Directed by:
Terence FisherScreenplay:
Anthony HindsCinematography:
Brian ProbynComposer:
James BernardCast:
Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith, David Prowse, John Stratton, Michael Ward, Patrick Troughton, Bernard Lee, Sydney Bromley, Peter Madden (more)Plots(1)
A bodysnatcher is spotted exhuming a corpse for young surgeon Dr. Simon Helder (Shane Briant). Helder’s experiments are terminated when he is arrested for sorcery, and sentenced to five years imprisonment in an asylum for the criminally insane near Carlsbad. The asylum is ostensibly run by a corrupt director, but his strings are being pulled by the blackmailing Dr. Carl Victor (Peter Cushing). Victor is assisted in his duties as resident medical practitioner by the beautiful Sarah (Madeline Smith), a mute girl the inmates call “Angel”. Victor admits his true identity to Helder - he is Baron Victor Frankenstein, pursuing his depraved research safe in the knowledge that all bar a few of the asylum staff believe him to be dead. Helder becomes Frankenstein’s apprentice, and discovers that the Baron is using the body of hulking inmate Schneider as the basis for his latest experiment. The Monster is given new eyes, the hands of a craftsman and the brain of a brilliant suicide victim. The tormented Monster initially shows promise, but Schneider’s violent personality soon begins to assert itself. (Shock Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (2)
Despite its lack of innovation, still a pretty decent conclusion of Hammer Studios’ Frankenstein series. I enjoyed Peter Cushing’s comeback into the main role and also, I was interested in the madhouse set, where the baron is hiding; this part strongly reminds me of "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" by Edgar Allan Poe. The appearance of the ‘monster from hell’, however, is far removed from the original Frankenstein monsters. Perhaps this was intentional, but I was under the permanent impression I was actually watching a hairy alien from Robot Monster. I can confidently recommend the first two parts of the saga. For the rest, horror fans will decide for themselves – but this one cannot hurt.
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Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell is the final instance in the trajectory of this series at Hammer Studios, and it's a farewell that's somewhat typical. Throughout its run, the series essentially didn't evolve, but they managed to keep creating new monsters. In this case, the monster portrayed by David Prowse, who also played Darth Vader, is interesting. The film, however, mostly bathes in the mediocrity of this theme.
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