My Body Is A Cage

After listening to the song “Frankenstein” by Willoughby, I thought that the music video had a nice twist on the Frankenstein story. I think what the songwriters were trying to say through the use of Frankenstein was that when we spend so much time on a certain task, or with a certain person, and suddenly that “thing” is gone it can really take a toll on our emotions. I think using Frankenstein was very clever. In the video you see the Monster walking alone through a city with what little he has with him. The scene will then cut to Dr. Frankenstein. You can tell he is very sad and is missing the Monster. He posts flyers all around trying to raise awareness that the Monster had left him. He had spent so much time with it and now that it was gone he seemed to be missing a part of himself. I thought that this was a pretty interesting song with a pretty cool music video to go along with it.

In the second clip I watched, which was a scene from the the stage production of “Frankenstein’s Wedding,” with the song “My Body Is A Cage” by the band Arcade Fire playing in the background. I thought that this was a great song to have in the background during the final scene of the play. I think what the song is about is that from the perspective of the writer, is that he he feels trapped. Not just in this world, but inside his own body and wants out. The line “My body is cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love” I think refers to a lost loved one. Maybe the writer almost wishes for death to come upon him so he can finally be with this person he refers to. I feel it is perfect as background music during the final scene because the Monster is clearly suffering and he just wants to feel peace. He didn’t ask to be created and in some ways he could feel that his body is his cage and he just wants to be set free.

The song that I was able to find that was inspired by Frankenstein was the song “Jesus Frankenstein” by Rob Zombie. From reading the lyrics and listening to the song, I think it’s pretty clear that this song is definitely giving the description of a monster. Rob Zombie mentions in the song, “Eyes of a sideshow, teeth of a dog, face of a marvel, wander in the fog.” This is clearly describing something that is dark and very scary. The whole tone of the song has a “scary” sound to it, though that is not uncommon at all in most of Rob Zombie’s songs. He loves horror films and loves to write songs about horror. I think he wrote this song because he obviously loves Frankenstein and wanted to write a song that described him in a more dark and dangerous way. I believe he calls him “Jesus Frankenstein” because of how much of an impact he has had on society. Not saying that he is a biblical character, but he can be seen as a cult icon in which many people may follow.

Frankenstein Quotes

As of now I have read five chapters of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In those five chapters she has been able to keep my full attention and is always making me want to turn the page to keep reading. One quote that really stuck out to me was in chapter four of the novel. Victor Frankenstein, by this point, has already decided that he wants to bring the dead back to life. You can almost feel his madness through the page as he goes into detail about his actions. His ambition is practically becoming an obsession when he says, ” . . . I pursued nature to her hiding places. Who shall conceive the horros of my secret toil as I dabbed among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay?” (55). We know Frankenstein is becoming obessed, but we are starting to actually see how far he is willing to take his obsession. The fact that he is willing to torture a living animal shows that he is starting to lose his morals for life itself. He is destroying one life for the sake of another. When Frankenstein says he “pursued nature to her hiding places” you get a feeling that he will go to the depths of the Earth and back to accomplish his goal.

Another quote that stuck out to me was a few lines later in the same chapter. Frankenstein is continuing his description of how he is going about making his creation. He says, “I collected bones from charnel-houses and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame” (55). I find this quote to be very creepy. I can just picture Frankenstein going to a burial vault and just hauling out arm loads of bones with a grin on his face. It shows how he has, like the previous quote, no respect for the dead. Whether or not you believe in the afterlife, a persons’ remains should be left untouched. Frankenstein had no regard for the dead and only cared about his own creation. He mentions that the bones were the “secrets to the human frame.” I think this quote is referring to the fact that when we look at a person, we seem to forget what we’re actually made out of on the inside. We surpass what is actually keeping us together. Frankenstein seems to be literally building his creation from the inside, out.

Overall I have loved the beginning of this novel. I love how creepy Frankenstein gets and how he is starting to turn into the “mad scientist” that we think of today. I can’t wait to read more.

Frankenstein Ad

After looking through numerous ads for various products, there is only one ad that contained Frankenstein that stuck out to me. Probably my favorite ad that I looked was an ad for the product Osteo Bi-Flex. This particular product is designed to be used for those that suffer from arthiritis and achy joints. I chose this particular advertisement because, mainly, it was very comical. The commercial for this product starts out with an old black and white scene of the Frankenstein monster groaning and walking in a very stiff manner. It looks exactly like a scene that was taken from the 1931 movie with Boris Karloff as Frankenstein. The scene then jumps to a modern day Frankenstein leisurely sitting in a chair. He begins speaking by saying, “That was me (referring to the black and white clip). What a stiff.” He talks about how he used to be a very stiff person, but with the help of Osteo Bi-Flex, he is so much better and also feels better. The commercial then goes on to talk about what Osteo Bi-Flex actually is and lists the benefits of this pain-relief supplement. During this time you see Frankenstein performing various activities that he could not do if he was still the “stiff” person he used to be before using this product. You see him going to a yoga class, playing a banjo for a group of happy children, and tending to his garden. Not only does this show that he is able to freely do these activities without worrying about his achy joints, but it shows him as a passionate and loving creature. He smiles when he is with the children and looks very relaxed while attending his yoga class. This could also show that the only reason why he was considered a “monster” was because he was in so much pain from his arthiritis. He is a well-known figure that can easily grab your attention.

