Did you people see the same film I saw?

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I really enjoy "The Horror of Frankenstein." Despite the consensus on this forum (and, sadly, on nearly all movie sites), this is a rewarding and entertaining retelling of the Frankenstein tale. By 1970, Hammer had pretty much mined Shelley's story, releasing films in this series every few years. The Hammerheads were looking for a new direction and "The Horror of..." was born. They enlisted the author of the screenplay for their original Frankenstein film (The Curse of...) to helm this production. Instead of rehashing old ground, they decided to make the Doctor a cruel determined man (who is no doubt more frightening than the monster) and add a healthy dose of black humour to the proceedings. As far as I can tell, the detractors of the film find the addition of the humour to be the deal-breaker. Added to that, the film revels in an almost campy atmosphere. This may be a surprise to those who vehemently disregard the film but the atmosphere created is deliberate. Sure, it's not like the other Hammer Frankenstein film, it's a new direction.What's not to like about Dennis Price as the grave robber? Who could complain about the beautiful Kate O'Mara? (Or her ample cleavage, continually on display.) Perhaps I like the film because it was one of the first horror movies I saw in a cinema (doubled with "Scars of Dracula" no less!). Maybe I just like horror movies. It could be for any of those reasons but I keep coming back to it every few years because just the look of Hammer turns me on. If you watch in the spirit in which it is presented, I think you too will have an old-fashioned good time.

Hammer unwisely decided to turn to comedy for another Frankenstein film, this time the penultimate in the series. The Gothic chills and spills we are used to seeing are thrown aside to make way for a few (and towards the end, very few) laughs. Essentially a remake of Hammer's classic THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Hammer made the grave mistake of casting a newcomer in the role of Frankenstein, Ralph Bates, who had starred in the previous year's TASTE THE BLOOD OF Dracula.While Bates is not particularly bad in the role, he is no Peter Cushing, and the film sadly misses Cushing's authoritative presence. Bates, however, is something of a laugh as the coldly detached scientist who views the world through lowered eyelids and never gets emotional about anything. Veronica Carlson (DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE) is on hand as one of the love interests and looks fetching in a night-gown, but the main female presence in the film is Kate O'Mara, who has a riot as the scheming Alys. Dennis Price has fun in a minor, Burke and Hare-type role. Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) is an ugly, brutish monster who offers no sympathy or pathos in the role. He would return again as the monster in FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL, and also as a strongman in VAMPIRE CIRCUS.There are a few deaths to retain interest in the film, but they're typically of the non-graphic sort, apart from a neck breaking near the end. On the plus side, the costumes have never been better, and the sets are particularly striking, but the visual appeal is let down by a grainy, cheap feel to the film which occurs mainly due to the low budget. There are a few of the usual syringes, bloody brains, and severed limbs to keep things moving along, but in the end THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN is a letdown, a film not helped by the lame climax. Not up to Hammer's usual standards.

This film seems more stitched together than the monster's body. A long series of clichés- all past their sell-by date by 1970- are brought together to make this lacklustre addition to the Frankenstein franchise. An old castle, dummkopf locals, good girl/bad girl... these are all things we have seen before. Many times. Ralph Bates strikes a new note, however, as a truly loathsome Frankenstein, which he plays perfectly. This is quite a change from the honestly enquiring scientist who gets caught up meddling in things beyond his power. Bates is completely unscrupulous from the start; he has already decided on a course of evil before the monster is even conceived. In this course he is aided by his social position and his indulgence by everyone he meets, particularly the ladies (well they do like a bastard don't they?). The first two thirds of the film, although rather drawn out, is actually the best portion in hindsight. As a study in how a loathsome egomaniac being indulged can get steadily worse, it is quite good. And a good turn by Dennis Price as a self serving grave robber who lets his wife doing all the dirty work, is slyly humorous. Where the film really disappoints is with the appearance of the monster. Here the clichés really kick in. Some highly predictable sequences lead to its strange unsatisfying end.

By the 1970s, Hammer was struggling to find an audience still willing to cough up to see lavish Gothic productions; as a result, their output became increasingly targeted at the more profitable youth market. Having been exposed to more explicit teen horror films from the US, this particular demographic demanded that the studio adapt its format to suit. Graphic gore and nudity now had precedence over fog-shrouded graveyards and creepy castles.In accordance with this new approach, The Horror of Frankenstein presents its viewers with a decidedly different take on Mary Shelley's classic: it's a sexier, nastier, gorier, and generally far more exploitative effort than any previous film in the series, and one which benefits greatly from a deliciously twisted script loaded with gallows humour.This shake-up also called for a new leading man: out went Peter Cushing's well respected, but severely obsessive scientist, and in came Ralph Bates' more loathsome incarnation of Victor Frankenstein—a younger, mean-spirited, murderous, and cold-blooded individual. Bate's performance is practically perfect, convincingly portraying the utter contempt that his character feels for all mankind—even his closest friends and admirers.Also rather memorable, albeit for completely different reasons, are the obligatory hammer babes: Kate O'Mara as Alys, the slutty housemaid who sees to the Baron's every needs (if you know what I mean), and Veronica Carlson as Elizabeth Heiss, the prettiest girl in the village and Victor's secret admirer. Both girls are absolutely stunning and possess quite impressive 'talents' (which, particularly in O'Mara's case, regularly threaten to spill completely out over the top of their costumes!).Many Hammer aficionados seem to have a problem with The Horror of Frankenstein, unable to appreciate its wicked sense of humour. I however, think that it is an extremely fun flick, and a refreshing change to the usual Hammer style. The only gripe I do have with the film is that the monster itself (played by Dave 'Darth Vader' Prowse) is rather weak in its conception: with a little more time and effort spent on the creature make-up FX (the stitching looks like it was drawn on with marker pens), he wouldn't have been quite so laughable.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.