Universal/Kobal/ShutterstockIt was 1935 and Universal Pictures was on the verge of an overhaul. They were among the foundational studios in the Golden Age of Hollywood, but a series of financial missteps had left them desperate for cash. They had made a bounty with horror films, something co-founder/ owner Carl Laemmle had to be convinced would even work, but those, too, would be put on hiatus when their new management rolled in. The horror movies became revolutionary, unafraid to be dark, clever and scary, but an industry-wide call for censorship was about to trim their claws and fangs.As such, The Bride of Frankenstein feels a bit like the end of an era. It’s a deliciously macabre sequel to a horror classic, with many even feeling like it outdoes its predecessor. It’s listed as one of the greatest sequels, horror or otherwise, in cinema history, and with the upcoming 4K Blu-ray, you have the chance to re-experience a horror film that also serves as an emblem of a watershed moment in pop culture.How Was The Bride of Frankenstein Received Upon Release?Though The Bride of Frankenstein had to contend with an ingrained bit of snobbery against horror films that many critics held (a good film “of its kind,” was a common refrain in reviews,) it was undeniably effective. Director James Whale, under contract at Universal and a favorite of Carl Laemmle Jr., the studio’s head of production and son of the elder Laemmle, had a career pinnacle with it. Whale hadn’t originally intended to ever revive the monster after it apparently perished in a fire at the end of the first film, but after being lured back to do Bride, he helped concoct a tale that not only furthered the monster’s inherent sympathy, but pushed Dr. Frankenstein to confront all that he had wrought and all of terror that he’d birthed into the world.Whale’s penchant for testing unique camera work, garnering eccentric performances, and portraying unflinching creepiness was all on display in Bride. He’d never again have such a high. The gay filmmaker found himself adrift at Universal when the Laemmle’s were ousted and work for other studios was no more satisfying. Lonely and disillusioned with his old age and illness, Whale committed suicide in 1957.Actor Boris Karloff, portraying Frankenstein’s creation for the second time, was no longer a mysterious figure. Universal, under Laemmle Jr.’s passionate hand, did a great job at shepherding him into becoming a horror icon. In the opening credits of the original film, he’s listed as “?” In Bride, a film that ratchets up his lonely pathos as he struggles for companionship and is rejected by his perceived mate, Karloff is credited as “KARLOFF.” He was an icon now, and critics responded affirmatively. “Mr. Karloff is so splendid in the role that all one can say is ‘he is the Monster,’” wrote The New York Times.Why Is The Bride of Frankenstein Important To See Now?Released right before the Hays Code was truly put into effect, The Bride of Frankenstein walks a fine moral line. | Universal/Kobal/ShutterstockThe early ‘30s was one of horror’s most fertile periods. Universal had fare like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Black Cat, but competing studios also shared in the success. RKO produced The Most Dangerous Game and King Kong, Paramount sent us to the Island of Lost Souls, and MGM gave us Freaks, just to name a few. It’s a gold mine for modern fans to revisit.But the genre’s output would slow to a trickle as the decade wore on, thanks in part to the Hays Code. In an effort to dodge any attempts at censorship and to evade complicated state demands, the Hays Code was a self-regulating effort. The moral gray areas and singular perversities that defined the early ‘30s would be shaved down. In their place, more aspirational social efforts were installed. Monsters were now monsters, men were now men, and no amount of stitches could confuse you otherwise.Though Bride premiered in 1935, a year after the new incarnation of the Hays Code took hold and every film released had to be approved by the Production Code Administration, it still contains echoes of the pre-Code age. Though none of it is as boundary pushing as Dr. Frankenstein comparing himself to god after the monster’s creation in the prior film, it does relish in its ghoulishness. Its most notable new character, Dr. Pretorius, is a morbidly hilarious and thoroughly evil addition to the cast, and it’s hard to imagine a being like him getting so much unadulterated attention just a few years later. This makes Bride of Frankenstein a must-watch for those interested in horror films and their complicated history.What New Features Does The Bride of Frankenstein 4K Blu-ray Have?The Bride of Frankenstein 90th anniversary SteelBook. | Universal StudiosThis new Bride of Frankenstein 4K Blu-ray, released to celebrate the movie’s 90th anniversary, doesn’t have a lot that sets it apart from its past 2023 release — its video and audio specifications are the exact same, and main draw of this one is that it’s in SteelBook packaging. The special features, which range from a commentary by film preservationist Scott MacQueen and an assortment of documentary-style videos, are also shared between the two. However, if you don’t have the prior release, consider the SteelBook. The whole film is gorgeous on a German Expressionistic level, but the visuals on the 4K Blu-ray take those decadent shadows up another level. By the time the bride is awakened, her black and white hair standing starkly in frame and her would-be “husband” rendered in angsty gloom, it’s become a tour-de-force.The Bride of Frankenstein is a tribute to a Hollywood that doesn’t exist anymore. Everyone from the Laemmle’s to Whale and Karloff are now a beloved part of film history, while the Hays Code is considered a misguided relic. It represents an era of cinema coming to a close. At the end, when the monster threatens to pull the lever that will destroy the scientists’ laboratory, he commands “No, we belong dead!” If applied to this time period, he was certainly wrong. Nonetheless, the castle came crashing down.Bride of Frankenstein is available for purchase on 4K Blu-ray now.Bride of Frankenstein 4K Blu-rayAmazon -