I thought that this commercial was perfect! It was funny, which can always keep your attention and make you remember the product, and yet it did what it was supposed to. This commercial proved that this particular product because if it can cure Frankenstein of his achy joints, it can cure everyone else’s. It also trys to sell you on that if you’re pain-free, you will automatically be able to do so many more activities and be much happier with life. I particularly liked their slogan, “Put some life back into your joints.” I th0ught this was very clever, especially since they used Frankenstein as their salesman.

Onion A.V. & Oh, the Horror Review

As of now I have read a few reviews on the critically acclaimed 1931 film, Frankenstein. I can now add a couple more to my, soon to be, long list of online reviews on the film. One of the two that I have most recently read was a review by the Onion A.V. The author, Keith Phipps starts off his review with a rather interesting metaphor. He starts out by saying, “…1931′s Frankenstein has cast a shadow across a century.” Normally one would assume casting a shadow may seem like a darker image but what I believe Phipps was trying to say was that this film was such a hit that it “shadowed” everything from movies to toys for an entire century. Phipps is able to describe both sides of the monster by connecting it with, “…anyone who’s ever felt like a misfit.” The monster, in the movie, is definitely a misfit. Brought into this world where no one looks a thing like him and is thought to be a killing machine when some of his killings were accidental and unintentional. Not saying that his killings are justified, but the monster is like a child in a way. He doesn’t know any better and didn’t know his own strength or capabilities. Phipps continues to describe this film’s release on DVD with multiple bonus features. One being a documentary about the film. Overall I thought this was a rather good review. I thought it was a little short, but included some nice information about the film. I liked how the author mentioned the extra bonus features that were included in the DVD. That is something that I have yet to read in a review.

Another review I have read is Brett Gallman’s review of the film on Oh, the Horror.com. Gallman opens up his review with some information about the many horror classics that Universal Studios produced. Just from reading the second paragraph of this review you can tell that Gallman absolutely adores horror films. He mentions some of his favorites before describing how Frankenstein came into his life. As he describes the first scene, you can tell he both a fan of the film and the book. He makes sure to note that Dr. Frankenstein’s name in the film is Henry, and not Victor like it is in the novel. Unlike past reviews I have read, Gallman seems to side with the monster when describing how the monster is more misunderstood than an actual monster. He attempts to show the audience that just because the monster looks scary and moves in a creepy manner, doesn’t mean that he is actually a violent killer. He tries to show that he is almost child-like and doesn’t know any better. He ends his review by telling of the most recent time he watched the film and how he felt like a young kid again watching it for the first time.

I thought that Gallman’s review was superb. I would go as far as saying that it is my favorite review I have read so far of the film. He doesn’t just describe the film, the set, or the monster itself, but he goes into detail about how he truly feels about the monster. One can tell just by reading this review that he is a true fan of the film. Not only is he a giant fan of the film, but he is a giant fan of the entire horror genre itself.

The Cemetery Skeleton Review

I have just finished reading the article, “The Cemetery Skeleton” via “Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog,” and I have come to realize that there are so many little details that go into the opening scene to “Frankenstein.” In this article, the author goes through many little aspects of the scene that I’m sure many people watching the film wouldn’t catch onto right away. One of the important details the author mentions is the skeleton that is located in the cemetery where Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant dig up the deceased body for their experiment. The author replays the camera’s movement by saying, “the camera slides past them to the last figure, a hooded skeleton.” The author is making it clear here that the director of the film is making it known that there is a creepy looking skeleton located in the graveyard. Though one may not know exactly how the skeleton is placed in the scene if one has yet to see the film. “Frankenstein‘s cemetery skeleton stands off to the side, boxed in with pickets, its bony hands resting on the hilt of a sword.” The author drives home the creepiness of this cemetery skeleton by giving the description of how the skeleton is standing, what it is standing by, and even what is holding on to. In this case, the skeleton happens to be grasping a sword. It may seem as though the skeleton is a mere prop in the scene until Dr. Frankenstein is digging up the fresh grave and throws a shovel full of dirt right at the stationary skeleton. At first this may seem like a slightly comical gesture until further thinking. The author goes into the deeper meaning of this particular moment by stating, “as a symbolic gesture, it illustrates Frankenstein’s disrespect for Death itself.” This quote can be validated as the movie goes on as Dr. Frankenstein clearly tries to resurrect the dead and bring life to a body that has passed on from Earth. As the article comes to a close the author ponders the idea of whatever happened to the cemetery skeleton.

