Bob's Movie Club Presents: Frankenstein (2025)

0:00All right. Wake up with Sarah and Vinnie. They're great. They're awesome every morning. Every morning on Ellis, 97-3. All right, it is time for Bob's movie. Love. Welcome to Bob's movie club. Movies are great and today we're talking about a movie. Where's the ginger? I'm playing Frankenstein music instead. The other file was acting weird. Okay. You don't want any weird acting files. Go on. All right, so back to you. Today we're talking about Guillermo del Toro's 2025 take on Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Ellority, Mia Goth. Of course, everyone knows the basics of Frankenstein. This doctor, Dr. Frankenstein creates this monster or creature by combining pieces of dead bodies, which is disgusting, but whatever. I'm going to get right into this because to me,

1:01something that Victor's brother says pretty late in the movie feels very true. That Frankenstein is the monster. And people, there's always that thing. People say, oh, people always say Frankenstein when they're talking about the monster, but the monster is actually Frankenstein's creation, Frankenstein's creature. But this movie, which is the first Frankenstein movie I've ever seen, by the way, makes it very clear to me that the doctor is definitely the monster. Yes. I understand that is abusive. It's disgusting. I get that his mother died and he, his father doesn't quite love him as much as he loves his little brother and he's disturbed. But in that big castle, he couldn't have found one other friend, maybe like a woman who works in the kitchen or in the gardens to fill that role for him. Like he had to take it out on these dead bodies and create and then torture this poor guy. I'm like, I'm not a fan of this Victor guy. No, he's a bad, bad man. Yeah. Well, I, and I agree with, I will say I agree with you. If I could just add

2:07though that he didn't know there was going to be such depth in this thing he built. Okay, but he was a pissed when he first created it and he was like, oh man, this thing's so dumb. You're so dumb. Yeah. No, I got anything other than Victor, but I'm just saying like that that what you was a boss, what you get ultimately from this monster in quotes that he's created is the most emotion in the entire movie. Yes. Like that's where the heart of the move. And for me, the heart of this movie is the monster. Yeah. I couldn't agree more. And I loved when they went to part two and we're like, and you discover that the monster, the creature, Jacob, Allordy can talk and has learned. And then they go into his story about becoming the spirit of the forest and creating a bond with this blind old man where he learned so much. Well, that was well enough for a couple of minutes. I'm like, or I think though it's the same guy who played Wilder Frey or Wilder Frey in

3:12Game of Thrones. He's like, yeah, he's a known dude. I didn't recognize him. I feel like I had a couple questions about the monster section of this because clearly the turnaround on his time with this old man and living in this barn that he's hiding in. It's not that long because he makes it back in time for the wedding that's we all know has been set up and it's going to happen. So it hasn't been that long. It's been like over the winter, I guess. Yeah. But his hair grows down halfway down, especially so it's just that he's because he's such a, he can heal so quickly. So his hair is just exploding out of his head. Is that what do you? I'm going to dive into the semantics of the movie because I think there are a lot of flaws there. What about he's been gone for months, maybe a year and then he goes back to where there was a huge explosion and he finds all the. Yes, that was a problematic. I did think to myself, wow, that's lucky that that

4:14stuff didn't burn. Right. And the giant conflagration that was ridiculous or that the snow hadn't just completely made all the ink run. Yeah. That is true. That's an excellent point. But if we just focus on what Vinnie brought up, which is that Jacob Allority is the heart of the movie, I love that. And I was like, this movie is really going somewhere and is going to say something about feeling that you don't belong. Like what is it going to say? I wanted to know where it goes. And then I feel like they kind of, I don't know if they rushed it at the end or if he Guillermo del Toro hadn't really fully thought it through because he ends up kidnapping Victor and then torturing him to get revenge and then chases him to this boat with all these CGI guys and then her gives him because he's dying and like Victor gets to have peace because he gets to die. And then Jacob Allority goes off into the sun. I don't, I'm like, wait, what? Well, my mind. Where does he go? I don't get it. I actually didn't get it. And I really loved it for maybe an hour and a half in there. In my mind, because I get what you're saying. But in my mind,

5:20that part shows the depth and heart of the monster. Right. And that he's, he has been sentenced to based on the story. He's been sentenced to walk the earth by himself. Yeah. Forever because he can't die. And he's one of the things he's begging this man for is some companionship. And the guy won't do it. Yeah. And in the end, for him to be able to say, I forgive you. I think that's like, there's, there's your heart. Like that is it. That is that part. That person put it this way. The first half of the movie, I was over it because that movie had no heart. Right. Because the guy is so incredibly unlikable. And, and we're watching him descend into madness. And what a jerk. He's like, hitting on his brother's fiance. Who looks like his mom? Why did she look? Why was it his mom? I didn't really pick up on all this mom stuff that you,

