The Revenge of Frankenstein

The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Terence Fisher

Starring: Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Eunice Gayson, Michael Gwynn, John Welsh

From: Hammer

Because Hammer Horror is needed for this time of year. Actually, last night I revisited the first in Hammer’s Frankenstein Franchise (The Curse of Frankenstein) but that doesn’t need a new review from me. It’s a pretty good tale which is the standard Mary Shelley story w/ some artistic flourishes as Peter Cushing is a brilliant but mad scientist who increasingly becomes unethical as he seeks to create life which predictably goes wrong.

Revenge begins right after Curse ends. Baron Victor Frankenstein is about to be sent to the gallows. Sometime happens, and he escapes. He must have been trolling when he reached his new town and decided to become a doctor under the name… Dr. Stein. He treats the poor, but that doesn’t mean he has reformed his devilish ways. Victor finds assistants; in a note reminiscent of the Universal Monster movie House of Frankenstein, there’s a deformed person who wishes to inhabit a new body, especially after meeting an attractive lady. Lest you think it’s a ripoff, both movies handle that plot point quite differently.

As it’s Hammer Horror, little surprise that the mood and atmosphere are presented well, along with the sets that brought the 19th century mainland European city to life. It was an effective ghoulish tale which had some pathos and seemed a natural progression from Curse. The score, the direction, the editing, the cast (not just Cushing), all were solid. The film even had a gruesome moment or two so if you wanted to have a good time, Curse then Revenge should make for a nice fall evening, hopefully w/ a chill in the air where you live.

Somehow, Hammer made seven (!) Frankenstein films. Don’t expect me to watch them all ever (let alone this Spooky Season) as it may be a law of diminishing returns but more Hammer by late October for me: possible.