Customer Reviews

Frankenstein Created Woman [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Just as Boris Karloff became forever associated with playing the Frankenstein monster in the three classic Universal Studios efforts in the 1930's, Peter Cushing will be forever fondly associated with Baron Frankenstein after playing him in six films stretching from the late 1950's through to the 1970's for England's famed Hammer Studios. Here in "Frankenstein Created Woman", from 1967 which was his fourth time in the role Cushing had one of his best vehicles as the wily Baron which was a vast improvement on Hammer's earlier misfire with 1964's "The Evil of Frankenstein". This film returned largely to the core of the famous story and also added it's own unique twists which helped give it its own individual interest despite it being part of a series of movies on the Baron's various exploits. "Frankenstein Created Woman", has all the first rate trade marks one comes to expect from Hammer Studios; a superb lead in veteran Hammer star Peter Cushing essaying one of his most famous roles, able direction by arguably the studio's most talented director in Terence Fisher, lush technicolour photography and authentic period settings, and an attractive and talented young leading lady in Susan Denberg. Hammer managed through most of their Frankenstein series to make each story as uniquely self contained as possible, hence their ongoing popularity with audiences who didn't grow to feel they were seeing the same story over and over. This fourth installment is one of the series' best and has an almost supernatural feel to it dealing as it does with the good doctor's efforts to transfer the sole of one individual into the body of another with very startling results.

Set again in the 19th Century in the region of the Balkans we are introduced again to Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) who in his latest spree of experiments around the wonders of the human body has devised a way to capture the soul of an individual after they have died and give it new life in the body of another. Assisted in these experiements by his assistant the amiable Dr. Hertz (Thorley Walters), Frankenstein has perfected the process of capturing the individuals soul which must be retrieved less than a few hours after the person dying. An opportunity for Frankenstein's knowledge to be put into practice arises when Frankenstein's lab assistant Hans (Robert Morris), is wrongly accused of the murder of the local tavern owner (Ivan Beavis)who happens to be the father of his scarred girlfriend Christina (Susan Denberg). He in actual fact was murdered by three affluent young thugs who allow Hans to take the blame and being the son of a man guillotined years before for crimes Hans is given no chance to prove his innocence. Frankenstein seeing that Hans has no hope decides that his execution will be of great use in his experiements with the human soul and after Hans is guillotined and Christina in grief drowns herself Frankenstein manages to obtain both bodies and transfers Hans soul into Christina's body which also undergoes treatment to turn her from her former scarred face self into a beautiful young woman. Christina is revived and at first all seems well as she becomes a likeable and very beautiful young woman however very soon the soul of a vengeful Hans trapped in her body reasserts itself and drives Christina on a ruthless killing spree against the three young men who caused his unnecessary death. One by one the three men Anton (Peter Blythe), Karl (Barry Warren), and Johann (Derek Fowlds), are ruthlessly murdered after falling for the obvious charms of the beautiful Christina. The townsfolk grow increasingly alarmed at the murders and blame them on Baron Frankenstein who most do not trust. Barely escaping an angry mob Frankenstein realises that Christina is the one being driven by Han's soul in his thirst for revenge and pursues her when he discovers she has left town with the last of the trio of young men Hans wants to see dead. When he finally catches up with her Christina begins to realise from what Frankenstein is saying that she is responsible for the multiple murders and in her tormented state she decides to end it all by jumping off a cliff before the Baron can capture her.

