Mad Scientists. You have to love them. I do. Where would our monsters come from without them?
For my reviews of Mad Doctor/Scientist films, check out my full list here.
This is a horror list, so Iām trying to stick to that arbitrary line. That means I wonāt be counting any of the myriad evil super scientists in spy and superhero films. Honorable Mention goes to The Rocky Horror Picture Show for so many reasons.
Starting with #10:
#10: Return of the Living Dead III (1993)
The third Living DeadĀ film is the best (and the only one that would qualify for this list). Director Brian Yuzna takes the franchise in a less camp direction,Ā instilling this movie with his darker sense of humor, while keeping theĀ violence and gore of its predecessors. He also slips in a great deal more character development as this is a love story. ThinkĀ Romeo and Juliet with zombies and the military. Our mad doctor is trying to weaponize zombies. Bad plan. Yuzna will return to this list two times, in the role of producer. (My review)
#9: Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
I debated if this film qualified, as the mad doctor is the 6th banana, but the plot is built around mad science, and it is filled with all the trappings, so yes, it counts. Here we have a full on comedy, and one of the best horror comedies of all time that also happens to be the best Abbot and Costello film, the best of the Universal classic monster mash-up films (there were only 5), and only the second time Dracula was played by Bela Lugosi. While Abbot and Costello do their normal wacky bits, the monster side of things is treated respectfully. It was the perfect way to end an era.
#8: Island of Lost Souls (1932)
The first, and best adaptation of H. G. Wellsās novel,Ā The Island of Doctor MoreauĀ shifts the tone of the tale away from science fiction and toward horror. In doing so, the story is given power and one of the great cinematic āmadā doctors is created.Ā Thereās so much to bite into. You can spend the entire film dwelling on the twisted Garden of Eden myth or you can examine what it means to be human or or the nature of laws and society or of religion and a lesser god.Ā Too thoughtful? Then skip all of it and wallow in the horror of the House of Pain. There are plenty of thrills and chills. This is Charles Laughtonās film. His Moreau isnāt mad. Heās suave, clever, domineering, and evil. He enjoys his work, and enjoys the worship of his creations. Island of Lost Souls won my Foscar Award for 1932. (My review)
#6: Re-Animator (1985)
Based so loosely on a H.P. Lovecraft story that itās hardly worth mentioning,Ā Re-AnimatorĀ is as much fun as you can have with a re-animated corpse. It has all the violence, gore, and nudity of your standard survivors-fight-zombie-horde movie, but with wit and one hell of a mad scientist. And it’s that mad scientist that makes the film.Ā Jeffrey Combs plays him as an intense sprite and it is one of the great performances in horror.Ā Itās not surprising that Herbert West has so many devoted fans. (My review)
#7: The Fly (1986)
An honorable mention to the 1958 The Fly which almost made this list, but was beaten out by this re-make. Perhaps re-imagining is a better word as the first film was a family drama focusing on the wife, and this is body horror as metaphor for the dating scene.Ā David Cronenberg was the Western cinematic master of twisted flesh and he finally had the backing to fulfill his vision. It is something to see. The Fly radically changed the view of actor Jeff Goldblum, who previously was limited to “nerdy” friend parts.
#5: From Beyond (1986)
The Re-Animator team return in a more Lovecraftian film. This may be the only Mad ScientistĀ flick that manages to make a persuasive argument for giving up science and hiding out on a farm somewhere.Ā Gordon has pulled out all the stops to makeĀ From BeyondĀ a joyride of gore, nudity, sadomasochism, violence, retribution, and dark humor.Ā Thereās a giant, man-eating worm that sucks off hair and a few layers of skin, and there are flying barracudas that do pretty much what the swimming ones do.Ā There are ax-attacks, brains sucked through eye sockets, and a shape-changing rubber demon with a breast obsession.Ā And thereās Barbara Crampton, first in a ripped nightgown, and then in S&M gear. If you canāt find something to enjoy in that list, youāre not trying. (My review)
#4: Jurassic Park (1993)
I refuse to say there is anything mad about the science in Jurassic Park. If you can make a dinosaur, then make a dinosaur. I can’t even call it a mad businessman film as I find the business reasonable..ish.Ā They just needed to work on their security. Well, it is close enough to count for this list (and yes, this is a horror filmākids about to be eaten in a kitchen counts for horror).Ā Jurassic ParkĀ is a great film in so many ways (frights, action, character), but its true achievement is in pulling the audience into the wonder of it all. And yeah, as we find out in the sequels, the main scientist is a touch on the amoral-obsessed side.
#3: Altered States (1980)
Filled with all the weirdness director Ken Russell is famous for, Altered States follows a scientist played by William Hurt as he fanatically searches for the meaning to the universe, and finds it. Sometimes it is best not find what you are looking for. It is brilliant and thought-provoking, though could use a few less minutes of drug trips. I question if this film counts as horror, but it has elements that tend that way and others count it, and there’s no question we have a truly obsessed doctor.
#2: The Invisible Man (1933)
No one has done more for horror and mad doctor cinema than James Whale. The man who formed Universal horror had a brilliant eye and a quirky pitch black sense of humor. This was his second Universal Monster, and skating on a major success, he relaxed and let himself go, slipping a great deal of comedy between the frights. There are no times when Una O’Conner screaming isn’t wonderful. It was also the big break for the greatest character actor of all time, Claude Rains.
#1: Frankenstein (1931)
Ā Ā Ā Ā Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Ā Ā Ā Ā Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Yes, this is a cheat, putting the three films together, but otherwise half this list would be from the 1930s. Besides, separating the three wouldn’t change much; two of the three would keep the top positions and Son of Frankenstein would only slip a few places. So, the original Frankenstein films take the top spot. James Whale, Boris Karloff, andĀ Jack P. Pierce created the greatest horror icon of all time and a magnificent film. Then they returned, with the help of composer Franz Waxman, and made an even better film. Son of Frankenstein suffers without Whale’s touch, but excels with beautiful German expressionist sets. Frankenstein won my Foscar Award for 1931, though BrideĀ only made runner up in a more competitive year, and Son was a nominee for 1939.