Flesh for Frankenstein/Review

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< Flesh for Frankenstein
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After having success with his "Flesh trilogy" in Europe, filmmaker Paul Morrissey was offered to direct a series of popular horror titles back-to-back in Italy. Morrissey agreed to go through with the project and with the "Andy Warhol Presents" moniker, the first to go into production was Flesh for Frankenstein. The films that followed would be a slight departure from what audiences had expected to see in horror films. Combined with the 3-D gimmick, a new breed of horror film involving sex and humor would be unleashed.

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Baron Frankenstein (Udo Kier) needs a new characteristic for his re-animated test subject...A certain type of nosum (Nose) Perhaps one could be found in a nearby brothel? Together with his assistant, Otto (Arno Juerging) the task of finding a nose (As well as a being of strong, sexual prowess to breed a "perfect" race) goes into effect. At the same time, the brothel is being visited by two farm-hands who work at the Frankenstein territory. Horn-dog, Nicholas (Joe Dallesandro) and soon-to-be Monk, Sacha (Srdjan Zelenovic). Frankenstein and Otto mistake Sacha for being the sexually active customer, but he happens to have the correct nose of choice! And in one of the movie's signature gory moments, Sacha gets decapitated by the mad doctor. Back at Frankenstein's, The Baroness (Monique van Vooren) cannot find a school for her (Sinister) children and is seeking new relief since The Baron is always working in his lab. She finds an answer in Nicholas and promotes him to house servant where he'll be "available" at more times. Meanwhile, Frankenstein is getting his fulfillment with his female test-subject (Dalila Di Lazzaro) And his kinky fetish desires involve the fondlings of her inner organs (By the way, this might be the only movie where I've heard the character of Dr. Frankenstein refer to his subjects as "Zombies") The Baron's experiments do look promising, but there's something amuck with the Sacha-Monster. There is no response from the Sacha-Monster whenever Frankenstein demands him to mate with the female zombie. This brings Frankenstein's tests to a stand-still as he thinks who or what could have sabotaged his experiments this way. All the while, Nicholas has noticed that his friend,or what used to be his friend, is now under the control of Frankenstein. Go and try to save your buddy, Nick. And watch out for those creepy kids!

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At first, I never really "got" the humor that Morrissey and the critics saw in these movies. One could point out that the international cast brings an absurd reality to the story, but even the old Universal Horror films often had casts like this. So I wasn't one to really buy that theory. Is it the "Serious acting" of Joe Dallesandro that causes the laughs? Maybe. But after now re-watching this movie a couple of times, the over-the-top antics of the movie started to appear on the surface with each viewing. especially without the non-available 3-D accessories. And it's not just the In-your-face gore gags that one could be bewildered by, it's the sex antics involving The Baroness's "Armpit slurping" and Dr. Frankenstein's "Gall-Bladder Fucking". So while I now definitely catch the demented side of Flesh for Frankenstein, I still hold it in high regard in the horror variety, nonethelesss. The great special FX of Carlo Rambaldi and the music by Claudio Gizzi are big winners here. The latter really helps move the film into more serious territory (Especially in the follow-up, Blood for Dracula, in which most of the cast and crew would be re-united for) But I much prefer FRANKENSTEIN over DRACULA. At least this one has a much better ending.

Reviewed by Laydback

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