After reading this article I noticed how blind I was to the scene. It’s amazing how looking at a particular scene from someone else’s perspective can really open your own eyes. I merely laughed at the fact that Dr. Frankenstein threw the dirt into the face of the skeleton. I never thought that it could be a symbol for his lack of respect for Death. I really enjoyed reading this article.

Classic-Horror Review

After reading Classic-Horror.com’s review on the 1931 Blockbuster hit “Frankenstein,” it was nice to be able to go back and compare my thoughts on the film with someone else’s. The author of this particular post opens up with a few details about both the movie and the book. He reminds us that the film’s interpretation on the Frankenstein monster are very different from the Mary Shelley book. Nate Yapp, the article’s author, compares the movie’s success to “godhood.”

After the initial introduction to his review, Yapp dives right in to telling a loose outline of the film. Beginning with the opening warning of the film’s horrific nature, the author tells us of how the characters look in the film. He makes it quite easy to imagine the scene for those who have already watched this film. He continues on with telling the story of how Frankenstein is able to bring his monster “son” to life and being able to actually see the monster’s face for the first time on film. He makes note that, at the time, William Henry Pratt (a.k.a. Boris Karloff) was an unknown actor. After starring as the Frankenstein monster, Karloff’s image as the monster would go to, and still does today, be the template for most versions of Frankenstein and parody of the movie.

After mentioning in great deal about the Frankenstein monster, Yapp gives mention to the rest of the cast. Some of his opinions aren’t so flattering towards the other cast members but he is able to mention them and give some depth as to what their role in the film was. Near the end of the article, the author reverts back to the monster and includes details about the monster’s appearance. He talks about the design of the monster’s look and talks about what the makeup designer did to draw inspiration for his “creation.”

Everything is a Remix

When the word “remix” comes to mind, music is the first media outlet that comes into my head. I am a huge music fan, though I am not the biggest fan of remixes. Normally when I hear a remix, it is a rather new pop song that has been altered in a way to make it more fitting for a dance club. I guess you could say that I don’t like remixes because I’m not the biggest fan of “pop” music. Though I it always seems a remix deals with a pop song, many other artists recently have made remix albums. One of my favorite bands, Asking Alexandria, who is known for their heavy guitar riffs and screaming vocals actually did a remix album. They took different songs from their first two albums and teamed up with different electronic artists to create a remix album. I have not bought the album but I have sampled a few songs. The album definitely has that “dub-step” sound that is becoming very popular in today’s culture. I support Asking Alexandria for making this album as I’m sure many people who love them and electronic music will buy it. I, however, will not be buying the album.

Another part of music that could be counted as “remixing” could be cover songs. I am personally a fan of cover songs. I like cover songs because there have been numerous times where I’ve been listening to a band I love and find out one of their songs is actually a cover of another, usually older, artist. This leads to me finding the original version to see how it compares to the newer version. Many times this leads me to discovering new, or technically old, music. I love discovering different artists and loving their music. Green Day has definitely done this for me. They have covered songs by Bob Dylan, The Who, Social Distortion, The Misfits, The Clash, and other bands that they have listened to over the years. This has helped me discover artists that I thought I would never listen to. I believe doing a cover song is a way for an artist to pay tribute to some of their favorite artists. They aren’t necessarily trying to make the song better, but they’re just putting their own style into the song. I hope to one day be able to do that for my favorite artists!

Introducing Evan Webb

Hello everyone! My name is Evan Webb and I am from Rochester, IN. I am a freshman here at Purdue and I am currently studying Pre-Pharmacy. I absolutely love being here at Purdue and I have dreamed of coming here since a very young age. Both my parents studied here and my dad was able to graduate with a degree in Pharmacy. If you must know one thing about me, it is that I LOVE music! I love all types of music but my favorite would definitely have to be rock. I love all types of rock too. I love punk rock, heavy rock, blues rock, classic rock, you name it! My favorite band of all time would have to be Green Day. I was fortunate enough to see them live in concert on July 13, 2009 in Chicago, Ill. It was by far the greatest day of my life. I can talk all day about music so feel free to talk to me! Other bands that I love to listen to would include: Slipknot, All Time Low, Asking Alexandria, My Chemical Romance, Black Veil Brides, Rise Against, The Black Keys, Crown the Empire, and Of Mice & Men. I have attended numerous concerts since the summer of 2009 and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I started playing guitar a few weeks after the Green Day show and it’s my favorite hobby. If you do play guitar and want to have a jam session, let me know! I’m not the greatest but I’m always willing to learn new material.

I also love sports! I live and breathe Purdue football and basketball. I am also a fan of the Chicago Bears, Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks. My dream job is to one day become a musician. If studying to be a Pharmacist doesn’t work out, I just might pursue that dream. I want to travel the world, meet new people, and make a positive difference in their lives. I hope you enjoyed reading my first blog and feel free to talk to me anytime. I love meeting new people!