Top Ten: Freaky Frankenstein Movies
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Since the early days of cinema, movie-makers have featured the famous monstrous creation of Baron Frankenstein. From the 1910 silent short Frankenstein through to the recent I, Frankenstein (2014), via the classic Universal Pictures iconic Frankenstein featuring Boris Karloff from 1931. There have been a multitude of strange incarnations of the monster along the way. The character of Frankenstein's monster, has featured in all manner of movies, from comedy to horror and even porn parodies. Some retelling the original story, many just shoe-horning the character into their movies just to cash in on the name. What has emerged over the years are some weird and wonderfully bad portrayals of the movie monster. Picking just ten for our countdown wasn't an easy task. So here's a list that hopefully covers all bases and genres. From seriously bad arthouse, classic B-movie cash-in, quirky comedy, blaxpolitation, horrendous horror and as much marvellously monstrous madness to satisfy everyone's freaky Frankenstein needs.
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Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966): The last movie from one of Hollywood's most prolific directors William "One Shot" Beaudine, the eccentric who churned out nearly 350 movies. Nicknamed "One Shot", as he never re-shot scenes, even if they were terrible takes. The movie is a low-budget western/horror cross-over (the title is a bit of a give-away on that). The outlaw Jesse James meets the granddaughter of the legendary Dr. Frankenstein. Hank, Jesse James's wounded partner is turned into the monster, named Igor in the movie after he's brought back to life. The movie was originally released as a double feature with Billy the Kid vs. Dracula in 1966, with both movies being made side-by-side in just 8 days.
Blackenstein (1973): (Also known as Black Frankenstein and later re-released as Return Of Blackenstein.) A bad blaxploitation movie where a Vietnam vet is turned into the monster, and spends his screen-time arms held out in-front of him, in true clichéd movie monster style. The monster amusingly sports an afro that mimics the flat-topped head of the classic monster, while running around murdering semi-clothed women in true exploitation style. Despite an attempt to up-date the story, with talk of laser surgery and DNA injections, the movie used the original Frankenstein (1931) buzzing and crackling electrical props, designed by Kenneth Strickfaden. The movie was made by director Saletri to cash-in on the success of Blacula (1972). Interestingly Saletri was murdered gang-land style in his mansion in 1982, one previously owned by Bela Lugosi.
Frankenstein Meets The Space Monster (1965): (Also known as Duel Of The Space Monsters in the UK.) A nuclear war kills all of Mars women, except princess Marcuzan. Her and assistant Dr. Nadir travel to Earth, landing in Puerto Rico, with the diabolical plan to kidnaps the women of Earth, to repopulate Mars. On a mission to Mars Colonel Frank Sanders, a human like android is shot down by the pair. By a miracle of script writing he also lands in Puerto Rico, the crash damaging his electronic brain and thus causing him to go on a killer rampage. The "monster" that he meets is a creature called Mull, that the Martians have brought along with them on their journey to Earth. The pair meet for a show-down at the climax of the movie. A classic so-bad-it's-good B-movie drive-in monster movie.
Frankenstein General Hospital (1988): A really bad exploitation horror comedy, where great-great-grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Bob creates his monster from stolen mortuary body parts in the bowels of the Los Angeles general hospital. Unfortunately he uses the brain of a sex, drugs and rock'n' roll loving teenager, so the horny monster is running amok in the hospital. All the lab scenes were filmed in black and white, to give it that old school movie look. Yet, just in case viewers wouldn't get the joke the cast make reference to the lab being in black and white. This is a so-bad-it's-bad spoof, with almost no laughs. A problem for a supposed comedy. To make-up for the terrible script and wooden acting, the clothes fall-off or are ripped-off a series of nubile nurses.
Frankenstein 1970 (1958): With Boris Karloff playing the role of Baron Victor von Frankenstein, The first time he'd played Frankenstein and not the monster in 5 movies. The movie focuses on a television crew who go to Frankenstein's castle in Germany to shoot a film about the famous monster making Frankenstein family. Running out of body parts to complete his latest creation, he starts murdering the film crew for their parts. Directed by Howard A. Koch, who went on to produce the two of the Airplane! spoof comedy movies. During production of the movie the year used in the title changed from 1960 to 1975, eventually falling for the equally random choice of 1970 for that futuristic sci-fi feel. Another movie on the list that was made in a mere 8 days shooting schedule.
