CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

dougdoepke Plot—a young doctor is interned in an asylum for experimenting on buried corpses. At the asylum, he meets his hero Dr. Frankenstein who's head of the inmate department. Together, they set about Frankenstein's transplanting body parts pursuits.I guess I now know why I didn't go to med school. That brain removal scene may keep me from ever eating hamburger again. I haven't seen other entries in the Hammer Frankenstein series, so I can't make comparisons. But taken as a "stand alone", this film breaks a number of older conventions from Hollywood of the studio era. For example, I kept expecting young, handsome Dr. Helder (Briant) to undergo an attack of conscience and quit Frankenstein's (Cushing) infernal experiments. And surely run off with the sweetly virginal Angel (Smith) to a more ethical life. But he doesn't. Similarly, I was expecting the legendary doctor to get a comeuppance. After all, he connives in a number of deaths at the asylum. But like Helder, the two are allowed to resume their nefarious activities at movies' end. Now, there's a number of deeper questions raised by the screenplay's refusal to punish. Chiefly, how much guilt should attach to the doctors' experiments that after all could result in bringing good people back to life, even if in a cobbled together body. Is that a worthwhile goal or not. And, if so, what research methods are morally acceptable. Anyway, these are questions to think about, and raise the screenplay above the older horror movie conventions. This may not have been the writer's intention, but the morally ambiguous ending does remain suggestive.The 90-minutes is an appropriately ugly production. If asylum inmates weren't loony going in, they soon will be. The rooms and cells are claustrophobic. At the same time, the story's middle part drags a bit without developing but picks up in the final part. And what a burst of inspiration the Angel character is. I've seen nothing quite like her in years of movie watching. All in all, it's a rather thoughtful horror story, while also being big on blood and a caveman monster. I'm just wondering why I sometimes feel like the Neanderthal in the morning, all hairy and misshapen. Oh well, if that means the divine Miss Angel must be close by, I'll consider myself lucky.

Wuchak Hammer Studios did 7 Frankenstein films from the late 50s to early 70s: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 (1973). 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 played the love-to-hate OTT satanist in "Taste the Blood of Dracula," released the same year).Anyway, "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" was the last hurrah for the series. THE PLOT: A young doctor, Simon Helder (Shane Briant), 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, creating -- you guessed it -- a monster from hell! This is an unmistakable Hammer film and solid Gothic chiller, 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 "Frankenstein Must be Destroyed," which represent the best of the series. 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 of the cinematography does up the ante of the Gothic atmosphere, but it'll likely disappoint those expecting the lushness of typical Hammer horror.On the plus side, the creature looks seriously bestial and is formidable, played by David Prowse, aka Darth Vader of the first three Star Wars flicks. The monster also 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 so those expecting the overt horror antics of most slasher films will be let down.BOTTOM LINE: "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" is a solid Hammer horror film and a fine way to end their Frankenstein series, but it lacks the color and pizazz of the previous two installments. As such, it's overall mediocre.The film runs 99 minutes and was shot at EMI Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England.GRADE: C+

gavin6942 Last of the Hammer Frankenstein films, this one deals with the Baron (Peter Cushing) hiding out in an insane asylum, so that he may continue his experiments with reanimating the dead, along with inmate Simon Helder (Shane Briant), who has been institutionalized for conducting such experiments.This was directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Hammer Film Productions, so you know it is good. This was also Fisher's final film (not just of the Frankenstein series but overall). Reviews tend to be rather negative, but it is still better than average and should be seen as such. (Actress Madeline Smith actually thinks this film is better than many Hammer films because it is actually focused on acting and not buxom ladies.)I love Cushing in everything he does. I guess this was not a big hit and has only in recent years been re-evaluated. I love it. Cushing is as great a baron as ever, and David Prowse (Darth Vader) makes an excellent "monster from hell" -- a hairy beast with the mind of a professor and violinist.Prowse, interestingly, went in cold to Hammer Studios hoping to play a monster and was initially turned down. Within a few years, he would get a call and go on to be the only one to play a Frankenstein creation more than once. He ended up getting to know Cushing rather well.

Scott LeBrun Peter Cushing makes all the difference in this final entry in Hammer Studios' cycle of Frankenstein films. Overall, the film isn't overly atmospheric, and is talky, albeit with some effective moments of horror. It also looks like budgetary restrictions may have hampered it a bit, as most of the action is confined to one basic location, an insane asylum. Still, the monster this time is of a different variety - it looks like the missing link - and the acting is as sincere as it's ever been for a Hammer film. It also *looks* pretty good, and there is the kind of gore that horror lovers began to see in this sort of thing. A little sex appeal is provided by the extremely comely co-star Madeline Smith, as the mute Sarah. The inmates are also a fairly colourful bunch.Shane Briant stars as Simon Helder, a surgeon up to the same kind of thing as Baron Frankenstein was, once upon a time. He's arrested, charged with sorcery, and sent to the aforementioned asylum to serve a five year sentence. Guess who runs the place? Simon finds out that the Baron is once again doing resurrection experiments, and helping himself to the inmates when he needs body parts - like brains and hands. Simon is eager to help out, although he doesn't possess the ruthlessness of the Baron and does have *some* scruples, leading to some friction. Naturally, the experiment is fraught with problems.Marking the swan song for prolific Hammer director Terence Fisher, "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" is good, not great, Hammer horror, that does remain watchable with its new twists on the familiar formula. The cast is excellent: Cushing is solid as a rock, and works well with the young Briant. The Baron actually gets to have a good laugh for once here, which is refreshing to see. The film is also noteworthy for co-starring Cushing and David Prowse, who would of course team up as villains in "Star Wars". Prowse plays the Monster as he did in the previous entry, "The Horror of Frankenstein". John Stratton is deliciously sleazy as the asylum director. There are small roles and cameos for the likes of Clifford Mollison, Patrick Troughton, Charles Lloyd Pack, Bernard Lee, Philip Voss, Christopher Cunningham, and Sydney Bromley. One good thing is that the Monster is as pitiable as he should be, while being intimidating at the same time.This is reasonably engaging entertainment that ends in a very fitting way. If you're a Hammer fan, it does come recommended.Seven out of 10.