"Frankenstein Created Woman", definately benefits from the return of Terence Fisher to the directors seat and together with Peter Cushing playing again one of his most famous horror characters the partnership managed to put the Frankenstein series back on track. Heralded upon its release in 1967 with the catchy byline "A Beautiful Woman With The Soul Of The Devil!", this film doesn't have the resident "monster", that one comes to expect from the Frankenstein movies. Instead we have here the rather original idea (for this series anyway!), of a beautiful and seemingly innocent young woman being driven to unspeakable acts of murder by the transplanted soul of a recently executed man. Peter Cushing delivers his usual highly polished performance in the role that he played on and off for over 17 years. he has an interesting chemistry with the slightly daffy Thorley Walters as his assistant that brings to mind the film collaborations of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the earlier Hollywood films. Austrian born Susan Denberg makes a most interesting villianess and her quite sweetbeauty makes a starling contrast to the terrible murders she commits when possessed by the soul of Hans. One unique aspect of alot of the Hammer films of the 1960's was that they provided a solid training ground for many young British actors who went on the great success in later years. Foremost here in "Frankenstein Created Woman", is a very young Derek Fowlds as one of the young men who becomes Christina's /Han's victims. He would of course enjoy great success in later years as a star of the long running "Yes Minister ", and "Heartbeat" series on British television. This effort boasts all the standard Hammer features so appealing to horror lovers; beautiful colour photography, excellent period settings that still have a strong English feel despite being set in central Europe, and a number of stunning set pieces that seem to take on a life of their own such as in this film's case the haunting image of the guillotine towering over the hillside which is put into good use at various intervals throughout the film.

"Frankenstein Created Woman", is certainly good old fashioned horror entertainment of the kind Hammer Studios excelled in and is one of my absolute favourites in the series. Baron Frankenstein by this installment in the series had developed from being a villian into an almost hero type figure which some movie goers objected to at the time of release. This perhaps explains why in the next entry "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed!", Frankenstein once again became a villianous character. The slight character change in this film does however create interest and works in the stories favour as the otherwise sweet character of Christina suddenly takes on a bloodthirsty persona which produces quite startling results and really helps drive the story along. For all Hammer horror lovers this fourth entry in their classic Frankenstein series of movies is essential viewing and should definately be in your horror collection.

Although you might think from the title that "Frankenstein Created Woman" is Hammer films version of "The Bride of Frankenstein," it is really a strong return to the studio's original Frankenstein series after the dreadful mistake of "The Evil of Frankenstein." Baron Victor Frankenstein, played by Peter Cushing of course, has become bored with stitching together corpses and is now interested in transplanting souls by occult methods (with a little help, believe it or not, from a small atomic pile). This new direction is due in some small part to the fact his hands were damaged in the fiery conclusion of the previous film. Dr. Hertz (Thorley Walters), the local doctor in the village where the Baron now lives, willingly serves as Victor's hands. Meanwhile, a pair of young lovers named Hans (Robert Morris) and Christina (Susan Denberg), meet tragic fates. He is mistakenly executed for murdering her father, and the heartbroken girl drowns herself. Victor acquires the bodies and transfers Han's soul into Christina's body. When a visit to the guillotine awakens Han's memories of what happened, he uses his new body to claim vengeance for what happened to them both.

Ironically, not only do we not have the traditional monster in "Frankenstein Created Woman," the mad doctor is also pretty much a secondary figure in the film, although the new twists on the character makes him much more sympathetic than he had previously been. Indeed, Victor is the film's "hero." This is arguably the best script in the series by Anthony Hinds (writing again as "John Elder") and the return of director Terence Fisher to the series is quite welcomed. The casting of former Playmate of the Month Susan Denberg as the, ah, creature did require her role to be dubbed because of her Austrian accent, a final irony since Hammer's Frankenstein films are always set in that lovely part of Central Europe that looks like Austria/Germany while everyone speaks with English/Cockney accents. "Frankenstein Created Woman" is probably the second best film in the series.

I was so glad when on a whim one day I noticed that old Hammer horror titles previously released by Anchor Bay Entertainment appeared to be getting a re-release. Boy, was I wrong about that! Don't be fooled. DVD-R's are no substitute for a real factory manufactured product. The pictures appear murky, bleeding and washed out even though its obviously a direct burn from a genuine Anchor Bay DVD. The sound drops in and out. I played each disc on 3 different players manufactured by 3 different companies. In all I wasted $20 dollars a piece on 3 of these pathetic knock offs. Originally when I purchased these titles there was NO mention of them being bootleg quality DVD-R's. I don't know who's ingenious idea it was to propose such a gross misuse of wasted effort. Either shame on Anchor Bay or shame on Amazon for perpetuating such poor quality knock offs at such an absurd price. They even use the original Anchor Bay DVD's cover art printed by a laser printer however most of the special features listed will not appear.