6:21that you picked up. No, the woman who plays his mom also plays Elizabeth. I don't really remember his mom. She's at the beginning. And she dies. And she passes fairly quickly. And the dad, they, I watch the beginning so long ago. Fair enough. Yeah. Um, I, I loved though the kind of mechanics of how they told, they had to find the boat and it all starts with this boat. Uh-huh. And they had to do that because that, because the stories needed to be told. And I thought that that was actually a really good way of now he burst in. And he's going to tell his part of the story. And, and they, and they transitioned that. So I thought that was, that worked. I agree. And then, you know, that it was, they were each telling sort of their side of what had happened. But I, the thing I love the most about that movie is the sets. I don't know if it's just a Guillermo del Toro thing, but his, I loved the sets in the shape of water. And I just loved the,

7:23he does a cast of green light and weird subway tile. And I mean, as soon as you saw that hole in the, in the top of the tower, you knew someone was going down there, right? I mean, that was, that was obvious. It was like a, like a pit to have a weird drain pit. It was so strange. Like, I just, and I was like, Castle was amazing. It's not even a castle really. It's just like a standalone tower with some like legs that come out to support it. Like, you know, I don't even know what you'd call it like a base that comes out. And even as he comes back to the castle and he's walking around and like the sun is glinting off these giant, weird stone surfaces. Oh, I just thought that is, so imaginative. Oh, I'm glad you liked it. See, for me, it's too over the top. And it's definitely going for over the top. Like when he finds the little, the little country house when Frankenstein, yes, very darling. Yes, it's very like, it feels very fake. And all, it's very

8:24dramatic and even the inside of that was incredibly beautiful. Yes, it's just, it's too much for me, a little too fairy tale like, but I'm glad you liked it. Well, I mean, it's Frankenstein. So it is a little bit fairy tale. Yeah, I kind of, my favorite parts were probably meagoths outfits. Oh, yeah. I mean, she looked ridiculous with her feather hats, but it worked and the big pops of red. And one of my favorite things, which so I feel so bad for the costume people. I mean, they might win an Oscar, so I don't feel that bad. But they only showed it for a second when she is spoiler alert, dying. And they, she's in her wedding dress. And the blood is filling up from behind her wedding dress was really cool. That was beautiful. And it's funny because when you mentioned that, you know, he's, he's run off now and he's sort of hiding. And the glow of the, of the blood as it just seeps through, it was, I, I also was like, that is just a remarkable detail. It was so good. Yeah. And the movie really caught me in the right mood where all of the,

9:30all of the dialogue that they were saying felt like it was, it was simplistic, but it was chosen really intentionally. Like when, as soon as Christoph Waltz comes into the movie, he's not full. I love him. He's in a few Tarantino movies. He's such a great actor. And I was like, okay, I'm going to like this. And then meagoth comes in and she's like, wars, what happens when fools like you follow their dreams or whatever she says. And I'm like, oh, yeah, I give it to him. But I feel like what she says doesn't end up taking them anywhere. Right. But I, I see what you're saying. Jacob Allority forgiving him at the end. I guess is showing the depth of the monster, but I just felt so bad for him still at the end. I don't, well, what a horrible fate. And does he need to eat? It doesn't seem like it doesn't seem like it. I didn't, I thought the same. In fact, there's the scene where meagoth or her character is actually having a moment with the monster. And he pulls her glove off. And I'm thinking, he might eat your hand. Like, you really should be

10:33careful. You're, he had him right near his face. I was thinking, he may think that's, you don't know if he's a bite out. I don't know. But he'd never eat. So you don't see that at all. He eats berries with the, oh yeah, that's with the deer or something that get, then get shot. All right. So many, so many tuts in this. I know. It's a lot of horror. How is horror movie? How does it compare to what the Frankenstein books you've read? Did you feel like it was true to that? Or did you like the interpretation of it? You know, I would say this. The Frankenstein books that we talked about, we've both read these. The Coons, yeah, the Dean Coons books. They are, they're not this, they're not this story. Like, this is like the origin story. And, and the, the simple tale of Frankenstein, as I know it, is the guy is a madman. He wants to create life from death. He creates a guy with the flat head and the neck up and things and, and, you know,

