Remaking the Frankenstein Myth on Film ― Between Laughter and Horror

Picart (English and the humanities, Florida State U.) explores the evolving "cinemyth" of the Frankenstein monster in the context of the relationship between comedic manifestations ( Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein ), horror/science fiction incarnations ( Alien ), and the "oscillating balance" between the two (such as the Terminator movies). Issues of gender construction stand in the foreground as Picart emphasizes the meanings of parthenogenesis (used here to mean "male self-birth") and the feminine-as-monstrous. She argues that the movies display a patriarchal urge to suppress the feminine "M/Other," but are never wholly successful. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Caroline Joan S. Picart is Assistant Professor of English and Humanities and Courtesy Assistant Professor of Law at Florida State University. She is the author of The Cinematic Rebirths of Frankenstein: Universal, Hammer, and Beyond and the coauthor (with Frank Smoot and Jayne Blodgett) of The Frankenstein Film Sourcebook.