On this week's annotated deep dive, The Cultists present the Universal Studios Hollywood Horror Classic, 'Frankenstein' (1931).  Helmed by the great James Whale, this first installment of a legacy of undying gems tells the well-known tale of Dr. Victor (or in this case "Henry") Frankenstein and his "Creation" - a life composited from scrapped together pieces of other men.  A creature that begs the age old question: how many parts of a man does it take to make a monster?  Well, Let's find out. 

Deep Dives Include: The film's history and production; comparisons (and contrasts) to Mary Shelly's 1818 source novel; the mystery of Peggy Webling's 1927 stage play (upon which this film claims to be based); all those pointed homages to German expressionist classics (from the Metropolis laboratory, to Caligari's somnambulist window entry); the cinematic editions of life-granting electricity and "criminal brains"; the historical precedent for electrocuting corpses and marrying-off orphans; a slew of sequels; and why the Igor-you-know is neither a hunchback nor a lab assistant.     

Episode Safeword: "vitality"