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 / farmhand
Monique van Vooren	...	Baroness Katrin Frankenstein / Frankenstein's wife / sister
Udo Kier	...	Baron Frankenstein
Arno Jürging	...	Otto / Baron's Assistant
Dalila Di Lazzaro	...	Female Monster
Srdjan Zelenovic	...	Sacha / Male Monster
Nicoletta Elmi	...	Monica / Baron's Daughter
Marco Liofredi	...	Erik / Baron's Son
Liù Bosisio	...	Olga / Maid
Carla Mancini	...	Farmer
Cristina Gaioni	...	Female Farmer / Nicholas' Girlfriend
Fiorella Masselli	...	Biba / Large Prostitute
Rosita Torosh	...	Sonia / Prostitute
Imelde Marani	...	Blonde Prostitute

Storyline

In Serbia, middle-aged Baron Frankenstein lives with the Baroness Katrin, his wife/sister and their two teenage children, Monica and Erik. 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, farmhand boy and 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:

public nudity | pubic hair | nudity | male nudity | male frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

We dare you to see...

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bizarre violence and sexuality, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dialogue from this film is sampled in the song "Carnal Fecophelia Due to Prolonged Exposure to Methane" on the album "Homovore" by Californian death metal band Cattle Decapitation.

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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

Otto, the Baron's assistant: [Otto forces his hand into the female monster's stomach, killing her] And now i get into you, i have to get in.
Otto, the Baron's assistant: [Otto realizes what he did] Sh... she... she's ruined.
Baron Frankenstein: [Baron Frankenstein enters the room] It's not true, no. It can't be true, what are you doing to me. You destroyed my female, you put your dirty hands on her.
Otto, the Baron's assistant: But you went into her Baron...
Baron Frankenstein: [Baron Frankenstein strangles Otto] Bastard! I studied how to do it, i know how to do it. You don't... With your clumsy hands. Everything... I cannot ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

Video prints of are badly edited to secure an R-rating. Much of the sex and gratuitous violence Paul Morrissey put in the film for satirical purposes was cut out. The X-rated director's cut, with notable additions of blood and spilling guts, is available on Criterion's laser disc edition.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVI (2005)

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Soundtracks

Main Title
Composed by Claudio Gizzi
Conducted by Claudio Gizzi
Courtesy by RCA

User Reviews

Brilliantly Distasteful Cult Gem

"Flesh For Frankenstein" of 1973 is a wonderfully grotesque, bloody, bizarre, creepy, hilarious, artistic and absolutely brilliant slice of European Exploitation Horror that may not be missed by any lover of cult-cinema. The first of two takes on classic Horror tales directed by Paul Morrissey, starring Udo Kier and Joe Dallessandro and (co-)produced by iconic artist Andy Warhol (the other being "Blood For Dracula), "Flesh For Frankenstein" (which is sometimes referred to as "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein") is an Italian/French/American co-production that simply has to be seen to be believed.

A blend of rich Gothic atmosphere, grotesque artsy imagery, unvarnished sleaze and excessive gore and wonderfully black humor, "Flesh For Frankenstein" is both a tribute to- and satire of earlier Horror greats. At the time of its release, the film was highly controversial for its depiction of sex and gore and even received an X-Rating in the US: No wonder, as this unspeakably morbid little gem features all kinds of demented scenes including explicit perversions, such as necrophilia, all containing a very VERY morbid sense of humor.

Udo Kier shines as a very demented Baron Frankenstein (with a thick German accent), who lives with his sister/wife (!) Katrin (Monique Van Vooren), their two children, as well as his equally demented assistant in a castle in Serbia. Frankenstein plans to create female and a male Zombie from body parts; the natural children of his creations are then to become a perfect race of people. In the meanwhile, the super-potent stable-hand Nicholas (Joe Dallesandro) has sex with every female that crosses his way...

Udo Kier fits perfectly in the role of the Baron - extremely demented, perverted and weird, Frankenstein constantly yells at his assistant for being a pervert. This Baron is dedicated to science and obsessed with results as are other Frankenstein versions in cinema (such as those played by Colin Clive or Peter Cushing), but, unlike these predecessors, he is also demented in every other imaginable way. Udo Kier is definitely one of Germany's greatest actors and doubtlessly THE remaining expert for sinister and eccentric characters since Klaus Kinski passed away. He is truly great here. Monique van Vooren is also very good as the Baron's equally malicious sister/wife - van Vooren looks very young for her age (she was 48 when the film was made), but also really weird, since she has no eyebrows. Italian Horror enthusiasts will notice that the Frankenstein couple's daughter is played by Nicoletta Elmi, who was in many other cult-classics such as Dario Argento's "Profondo Rosso" (1975), Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood" (1971) and "Baron Blood" (1972), as well as Aldo Lado's Giallo "Who Saw Her Die?" (1972).

"Flesh For Frankenstein" is a film that is very gory and outrageously morbid for its day. When I first saw it, some scenes even reminded me of Joe D'Amato's 1979 shocker "Buio Omega" (though this film isn't quite AS demented and sick as D'Amato's film). IMDb and some other sources credit Italian Horror deity Antonio Margheriti, who happens to be an idol of mine, as co-director of this film; however, it appears that Margheriti was merely credited to draw Italian viewers into cinemas, and had little to nothing to do with the actual production of the film. Either way, this is a must-see. "Flesh For Frankenstein" is a wonderfully bizarre, atmospheric, gory, demented, morbid, incredibly (and VERY darkly) funny film, that MUST be seen by all cult-cinema fans, and, personally, I cannot understand how anyone could not love it. My rating: 10/10

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