Bride of the Orient

The Bride is a 1985 Gothic romance science fiction horror film directed by Franc Roddam, and starring Sting, Jennifer Beals, Geraldine Page, and Clancy Brown, with Anthony Higgins, Alexei Sayle, Veruschka, Quentin Crisp, and Cary Elwes appearing in supporting roles. Based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein, the film follows Baron Charles Frankenstein who creates a woman, Eva, while his original monster—believed to have been killed in a laboratory accident—escapes into the countryside. An international co-production between the United States and the United Kingdom, The Bride was written by screenwriter Lloyd Fonvielle during a period of writer's block while he was attempting to complete the screenplay for Roddam's The Lords of Discipline (1983). The project was pitched to numerous film studios before Columbia Pictures agreed to co-produce and distribute it. Principal photography began in June 1984 and lasted six months, with filming taking place at Shepperton Studios in Surrey and various locations in France. The Bride was released theatrically in the United States on August 16, 1985, and in the United Kingdom on November 1, 1985. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with criticism aimed at Sting's and Beals's performances, as well as the screenplay's handling of parallel storylines, though it did earn some praise for its period detail and cinematography. The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $3.6 million against a budget of approximately $13 million. It received two nominations at the 13th Saturn Awards, for Best Music and Best Costume Design. The film has garnered a small cult following in the years since its original release.