TNT is trying to sell viewers on its new version of "Frankenstein" by pushing it as being faithful to Mary Shelley's novel.
It's not.It comes closer in some aspects to Shelley's story than the Boris Karloff tradition of a dumb, criminal monster and a heroic Dr. Frankenstein. But a faithful adaptation it isn't.
Oh, the resemblances are there - particularly at the beginning and at the end. And this version attempts to make the monster what Shelley intended - a pitiful character who only wants love and understanding but who is rejected because of his appearance.
The TNT movie can't resist some hokey special effects - the snake with the cat's head in Dr. Frankenstein's lab is particularly weird. And the creation process for the monster is odd, to say the least.
But at that crucial point in the plot, screenwriter/director/pro-ducer David Wickes errs badly - he has the monster fleeing from his creator, while Shelley had Dr. Frankenstein fleeing from his creation. A vital point, being that it was the doctor's rejection that pushed the monster on its murderous but well-thought-out path.
The monster's eventual meeting with his maker, and his demand that Dr. Frankenstein create him a mate, parallel's Shelley's book.
But other than that, the script goes far astray from the book, and not to its benefit.
This movie is also considerably more violent than the book. There were five killings in the book, all of which were important to the plot.
There are 13 killings in this movie, and the massacre toward the end is an exploitative mess.
All of this could have been forgiven had the TNT movie come close to recreating the brooding horror of the novel. It doesn't.
As a matter of fact, there's really no horror at all to this movie. It's a failed character study that isn't in the least bit chilling.
Randy Quaid manages to bring some humanity to the monster, but his elaborate makeup doesn't do the trick. He just looks like a slightly tall, really ugly guy.
And Patrick Bergen brings nothing to the part of Dr. Frankenstein.
If you really want to know what Mary Shelley intended, read her book. And if you want to see a good "Frankenstein" movie, rent the 1931 version - far removed as it is from the book.
Don't bother with TNT's new cable movie version.
DAYTIME RATINGS: CBS won the daytime ratings war last week for an amazing 222nd week in a row, but it was close.
CBS' 5.7 edged ABC by a tenth of a rating point. NBC, as usual, trailed badly, with a 2.7 rating.
For the week ending June 2, here are the top 10 daytime shows, their network and rating:
1. "Young and the Restless," CBS, 8.2; 2. "All My Children," ABC, 7.7; 3. "Price Is Right 2," CBS, 6.7; 4. "General Hospital," ABC, 6.4; 5. "One Life to Live," ABC, 5.9; 6. "Bold & the Beautiful," CBS, 5.7; 7. "Price Is Right 1," CBS, 5.6; 8. "As the World Turns," CBS, 5.4; 9. "Guiding Light," CBS, 5.0; 10. "Days of Our Lives," NBC, 4.4.