If He Only Had Lou's Brain

We're living in the age of the cinematic remake and/or reboot, which is total baloney. Back in the old days, filmmakers attempted to make something original, sometimes from the disparate parts of earlier, successful films. Take Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, for example. Dracula (Bela Lugosi) needs the brain of a simple man to reactivate Frankenstein's Monster (he found Frank in the couch cushions, apparently), and thinks Wilbur Gray (Lou Costello) has the right stuff. Where goes Costello, so goes Abbott — and then in comes the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.) in an attempt to save poor Costello from Drac's clutches. Yeah, try to reboot that, Bruckheimer. The wildly successful in its day Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein screens at 7 p.m. at Washington University's January Hall, room 110 (Forsyth and Skinker boulevards; 314-935-6720). The film is part of the weekly series, "It's Alive: A Celebration of Frankenstein Films," which exists to share the joy of Frankenstein — and admission is free.
Tue., June 28, 2011