Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell

1974

1h 35m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

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Horror

Science Fiction

Dr Simon Helder, sentenced to an insane asylum for crimes against humanity, recognises its director as the brilliant Baron Frankenstein, the man whose work he had been trying to emulate before his imprisonment. Frankenstein utilises Helder's medical knowledge for a project he has been working on for some time. He is assembling a man from vital organs extracted from various inmates in the asylum. And the Baron will resort to murder to acquire the perfect specimens for his most ambitious project ever.

Directors

Terence Fisher

Writers

Anthony Hinds(writer by)

Mary Shelley(characters by)

Stars

Peter Cushing

Shane Briant

Madeline Smith

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Videos1

Trailer
Watch Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell (1974) - Official Trailer

Photos38

Top cast

Peter Cushing

Baron Victor Frankenstein aka Dr. Carl Victor

Simon Helder

Sarah

Monster

Adolf Klauss, Asylum Direktor

Michael Ward

Transvest

Norman Mitchell

Police Sergeant

Elsie Wagstaff

Wild One

Christopher Cunningham

Hans

Bodysnatcher

Judge

Ernst

Professor Durendel

Tarmut

Muller

Brassy Girl

Landlord

Twitch

Directors

Terence Fisher

Writers

Anthony Hinds(writer by)

Mary Shelley(characters by)

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Review

Featured review

5/10

_**Formidable monster and nice Gothic ambiance, but too simple and drab**_ Hammer Studios did 7 Frankenstein films in 17 years from the late 50s to early 70s as follows: 1. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957); 2. The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958); 3. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964); 4. Frankenstein Created Woman (1967); 5. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969); 6. The Horror of Frankenstein (1970); and 7. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974). Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein in every one of these except "The Horror of Frankenstein." The reason being "Horror" was a remake of the original story and they needed a much younger actor to play the role; they chose Ralph Bates (who superbly plays the love-to-hate satanist in "Taste the Blood of Dracula," released the same year). "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" was the last hurrah for the series. The story involves a young doctor, Simon Helder (Shane Briant), who is fascinated by Frankenstein's works and gets sentenced to an asylum for practicing sorcery. There he meets the thought-to-be-dead Baron Frankenstein, now going by the name Dr. Victor (Cushing), and they team-up to carry on his gruesome work, which results in the titular monster. This is an unmistakable Hammer film and solid Gothic horror, but it's held back by a simplistic plot and dreary ambiance. The story lacks the fascinating and innovative approach of the two previous films, "Frankenstein Created Woman" and, especially, "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed," which represent the best of the series IMHO. Furthermore, the setting of the story is too one-dimensional, basically being limited to the asylum, which adds to the dreariness. Speaking of which, the film lacks the bright colors usually associated with Hammer horror. The drab palate does up the ante of the Gothic ambiance, but it'll likely disappoint those expecting the lushness of typical Hammer horror. On the plus side, the Neolithic creature looks seriously bestial and is formidable, played by David Prowse, aka Darth Vader of the first three Star Wars flicks. From a distance he looks impressive, but close-ups reveal curious blow-up biceps, which hampers the illusion, although it didn’t really bother me. Regardless, the monster evokes a good amount of pathos. Another plus is the beautiful Madeline Smith of "Live and Let Die" fame, who plays the Baron's mute assistant, Sarah. The story is basically a drama with horror trappings and, more specifically, a tragedy; so those expecting the overt horror antics of most slasher flicks will be let down. It focuses on how Baron Frankenstein’s obsession with his brilliant-yet-dubious experiments have led to the only place left for him, the asylum, where he’s a big fish in a small pond. He maintains his optimistic determination because he’s sacrificed everything and there’s nothing else left for him in life. Speaking of which, while what happens to one or two characters is tragic, as usual, the climax is surprising (even a couple of the characters look surprised). It’s a nice change for the series, not to mention a good way to close it. At the end of the day "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" is a solid Hammer horror film and a fine way to end their series, but it lacks the color and pizzazz of the previous two Cushing installments. As such, it's overall mediocre. The movie runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot at EMI Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, just northwest of London. GRADE: C

Wuchak02 Nov, 2021