Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)

Wonderfully offbeat film!

not horrible nor great

disgusting, overrated, pointless

A Disappointing Continuation

One last go-around for Peter Cushing as the Baron, one last intriguing monster, and kind of like "Revenge of Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein Created Woman," he doesn't die in the closing reels--so there is room to speculate that maybe Hammer thought they could wring out a few more sequels. In any event, maybe it's good the series ended with this--better to go out on a high note than fizzle out. This time--like many times before-- the Baron is presumed dead and living under an alias; running a mental institution. Another assistant, another pretty starlet, and another monster make for a pretty good end to maybe Hammer's best monster series.Maybe the DVD release of this could have had some more special features- -but aside from that--I can't complain...

The first film in the British Hammer (Horror) Studios series of Frankenstein movies is the best, the second was worth watching, the third was terrible, the fourth was alright, the fifth was good, the sixth entry (more a remake) was rubbish, this seventh and last entry I hoped would be a fitting end, directed by Terence Fisher (Dracula, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Mummy). Basically a Bodysnatcher (Patrick Troughton) is caught trying to rob a grave and is arrested, he snitches, giving the name and address of his client, Dr. Simon Helder (Shane Briant), the doctor is arrested and sentenced to five years in a psychiatric institution. The mental asylum is run by corrupt and perverted director Adolf Klauss (John Stratton), there Helder is tortured by the orderlies, Helder also discovers the asylum surgeon, under the alias of Dr. Carl Victor, is in fact Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing). Helder is an admirer of the Baron's work, and Frankenstein is impressed by Helder's talents, he takes Helder under his wing to become his apprentice in his continued experiments in the creation of man. Together Frankenstein and Helder work on designing a new creature, unknown to Helder, the Baron is using the body parts of his murdered patients, he does discover this and is uneasy. Frankenstein's hands are badly burned, so the shabby stitch-work is done by beautiful young assistant Sarah (Live and Let Die's Madeline Smith), nicknamed the "Angel", she is mute, because Frankenstein attempted to rape her. The hulking ape- like creature Monster (Dave Prowse), formerly homicidal inmate Herr Schneider, is completed, with the hands of recently deceased sculptor (Bernard Lee), it is given new eyes and a brain, but it is lumbering, hairy and dumb. Frankenstein is convinced that they have created something magnificent, Helder foolishly agrees with him, soon enough however the experiment goes wrong when the monster is angered and gets aggressively vicious, until eventually it is overpowered and destroyed by a mob of inmates. In the end, Sarah regains her ability to speak, Helder is disappointed by the failure of the experiment, but Frankenstein it was the best thing to happen for the creature, he already has plans for a new creature, using involuntary donors, the three of them seemingly prepare themselves. Also starring Norman Mitchell as Police Sergeant, Charles Lloyd Pack (Roger's father) as Professor Durendel, Sydney Bromley as Muller, Philip Voss as Ernst, Clifford Mollison as Judge and Janet Hargreaves as Chatter. Cushing just about remains sinister, despite his ridiculous wig, the monster played by Prowse to too absurd looking, I don't know fully why critics consider this a fitting final film for either the series of the career of director Fisher, it is predictable, there is no creepy atmosphere throughout compared to the previous films (the good ones), and I was not that happy with the unresolved ending, they could have just left it at the last one where the mad scientist was meant to have been burned alive, there are moments I liked, overall I found it an average horror. Okay!

The last of Hammer's Frankenstein series, "…and the Monster From Hell" once again stars Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein, who, having faked his own death in an asylum, now works there as the resident doctor, continuing his experiments on the side. When young surgeon Dr. Simon Helder (Shane Briant) is sentenced to five years in the asylum for following Frankenstein's ghoulish work, he recognises Victor and confronts him; before long, Simon is assisting the Baron in building another monster (played by Dave 'Darth Vader' Prowse) using spare parts from inmates who have conveniently passed away. For once, Victor succeeds in creating a cognisant creature, one that can think, talk and do advanced mathematics, but eventually the body begins to take over the brain—not good news since it originally belonged to a violent ape-like man with a fondness for stabbing people with broken glass.This set up allows director Terence Fisher to explore some interesting themes, not least the emotional trauma of waking up with a face like a baboon's backside and more body hair than Tom Selleck: as Baron Frankenstein's creations go, this is one of the most pitiful, and is rightfully miffed at his predicament. Fisher also makes great use of the film's harsh asylum setting, delivering plenty of atmosphere, with the gibbering inmates adding to the overall sense of madness and the sleazy director of the institution proving to be as much of a monster as Frankenstein and his creature. Fans of Hammer glamour might feel a little cheated—Madeline Smith, as beautiful mute Sarah, remains frustratingly fully clothed throughout (what a waste of a great cleavage!)—but gore-hounds will be more than happy, Monster From Hell offering up such delightfully bloody sights as jars full of eyeballs, a man hanging from his neck by violin strings, a juicy brain transplant operation, a savage throat slashing, and the monster eventually being reduced to a bloody mess by the lunatics.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

By 1973 Hammer's Dr Frankenstein series had pretty much run it's course. Peter Cushing had given the character everything he could give by this time, and looked rather tired and frail in this particular interpretation of Dr. F. Terrence Fisher was back at the helm and brought back the look and feel of Hammer to the film and did the best that could be done with a rather tired screenplay. Madeline Smith was nicely cast as a mute girl. Shane Bryant was a forgettable juvenile lead. David Prowse played the monster for a second time, and became the only actor to do so, he was also 3 years away from playing Darth Vader. The action takes place at an asylum but the script is a rework of the previous five films and Cushing had to use every trick in his actor's reportorial to keep things moving . There is a bit more gore in this film but that was part of the horror of the 70's. I will give makeup artist Eddie Knight credit for creating a really horrific looking monster."Monster from Hell" isn't terrible but it's not real good either. The story is watchable and if you are a Peter Cushing fan, which I am,or you wish to view the complete Hammer Frankenstein series you will definitely want to watch "Monster from Hell" but if you are just wanting to see a chilling horror movie some dark and stormy midnight, you will probably want to find something else. RIP Hammer Frankenstein.