I.E. - The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires does not include the U.S. cut of the film as mentioned.

What a crime in itself either release the film correctly or don't bother at all. What a tease. What a waste of my money and time.

The movie had this been a genuine product released through Anchor Bay would've received 5 stars.

I threw my money away on:

Dracula Prince Of Darkness

Frankenstein Created Woman

The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires

Save your money until somebody with half a brain decides to do the right things with the old deleted Hammer titles. I'm still very dissatisfied with this scenario.

Did you know that between creating his own people that Baron Victor Frankenstein also transplanted a soul from one body to another? Well that is what the Baron does in this film. The soul helps a crippled women turn beautiful, but the vengeful soul of her lover leads her to murder. This film contains enough action and terror to keep you interested, but the Baron seems out of character. Nothing against Cushing's performance at all, but he seems almost too casual here not the intense madman we had come to love. Instead he seems more like a man just tinkering around on the weekend. The ending was also very weak, when you see it you can't believe they really chose to end it like this. Still this is a very watchable film, with Peter Cushing and Susan Denberg how could it be bad.

The fist time I saw this movie, at the tender age of 10, it left a lasting impression that has no doubt skewed my view of the world. Here was a former Playboy Bunny trying desperately to contain herself in a typical Hammeresque period costume, running around the Village exacting revenge in a series of bloody murders. The grisly climax contains a scene where she talks to the severed head of her (former) boyfriend. She was, of course, Frankenstein's newest creation. I recently watched this again, curious as to how I would react 30 years later. Aside from a terrible ending (this movie doesn't end so much as it stops), the movie still holds up pretty well. Fans of the Hammer genre, and fans of Peter Cushing will no doubt enjoy this one. Good wacky laboratory sequences, a fun cast of characters (some of which you are glad to see die) and Denberg as the best looking creature yet.

At the beginning of the movie a murderer is guillotine and witnessed by his young son Hans. Years later Hans is working with Dr. Hertz and Dr. Bon Frankenstein (played by Peter Cushing). Frankenstein has himself frozen for exactly one hour, down to the second, where he is trying to prove that the soul does not leave the body. He is revived and to celebrate his success sends Hans out to get some champagne at one of the local pubs. Hans is in love with the owner's daughter (Christina played by Susan Denberg) and spends the night with her but when the owner is killed Hans is accused and refuses to tell where he was when the murder took place. Hans is found guilty and himself guillotined like his father. Christina sees this and jumps off a bridge and drowns.

Dr. Frankenstein retrieves Hans's body, captures his soul, and places it in Christina body. Among Frankenstein accomplishments he is a brilliant cosmetic surgeon and turns Christina into a beautiful blond with the aid of Dr. Hertz. Now with a new body and Hans's soul revenge is sought for Hans and Christina's father's deaths.

This is another excellent Hammer film and with Peter Cushing heading the cast. The quality of the DVD is excellent.

this Anchor Bay DVD appears to have serious flaws as almost all of the originally pressed discs no longer play correctly.....those of you who have these discs, Please check them in your dvd players as 9 out of 10 of them have suffered a form of corruption that doesnt allow them to work anylonger...........the worst news of all is that ANCHOR BAY dont apparently have the license to release this title again at the moment, so those of us who have dumped our Elite Laserdiscs are rather stuck with a dud dvd. Anchor Bay who are normally so excellent about handling themselves ought really to start something about refunding those of us who are stuck with a dud disc - clearly something they MUST have had some idea about.

