Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)

Baron Frankenstein creates two "zombies" - one male, one female - planning to mate them in order to create a master race.

Directors:

Paul Morrissey, Antonio Margheriti

Writer:

Paul Morrissey

Stars:

Joe Dallesandro, Udo Kier, Dalila Di Lazzaro

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joe Dallesandro	...	Nicholas - Stable Boy
Monique van Vooren	...	Baroness Katrin Frankenstein
Udo Kier	...	Baron Frankenstein
Arno Jürging	...	Otto - the Baron's Assistant
Dalila Di Lazzaro	...	Female Monster
Srdjan Zelenovic	...	Sacha / Male Monster
Nicoletta Elmi	...	Monica - the Baron's Daughter
Marco Liofredi	...	Erik - the Baron's Son
Liù Bosisio	...	Olga - the Maid
Fiorella Masselli	...	Large Prostitute
Cristina Gaioni	...	Farmer - Nicholas' Girlfriend
Rosita Torosh	...	Sonia - the Prostitute
Carla Mancini	...	Farmer
Imelde Marani	...	Blonde Prostitute

Storyline

In Serbia, Baron Frankenstein lives with the Baroness and their two children. He dreams of a super-race, returning Serbia to its grand connections to ancient Greece. In his laboratory, assisted by Otto, he builds a desirable female body, but needs a male who will be super-body and super-lover. He thinks he has found just the right brain to go with a body he's built, but he's made an error, taking the head of a asexual ascetic. Meanwhile, the Baroness has her lusts, and she fastens on Nicholas, a friend of the dead lad. Can the Baron pull off his grand plan? He brings the two zombies together to mate. Meanwhile, Nicholas tries to free his dead friend. What about the Baron's children?

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Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | laboratory | pubic hair | male pubic hair | male nudity | 

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Taglines:

Brings The Horror Off The Screen... And Into Your Lap.

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bizarre violence and sexuality, and for language

Details

Country:

USA Italy France

Language:

English French

Release Date:

17 March 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Andy Warhol's Frankenstein

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$450,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion, Braunsberg Productions, Carlo Ponti Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Didn't receive its UK TV premiere until 2009.

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Goofs

When Frankenstein "shocks" life into his creatures, him and Otto are touching the bodies with bare hands, yet they do not seem to be receiving any of the electricity.

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Quotes

Baron Frankenstein: To know death, Otto, you have to fuck life... in the gall bladder!

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Alternate Versions

A 3D video version was released by 3-D TV Corp.

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Connections

Featured in Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991)

User Reviews

Good Clean Fun!

This was the first of 2 films made in quick succession by Paul Morrissey in Italy in 1973. Blood for Dracula was the other.

Flesh for Frankenstein was obviously made with it's tongue firmly in it's cheek. It's a step beyond anything Hammer attempted in this genre, especially regarding gore and dodgy accents!

Udo Kier and Arno Juerging are possibly the best comic duo to hit the screens since Abbot & Costello as the Baron and faithful sidekick Otto! Whether fooling around in the lab or scouting for suitable organs they never fail to raise a smile. Kier gets all the best lines, letting us know his views on gall bladders and his plans for the new race he is ..ehm.. putting together.

Monique Van Vooren is more sinister as the Baroness, who initially appears relatively normal, in comparison to her "husband" at least. However her eccentricities become apparent as the film goes on.

Joe Dallesandro is on screen a lot but his character doesn't contribute much to the plot. Presumably his name was used to garner publicity for the film in the US.

The Frankenstein kids take after their parents and are crucial to the twist at the end of the film. The young actors playing the kids do a good job.

The actors playing the Baron's works in progress don't have much to do, even when their characters are brought to life.

Certainly the film will not be to everybody's taste. There is plenty of gore and some dodgy sex scene sound effects. The scene showing the Baron's "interest" in the female creation and her innards pushes the boundaries a bit but it is too over the top to be anything more than comical. So sit back and enjoy this piece of 70's schlock horror.