz in which they lurk behind a ominous funeral procession. The two intend on diggging up the freshly dead body of a man which we are given no information about. In this scene, there looms over the graveyeard the symbolic and literal symbol for death, being a hooded skeleton with hands resting on the hilt of a sword. This particular figure is the subject of analyzation by the author of “The Cemetery Skeleton” and he/she looks and deciphers the importance that is holds in the movie.

The author talks about how the skeleton sets the tone for the rest of the movie. First of all, by being a symbol of death, that alone forebodes that something evil or bad may be imminent. The author of the article states that “The skeleton is an ancient and enduring symbol of death” which goes to show that this figure has been convoluted throughout human history in a sub conscience that we don’t think about. Another insight into this scene can be witnessed with Frankenstein essentially tossing dirt into the face of the hooded figure, exemplified by the author when he/she states “In a telling gesture, Colin Clive’s Frankenstein, concentrated on his urgent task, blithely throws a shovelful of graveyard dirt square into the skeleton’s face.” This act of demoralization by Frankenstein on the figure clearly expresses his disrespect for death, almost as though death itself means nothing to him. By this, the audience can somewhat predict Frankenstein’s future.He took death for a fool and in the end death came calling due to his negligence.

The author with his “The Cemetery Skeleton” article clearly showed the important role that the symbol of death played in the film. Through Frankenstein’s lack of respect and by the sheer presence of the hooded figure alone, one can deduce the potential horrors to come later in the film. Frankenstein cheated death from its toll, so death came and reclaimed what was due.

 

Website Review

Overall, the author of the “Horror.com” review shows us his personal and professional opinion on the the classic movie “Frankenstein.” He holds many opinions that are both relatable and un-relatable from my perspective. For instance, the imagery that captures his attention surrounding with what he considers the best scene in the movie is something I also agree with. The scene being the moment where the creature of Frankenstein’s creation is first unveiled to the audience in new light and the heavily make-uped Boris Karlhof appears to us on film. The black and white film ultimately makes this scene happen, as the creature slowly creeps in the room from the darkness in a fashion that gets the audience captivated. As the review says, although this appearance is not necessarily what Mary Shelly may have had in mind, the description in her original novel is so vague that some innovation had to be included in order to even produce a film-worthy product.

On the other hand, an aspect that I would say the author of the review is wrong about is how he disagrees on how Elizabeth is portrayed in the movie; being a young upper class women with the enunciation that you would expect from such a person. He believes that she should have been seen as more of a “shell of a person” so to speak, where her intelligence would be at best minimal and she would have no clear education judging from her voice solely. I personally think that the movie portrays Elizabeth very well, probably better than any other character besides the creature. Mary Shelley wrote about a wealthy Elizabeth, and the movie gave us a wealthy version of Elizabeth; so I don’t see the problem.

By any means, I agree with most of the author’s viewpoints and would have to say that by large, he did an excellent job speaking with intelligence to intelligent people. Not everyone can agree with every opinion the author holds, but that is just a fact of life and it goes the same for any situation.

 

Re-Re-REMIX

There are a countless assortment of “remixes” that have been made over time, almost every single thought or idea has at some point already been thought of and incorporated for a specific function; whether the information was consciously derived or not, it is still a remix. Frankenstein in this case is truly a “freak of nature” since its one of the only (thought to be) original works that wasn’t derived from a source. This is also a significant feat because if you think about it, every individual’s past experiences in some way,shape,or form contribute to that person’s thoughts and ideas. To visualize just how difficult this is, imagine you were born with knowledge of reading and writing and so-forth, but then put in a room by yourself for the remainder of your life with no social contact and nothing but a pen and paper. What you would write about in your time there would be completely original, no matter what the contents were, right? Well maybe is the best answer, because who knows if someone hasn’t already written about the same material. That’s just how difficult it is for something to be original. Now as far as remixes go, I’d have to say that in large part, I am a fan. I appreciate it when movie directors take old, pixilated, and bad acting films that aren’t to today’s standards and make them something worth watching after all. Examples of these can be found with many classic western movies, like True Grit. Sorry, but John Wayne just doesn’t captivate like he used to. Its hard to ruin a movie that was considered good in the first place, something seriously has to be fudged up for it to happen, just like what happened in The Longest Yard (which was horrible)….(like extremely horrible). Anyway, in the end I suppose remakes are good for everyone, as long as they are remade by someone with a lot of money.

What’s Up!

Hi everyone! My name is Trevor and I’m a student studying Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. I’m loving college so far; the social life is awesome, but the classes are tough!! When I’m not studying I enjoy hanging out with my friends here on campus, watching sports, playing games, working-out, and when it’s not all snowy getting out and playing sports. The sports that I like to play are pretty much any you can think of, but the main ones are golf, basketball, tennis, and football; all of which I played in high school(including track). My favorite books/authors would probably have to be Dan Brown, Cormac McCarthy, Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Tom Clancy novels. When it comes to movies I’ll watch anything, but I prefer classic Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell comedies, and Christopher Walken is hilarious! Anyway, I’m a pretty social person so don’t shy away from a conversation with me. So If I’m being quiet in class, I’ve probably had a long day and/or woke up too early for my liking! I try to get out and about whenever I can, although its hard being in a engineering major, it can be done! I like to go to the fraternities on the weekends just like everyone else, but when Sunday comes I’m back in work mode. I’m still looking to meet new people here, at such a big college you rarely get to see the same person twice! For this reason, small classes such as this one help make new bonds with people and establish potential relations for the future. I hope to gain a lot from my college experience in regards to both my social life and educational career, hopefully I can somehow find a median in which I will be able to balance the two. But yup, thats about all there is to know about me!