Most people shunt this film aside, or simply saying it's one of the lesser hammer frankensteins, just because it doesn't have any of the know-to-be qualites of any run-of-the-mill frankenstein film should have. But what most people don't realize that this isn't really a horror film at all, but more of a quirky, poetic, gothic mood piece. A film filled with a great quantity of intersting theamatics, which downplays horror, and plays more towards emotions, and tragides that haunt each one's personal pyche. Cushing's frankenstein this time around is'nt the center attention, but more or so light's the spark on what unfoldes during the film involving his fellow players. The film is beautifully directed by horror speacialist Terance Fisher, (with out doubt hammer's best)., who weaves a story of love, tragedy, and revenge, in such a restraint fashion. Scarificing gore, and the usual mechanics. The perfomances here are all superb, Thorely Walters, who plays frankenstin's assistant, the local town doctor, who appears to be lost and wasted on brandy most of the time in his last days of life, Gives a heart-felt and charming, and sometimes rather awe-inspiring performance, most notably his scences with susan deberg's character, with out question makes this Fisher's most touching of his masterful frankenstein films. Cushing is , and as always just such a joy to watch through every shred of diolouge, that he recites. Though his screen time is much more limited than usual, it has been said by many, myself included that this is probably one of cushng's best perfomances as the baron, though quit benign, not the ruthless SOB that he would be in the next entry in the series(FMBD). Though even me myself can't say that the film is without it's flaws. One of the things i felt worked agansit the film rather for it was(this may sound crazy) it's production design, the whole film felt rather cramped, and rather tacky, which makes the picture fell very clastrophobic, and small, not containing the great size and feel of the films , that were in the prevoius (curse of frankenstein& revenge of frankenstein), i mean don't get me wrong, the story is rather simple, but still rather cramped. the other thing was the whole premise of the film, felt rather flimsy this time around: the capturing and transplants of souls, drifting away form most frankenstein films. Though the whole point was to do something different with the character this time around, but i guess it's rather hard to get used to to the whole soul premise, after viewing other frankenstien films. Altold Frankenstein Created Woman is high hammer art, and not only one of hammer's best frankenstein's, but in my opinion the most itellegent treatment to any frankenstien movie. sO PLEASE DON'T TURN THIS FILM DOWN JUST BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT THAN MOST, BUT ADMIRE IT FOR IT'S POETRY.

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 GRADE: B+ 91%

Frankenstein Created Woman(1967)- A film alot of people dislike mainly becasue it's perhaps the only Fisher/Cushing/Frankenstein film to sideline the character of the Baron. I on the other hand find the premise very intresting, and a very innovative and inteligent approach. The film is less of a horror film and more of a poetic gothic mood piece, if anything else. The movie is structured as a pattern of symmetrical inversions and echoes. The first half starts with the double ritual of horror as a father is guillotined before the eyes of his son and then the son's decapitation is witnessedby his lover, while the second half, contained between Christina's two suicideds by drowning, is punctuated by two rituals of pleasure as she seduces and gruesomly kills Han's tormentors. These flamboyant explosions of violence are mingled with pleasure and death are bound together by the Baron's calm but relentless experimantation, filmed in tenderly muted technicolor, whi ch culminates in the ironic poetry of the ending as Cushing watches Denberg's body being carried away along the moutian river and, with a shrug of his shoulders, turns away, providing what must be the most understated ending ever for a horror movie. The film is filled with felictious directorial touches, the movie contains a spendidly characteristic scene which summarizes Fisher's coception of the Baron's character. Apearing as a witness in court, Cushing casually and with an air of amused condesension fingers a few pages of the bible. Enhanced by wondefully controled acting, especially by Cushing and Walters, who both give superb perfomances, this is the most touching/moving, emontional, and most oneiric of Fisher's wonderful Frankenstein series. If there is one complaint from me of this film, it would be, and only be the "tacky looking sets". The film like most Hammer Horrors of it's period come off looking rather cheap.(Due to money problems Hammer was having during the 1965-1968 period). Many of the sets appear either cramped or tacky, as some of the shooting locations seem poorly chosen. Most of the time I can forgive low budget productions and their some what "much to be desired" looking sets. But with FCW, were dealing with poor resources. And this effect very much hampers the film, which is quit unfortunate. Aside from this rather obvious quibble, the film remains a very underrated masterwork, and one of director Terence Fisher's most touching, personal films. There are many moments of delicate beauty - I swear the first time I saw this film, the scenes with Susan Denberg, and that of Thorely Walter's, coupled with one of James Bernards best film scores, almost made me shed a tear. It's one of Fisher's most powerful films on a emotional standpoint.