11:35fire, and then there's a monster living at this place. And so the townsfolk come with the pitchforks and torches and they, and they kill them. The neck effing things. You know, I'm talking about the neck bolts. Yeah, the neck bolts, whatever those things are. And, you know, the sewn on flat top, which is, which is a great look. I don't, I don't know that I've ever watched a Frankenstein movie. I mean, I guess I know this story. How do I know the story, even? I think it's just the story that's been around forever. And it's, it's told through multiple different cartoons and movies and, and then there's the, isn't there a gene wilder version too? What is the, isn't that the, the bride of Frankenstein? It's all, but like, it's all built in this little universe where a mad scientist saw that, right? On creature double features. Yeah. But I, I, I think they nail one thing that I would really want from this movie,

12:38which was the heart. I don't always need heart in a movie. Like I can watch a movie and be all comedy or action, whatever. And you don't always need that. But in this movie, as I was cruising through it, I would, I had nothing to latch on to. I wasn't until part. And then part two comes and you start to see this. And I do think Jacob already did a decent job. I agree. Not, not Oscar worthy. There were a couple times where his voice dropped in and out the way of normal to monster. I like barely caught it. But I was like, that wasn't great. Well, don't you think that was maybe purposeful to show like he's kind of human? Maybe drawing from all these humans that made him. Do you think he's an Oscar worthy role? This was an Oscar worthy role? Oh, I never feel like this because I respect movies and actors so much. But there were a few times where I was a little embarrassed for him watching it when he's curl up in a ball. I'm like, Oh, man, you're really having to go there. I, and I think I think it pays off.

13:40I don't, I don't think he's going to win the Oscar. I like the pants you were and that was good. You said that was like a diaper. It was really booty shorts. Yeah. I think they did a good job with him. I wish he was like, they just mummified just that part. Yeah. And his wrists. Oh, yeah, yeah. I wish he had a green tint instead of a blue tint because then that would have felt a little bit more Frankenstein. Right. And that would have made sense. Like, you know, people do turn green when they're rotting. So, but he wasn't rotting. He was very much alive. It makes, makes no sense. Okay. Let's do ratings. Vincenzo. What would you give Frankenstein? So this is a bit I, so we just watch Frankenstein. It's the Oscars are this weekend next weekend next weekend. Okay. So, and I'm sure it's up for a bunch of stuff. I will say through the first half of the movie, I would have given this movie had it not changed entirely at part two. I would have given this movie barely a one. Oh, wow. I was not enjoying it. I didn't care about it. And I just, and I realized

14:41the sets are, you know, neat, but I just wasn't into it. The second part, there's so much redemption in the movie in the second part that it brought this movie for me up to a three, three, you know, stars out of five. It's good. It's not great. It has the, I feel like it has a lot of the things that are in great movies. I agree with you. It took too long to get to the part that I started to really be invested in really care about. The sets blew my mind. I loved it. I loved every room that they were shot in. I loved the starkness of the castle and the crazy dude who's housed there and the things he's trying to accomplish. I didn't mind the ending really. I felt like, okay, well, we accept that this guy can't be killed. And that guy's going to die anyway. What does he have to gain by not forgiving him or torturing him in his last moments? And it is his father, I guess. I also, I can't love this movie though. I give it a three and a half.

15:49I was really on the edge between three and a half, but I think I'm going to go with a three. It's really not my style of movie. First of all, it's too over the top, but I love what they tried, how they tried to bring the heart to Frankenstein. But ultimately, it felt like this madman I have find in some biohacking and then not only getting to learn his lesson because he was going to die. And I don't like that. But yeah, I don't think he actually did anything to earn that apology other than be tortured by Jacob Ellority, which I don't think is a good way to learn a lesson. So it's not, it's not for me. Well, the thing that I do think and it starts right when he gets violent with his little creation is it already has me feeling this some kind of way. Like I'm feeling bad for this non human thing. I already hate it. Like don't I hate that guy.

16:52He doesn't buy you this thing. I can go against my sensibility. So I'm already warming up to what and then he becomes the thing that you like really you become and that deer scene you are like falling in love with the guy. Absolutely. You're like there's a he's a kind gentle. And this is the it's a duplicate of the scene where Frankenstein from the movie meets a little girl and she do you remember that from the movie? There's a scene and it's very it's been replayed and redone a million times. But I believe she gives him a flower. And he's he's the monster, but he doesn't do anything to this little girl who greets him with kindness. And and so it's like that that's kind of do replicated in the deer scene where he shares a berry right and then a bullet. Yeah. Yeah.