Lady Frankenstein (1971): (Also known as La Figlia di Frankenstein in Italian.) Directed by Mel Welles, who was famous for his role as Gravis Mushnik in the 1960 low-budget Roger Corman movie, The Little Shop of Horrors. Frankenstein's daughter carries on his work after his monster kills him, seducing his assistant and convincing him to have his brain transplanted into the body of the handsome but dim servant. The combined resulting monster strangling her in a post-coital moment. Often compared to the Hammer series of Frankenstein movies, Lady Frankenstein is said to be an influence on the Italian/French production Flesh For Frankenstein (1973), which was also known as Andy Warhol's Frankenstein.
I Was A Teenage Frankenstein (1957): (Also known as Teenage Frankenstein.) Cashing in on the success of I Was A Teenage Werewolf released only five months earlier. Produced as double-bill with Blood Of Dracula (Also known as Blood Is My Heritage) in four weeks. Professor Frankenstein, a visiting university lecturer from England who has an alligator pit under his house, steals body parts of dead athletes from the wreckage of a crashed airplane. He uses them to build a teenage monster jock that goes on a killing spree. The monster is horribly facially disfigured, so eventually the Professor seeks a handsome face for his creation. Planning to take his now handsome monster back to England, the professor and his assistant decided to dismember the teenage monster for easier transportation. It was claimed that the alligator that was featured in the movie was sued by a serial killer in Dallas to dispose of his victims.
The Erotic Rites Of Frankenstein (1972): (Also known as La maldición de Frankenstein in Spain.) A cut version of the movie was released in the UK, and Netherlands under the title Curse Of Frankenstein. In an odd twist, it is the un-cut longer version that has all the nudity replaced, often with re-shot scenes of clothed rather than naked actors. So that the longer Spanish version is the censored version of the movie, and the shorter version the sexploitation version. After Frankenstein creates his monster, he is killed and the monster taken by an evil warlock to use for breeding a master race. If you watch the un-censored version, expect lots of nudity and whipping. If you watch the cut version, expect a long confusing hammy piece of European schlock cinema with all the fun taken out. Directed by the infamous and controversial Spanish director Jesús Franco, known for cult films like The Diabolical Dr. Z (1965) and Vampyros Lesbos (1971).
Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1973): (Also known as Flesh For Frankenstein.) Directed by Paul Morrissey, friend and collaborator of Andy Warhol (who produced the movie), who also found and signed The Velvet Underground. Like Lady Frankenstein and The Erotic Rites Of Frankenstein, the plot revolved around the creation of a super race, through the mating of monsters. Unfortunately in this movie, the brain transplanted into the male monster is one of someone who is asexual, and so not interested in the mate that has been created for him. The movie was released in a 3-D version, where the gruesome gut-churning camera angles came into full effect. Unfortunately the 3-D version was cut down to 93 minutes, so it could get an R-rating rather than the original X-rating the original version was given. Many regard the movie as clever piece of tongue-in-cheek arthouse satire, while others see it simply as another piece of 70s schlock cinema.
Frankenhooker (1990): Directed by Frank Henenlotter, renowned black comedy horror film-maker famous for the Basket Case (1982 - 1992) series of movies. In the movie a medical student Jeffrey Franken sets out to recreate his decapitated fiancée (killed in a lawnmower accident) by building her a new body made of Manhattan street hookers. His creature takes to the streets of New York, as a sex-for-money monster. The movie is a classic piece of 80s sexploitation comedy horror (the film was delayed from release), which when the makers attempted to gain an R-rating for the movie, were jokily offered an "S-rating" not for "Sex" but for "Shit". Still Frankenhooker is a fun and over-the-top wonder of the VHS era of horror movie-making, with an ending twist that is just hysterically precious.
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