Nigel P For a project with a running time in excess of three hours, 'Frankenstein: The True Story' seems in a hurry to get on with it, at least initially. Five minutes in, and we've already witnessed the death of Frankenstein's brother William and his subsequent frustration with the fatality; his fianceé Elizabeth (Nicola Pagett) is exasperated by his plans to thwart death by recreating life – it seems as if the telling of the story has almost started without us! Once we've been hurriedly ushered in, the pace slows considerably and most of the first 'chapter' proves to be extremely talkie. Many ominous musings about creating 'the second Adam', some realistic dismembered limbs and the steady unveiling of the incredible cast notwithstanding; it is a necessary build-up to Frankenstein's obsession getting more delirious, and with his friend Clerval's passing, it is finally time to put the impressive laboratory set to good use.David McCallum as Clerval – in this adaption, a medical man (and brain donor) even more driven than Frankenstein himself - is afflicted by a physical malady that fuels his intent. A plethora of famous faces also includes Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Tom Baker (only months before his acclaimed role in Doctor Who), Peter Sallis, Yootha Joyce, and – excellent as Prima – Jane Seymour. Considering that Leonard Whiting as Frankenstein is the least prolific in that gang, he is never upstaged by his co-stars; one wonders why he didn't enjoy a lengthier career.Michael Serrazin's very human looking creature is something of a disappointment initially, purely because he is so un-terrifying. No misshapen monster, his slender, bandaged form is indeed what Clerval seemed to be striving for. And yet, like Michael Gwynn's human monster in Hammer's 'Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)', this is a prelude to genuine tragedy – that the handsome, playful, contented child-man soon witnesses his looks deteriorate cruelly. It is telling that when 'pretty', his childish ways amuse his creator – as ugliness begins to take hold, Victor loses patience with him. Serrazin puts in a consistently superb performance throughout, ranging from charming, to vulnerable, miserable, vengeful and downright demonic.The second and final chapter begins after the Creature's unsuccessful suicide attempt and it is during this episode the already tenuous titular claim of a 'true' story becomes even more fractured – but that can be forgiven when the results are so entertaining.Prima proves to overshadow the original creation in every way possible – embraced by high society, loved by all she meets, in fact infuriatingly perfect – especially at manipulation and bitchiness. In possibly this story's most famous scene, she pays the price. The only bit of the original Agatha, with whom the creature had formed an attachment, is her head; in a splendid scene, in front of all, the dishevelled, betrayed, deteriorating creature, violently removes it.After this, the pace enters the uneven phase it did at the beginning. In no time at all, a ship bound for America is an epic battle ground. The creature, now full of understandable hate, has a demented, fiendish persona – laughing as he hoists the terrified Polidori to his death (his – or Clerval's – mocking chants of 'Poli Dolly' thrown against the stormy skies), reduced to skeletal scraps by the lightning he deplores.Despite some unconvincing day-for-night shots, and a lacklustre dummy used for a clifftop stunt, this remains a visually impressive spectacle. 'The True Story' is an intelligent, brilliantly played take on the original novel. It also contains nods (deliberately or otherwise) to other filmic versions and yet presents its own very memorable version of the classic tale.

CountVladDracula Do not let this one fool you. This NOT a faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel. The very idea that the Frankenstein creature is decomposing contradicts that the creature was given life. He's alive, not just reanimated dead tissue, that's a major point in the story. It's a disappointing and senseless twist that is completely unnecessary. If you want a version of Frankenstein that actually follows Mary Shelley's novel check out the version produced by Hallmark and released to DVD by Lion's Gate starring Luke Goss as the creature. That mini-series version of Frankenstein from 2004 is the most faithful to the book.

brad_and_ethan What can you say about one of the best TV movies ever made? I want to apologize in advance because I wanted to talk about the novel, which although I read just a few short years ago – my memory is failing so I apologize in advance for inaccuracies. First of all, this has to be one of the greatest stories ever written. It's just so rich in themes, and I think when someone takes the novel on, the closer they adhere to Shelley – the better. The clichéd Frankenstein's creature – the lumbering, mindless killer – just can't hack it on a thematic level. This version's creature is not exactly verbose, but his emotions and feelings toward his creator are never in doubt, and vice-versa. To be honest, the novel was far from perfect, and curiously gave the creature a first-person dialogue in many chapters. In lieu of this, the novel I think begs to be adapted to the cinema because its premise is so strong – and the drama alone between Victor Frankenstein and his tragic creation effects a lot of dynamism. The only problem I had with the adaptation is Polidori. I don't recall him being in the novel (forgive me if I'm mistaken), and his motives are not that clear in the story. Hence, he really does feel like a fifth wheel in many respects. Witness the fact that he happens to be on the same ship bound for America as the Frankensteins. After the death of Prima, one could say that Polidori's role should come to an end. I think the disintegration of the creature in this version is a novelty, and I think it worked very well.

Jim Dickinson This movie cries out for restoration on DVD. I saw it in its original run on NBC and was amazed at how this movie balanced moments of elegance and pathos with sudden acts of graphic violence. It was very strong stuff for early 70s TV. It inspired me to read the novel and IMHO it is one of the best adaptations to the screen. It is also one of the first appearances for Jane Seymour coming out the same year as "Live and Let Die". She shows her acting chops by playing a beautiful woman with a very cruel streak. Her "death" is a shocker. Those who like their horror Gothic need to pick up a copy of this, even if it only available on VHS.