James Whale's The Bride of Frankenstein in a one-off screening at the Club de l'Etoile

What if the creature came back to life before your eyes, in the thrills of vintage film? A black-and-white Saturday awaits you in the heart of Paris with a unique 16mm film screening of The Bride of Frankenstein, one of the jewels of Gothic cinema by James Whale, screened by Cinémathèque16 at the Club de l'Étoile this Saturday, November 29, 2025. A rare screening, enriched with previously unseen previews and vintage posters, to immerse yourself in the mythical world of cinema's most famous monster.

In an intimate, elegant theater conducive to immersion, this unique screening invites you to rediscover a cult film from 1935, where misguided science and monstrous creation intertwine in an intense cinematic ballet. Boris Karloff reprises his iconic role in this daring sequel to the original Frankenstein, in which Dr. Pretorius, a scientist as dark as he is megalomaniacal, pushes Frankenstein to create a female creature. The Bride, with her lightning-streaked hair and now iconic growl, enters the collective imagination.

A visionary masterpiece at the heart of a cycle on power and science.

Behind this work by James Whale lies a radical aesthetic approach: studio filming, theatrical shadow play, expressionist sets, all designed to create a unique twilight atmosphere. Here, the director breaks free from Mary Shelley's literary universe to deliver a highly cinematic narrative, populated with metaphors about creation, marginality, and loneliness. This second installment, often cited as the most accomplished of the Universal Monsters films, goes so far as to summon Mary Shelley herself in a subtle and disturbing mise en abyme.

Part of a series devoted to the madness of power and the excesses of science, this screening is as thought-provoking as it is captivating. It still resonates today, echoing contemporary cinematic experiments, notably Yórgos Lánthimos's The Lobster, which revisits these themes with a modern twist.

• To be read
• Frankenstein, the film by Guillermo del Toro, is coming to Netflix in 2025.
• The Bride! the Bride of Frankenstein is resurrected in 2026
• Top cinemas in Paris

An unusual and sensory cinematic experience.

This screening is not for everyone. Viewers looking for light entertainment, allergic to black and white, or reluctant to embrace the strangeness of old fantasy cinema, this screening is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you are passionate about heritage cinema, fond of old-fashioned science fiction, admirers of tragic creatures, or simply curious to see how a film from nearly a century ago can still fascinate, this screening is not to be missed.

The Club de l'Étoile theater, with its cozy atmosphere and high-quality sound, becomes the setting for an immersive rediscovery. Digitally subtitled VO, vintage copies, rare documents on display... everything is designed to offer you a timeless interlude, conducive to both contemplation and reflection.

Trailer for The Bride of Frankenstein: 

Why you should see (or see again) The Bride of Frankenstein today

There are films that stand the test of time, not through nostalgia but through their visual and symbolic power. The Bride of Frankenstein, an essential link in the Universal saga, continues to haunt screens thanks to its timeless themes: the quest for love, the rejection of others, scientific excess. Rediscovering this film in a setting as unique as the Club de l'Étoile, with the expertise of the Cinémathèque16, is to reconnect with a rare way of experiencing cinema, far from streaming, in the conspiratorial darkness of a theater where each viewer becomes a witness to an almost sacred ritual.

So, will you be one of those who dare to plunge into this gothic night, facing a screen that resurrects the monsters of yesterday to better question the fantasies of today?

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