Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell

As most of you know, Frankenstein is my favorite steampunk monster. In Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, we don’t see the usual monster that Dr. Frankenstein would create but an interesting variation of the monster.

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell shambled into the theaters in 1973 and it was the last of the Hammer studio’s Frankenstein film series. The film stars Peter Cushing as Dr. Carl Victor aka Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and Shane Briant as Dr. Simon Helder.

It is Helder who is tried and convicted of sorcery for attempting to replicate Frankenstein’s experiments. Helder is sentenced to the same institution as Frankenstein, and discovers that Frankenstein is running the Asylum.

With the assistance of Dr. Helder, Frankenstein begins his life’s work of creating a man from body parts. Fortunately for Frankenstein, he has an entire mental Asylum to pick from. As you might expect, the newly created monster is unhappy and goes on the rampage. I thought that the monster being ripped to spreads by the inmates was a nice touch.

All in all, it is one of my favorite Frankenstein films. I am a big fan of vintage Hammer films and this one satisfies my love of Victorian horror. I was really impressed with an obviously frail Peter Cushing leaping on the back of the massive David Prowse in the subduing the monster scene. Shane Briant’s character need a solid pimp slap on more than one occasion and seamed too snotty for a Frankenstein assistant. Dr. Who fans should keep a sharp eye out for the body snatcher. Having said that, give this movie a try and I think you’ll love Hammer studios as much as I do.