17:53800, 400, 3697. That's the number where you can send text. We just had another incredible Bob's movie club. Sure did. And we'd love to hear from you on it. Yeah, we just talked about the new Frankenstein movie, which is on Netflix. If you haven't checked it out yet nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, 707 says I love that the design of the wedding gown had sleeves that looked like bandages like the ones the monster was originally wrapped in. So they kind of had a tie. But I didn't notice that. I didn't notice it either, but when I was researching for Bob's movie clubs, it did come up. So it was showing the connection between Mia Goths character and Frankenstein, which she was my favorite part of the movie by far. And her interactions with the monster. Just amazing. Amazing. Uh, 408 says is Jacob already walking into the sun at the end setting up for a sequel. Would you guys watch a Frankenstein sequel of him continuing humanity or maybe finding him bride? I don't think I would. I don't think so. But that that's just me like

18:59that I, but I also thought that a squid game ended. And then there was another one. So yeah, I'm, and so maybe, but I do think that it's just showing you like now this person walks off forever. Like that's what this person was or this monster was trying to fix was I can't die. I need some companionship. And he doesn't get that. And he walks off into the sunset. And it's going to be forever. Yeah. That's kind of how that ends for me. I thought, you know, maybe he goes up to the North Pole saying, and there he is. He just hanging. And then he gets bored. But 150 years have gone by. I don't know when this is set mid. I was like a mid 1800s. But it feels right. So now he comes back. But it gets to America on Halloween. And he, and then we're all like,

20:04wow, man, that is a great costume. And then he finds love and acceptance because we're all about like every, you know, that clearly this guy's been through some stuff. He's the new Elvira and doesn't have to worry about aging out. Right. He's now the party people's favorite event right of Halloween. Yes. I feel like the people of today would accept him much more readily than the people in the 1800s who were like, oh my god, quick, kill that monster. I would like to think that's true. And I don't think that's true at all. What would we do? I think that we have, as humans, have not come, come very far in terms of understanding things that are not like ourselves. He is kind of hot though. You know, he'd have that going for him. He's that hot. I don't know what you're talking about. I like him. The hot thing. That is. He's not. I'll look at him on maimed. I like it. I wasn't attracted to him, but I appreciated the shape of his body.

21:07If that makes sense. Yeah. It doesn't. Go on. Five Winos says, I wonder if the Frankenstein creature represents some of the feelings Guillermo del Toro had as a child because as a child, his father won the lottery in Mexico. So he lived in a huge mansion. He mentioned on a talk show that he would go days without seeing anyone in the house. He's also says that he was very morose as a child and his older brother was happy. Go lucky. I think that if you look at all the movies Guillermo del Toro has made like Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth and the Shape of Water and even Pinocchio, he's obsessed with this idea of a creature, not a full human, but having human traits trying to navigate this world. And he's made it in every single movie. And I feel like it's out of biographical. He feels like a normal person. 100%. Wow. Well, don't we all share that in different moments of life where whether whatever it is where you just feel like

22:08I am so on the outside of this scenario, whatever it is. That's interesting. I think that we all can relate to that in in small ways. I don't. Yeah, definitely. I'm not six seven with scars all over and you were into that. No, I just said I wasn't. I was. That's it. You said she likes his body. Yeah. And we had a few people say that their kids have been reading the original Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley. She was only 17 years old when she wrote this book originally a Gothic horror story. And the theme of it is like what happens if science goes too far and man is too hubris. Ah, it's like what we think today about like AI and or cloning or you know, if science goes too far, so much science fiction is so funny that she would think that well, I don't even know that she thought this, but like I think of science fiction as the things that are in the future, the developments that we've come up with where the world is,

23:12you know, far into the future and all the all the new tack or whatever. But for somebody in the 1800s, I mean, I don't even know when electricity was in the mix. Like maybe she's like, this is, this is what they're they're going to come up with. Like that was the sci-fi of the day. Like that we would use lightning to bring a dude back to life. I yeah, I don't have anything for that. I'm just still feeling so annoyed by Victor. Like he I get and no offense here, my doctoro, if this is your story, but I understand horrible things happening to you. But if you choose to drown in your own misery, that's on you. And maybe that's my privileged perspective or maybe it's my choice to see the positives in everything. Well, you're the brother in that scenario. Like his brother's happy go lucky and he's just wallowing and self-loathing and loneliness. Yeah, and the brother never even had a mom at all. So what about that? Yeah, what about that? Yeah, what about it? I don't know. Is that all? Yeah.

24:19Okay. I think that's enough. Wake up with good vibes and variety. Oh my god, that's brilliant. We gotta do that. Sarah and Vinnie. Alice 973.