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"Gods and Monsters" is a line from the classic 1935 movie Bride of Frankenstein, the sequel to the classic 1931 Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff.
Both of these horror films were directed by James Whale, and Gods and Monsters is a movie about his life. Whale’s tale is clearly that of a creative and imaginative filmmaker, but it’s also the story of a man who was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was criminalised.
Appropriately, the role of Whale in this movie is played by openly gay actor Sir Ian McKellen (affectionately referred to as Serena in the gay world). His brilliant performance deservedly earned him an Oscar nomination, but he lost out to Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful.
If you’re an admirer of McKellen’s acting then you should check out this link where you can download a copy of his annotated Gods and Monsters script. It gives a wonderful insight into the way this fine actor works. And you can access the movie’s shooting schedule there too.
Gods and Monsters is showing tonight at 11pm on BBC4