Grade:

Filmically: B+
Thematically: A-

Hammer Studios did 7 Frankenstein films from the late 50s to early 70s:

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973)

Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein in every one of these except "The Horror of Frankenstein." The reason is because "Horror" was a remake of the original story and they needed a much younger actor to play the role; in this case they chose Ralph Bates (who superbly played the love-to-hate OTT satanist in "Taste the Blood of Dracula" released the same year).

Until relatively recently I hadn't seen any of the films in this series with the exception of a few clips of the first one while channel surfing. This initial segment never intrigued me mainly because I'm bored with the basic Frankenstein plot and feel Christopher Lee makes a weak Frankenstein monster (sorry for my blasphemy). What got me interested in the series was "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed," which is a creative and well-done piece of gothic horror. Yesterday I viewed "Frankenstein Created Woman" on dvd and was similarly impressed.

One thing that perked my interest in this film was the appearance of Susan Denberg as the titular "woman;" she appeared in the 1966 Star Trek episode "Mudd's Women" as the blond bombshell and was also a playmate-of-the-month that same year (not that I keep up on such things).

THE STORY [Don't read this paragraph if you don't want to know that basic plot!]: Susan plays a disfigured working class young woman, Christina, who is harrassed by the locals. Hans, a local peasant, who's father was guillotined for murder when he was a boy, truly loves Christina despite her outward marring. Unfortunately Hans is falsely accused of murder and put to death; when Christina finds out she commits suicide. Baron Frankenstein gets his hands on both bodies and is able to resurrect Christina by infusing Hans' soul (his immaterial being) with Christina's soul & body; hence, he "creates woman." In the resurrection process the Baron is able to remove the girl's disfigurement through his skills. Things go awry when Hans' soul compels Christina to enact revenge on the pompous aristocrats who falsely accused him.

I'll be honest with you, with a title like "Frankenstein Created Woman" I wasn't expecting much. In fact, I was expecting unwanted goofiness but, no, this is a serious and moving piece of gothic horror. What a nice surprise.

The story hooks the viewer right away with the dilemma of both Christina and Hans. Anyone who's ever been teased for one reason or another when they were young will no doubt be able to relate to Christina. The only one who sees her true beauty and worth is the orphaned peasant, who is ostrasized because his father was guillotined for murder. By contrast the high-class mockers are brutal towards her. There's something about being poor in spirit that naturally creates true character and beauty; such is the case with both Christina and Hans. This is perhaps why a certain well-know person said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Humility is beautiful; arrogance is hideous.

Another potent piece is the entire sequence culminating in Hans being falsely accused. It effectively shows how easily someone can appear to be guilty even though the charges are false.

The film drives home the point that those who commit injustice and evil will reap what they sow sooner or later. The villains are good in a love-to-hate sense and the viewer can't help but hope they get their comeuppance.

Of course Peter Cushing is excellent as Frankenstein. The story emphasizes his brillance and skill, which so exceeds that of his contempories that he's accused of witchcraft.

Some complain about the ending but actually it's a quite fitting way to end the storyline if you reflect on it.

The story's runtime is perfect at an hour and a half -- not too long and not too short.

FINAL ANALYSIS: I don't know about the other five films in the Hammer Frankenstein series, but both "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" and "Frankenstein Created Woman" are excellent pieces of gothic horror -- intelligent, creative, potent and moving.

PERSONAl GRADE: A-