After having seen my first ever Jess Franco title, (the fun,but very flawed Women Without Innocence (1978-also reviewed) )I decided,that with still having great memories from Danny Boyle's excellent adaptation (2011-also reviewed),that I would take a look at Franco's take on Frankenstein's creature.
View on the film:
For the soundtrack and distinctive appearance of the film,writer/directing auteur and co-star Jess Franco closely works with regular composer Daniel White to soak the movie in a hauntingly surreal atmosphere,with echoing voices and distorted screams rippling across the screen.
Emphasizing the soundtracks features,Franco gives the movie a strikingly avant-garde look,with Cagliostro's "cult" and the residence of the village being set a against a trance style backdrop,which help to give the film a wonderfully chilling feel.
Despite Dennis Price giving a fun performance as Dr Frankenstein,and Lina Romay making her film debut, (in the composite cut) the screenplay by Uncle Jess is sadly unable to match the confident appearance that he displays in his directing,with Franco mostly leaving the creature/monster roots of the story behind,and instead trying to target everything from occult terror to murder mystery chiller, without ever really being keep in step with Frankenstein's creation.
View on the film:
For the soundtrack and distinctive appearance of the film,writer/directing auteur and co-star Jess Franco closely works with regular composer Daniel White to soak the movie in a hauntingly surreal atmosphere,with echoing voices and distorted screams rippling across the screen.
Emphasizing the soundtracks features,Franco gives the movie a strikingly avant-garde look,with Cagliostro's "cult" and the residence of the village being set a against a trance style backdrop,which help to give the film a wonderfully chilling feel.
Despite Dennis Price giving a fun performance as Dr Frankenstein,and Lina Romay making her film debut, (in the composite cut) the screenplay by Uncle Jess is sadly unable to match the confident appearance that he displays in his directing,with Franco mostly leaving the creature/monster roots of the story behind,and instead trying to target everything from occult terror to murder mystery chiller, without ever really being keep in step with Frankenstein's creation.