Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

The next in the series is The Horror Of Frankenstein (1970).

Following a long period of cheap-looking productions designed to play as double-features on their home turf, Hammer returned to premium quality horror with FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, arguably the company's finest hour, and certainly Peter Cushing's definitive portrayal of the monstrous Baron. Instead of the misguided adventurer depicted in previous films, screenwriter Bert Batt emphasizes the Baron's ruthless pursuit of knowledge and power, culminating in an unexpected sequence in which Cushing's domination of Carlson segues from mere tyranny to rape, a scene which Cushing reportedly found distasteful. Overall, however, Batt's script allows the characters to evolve via a skilfully constructed plot which employs levels of drama and emotion largely absent from much of Hammer's output at the time, alongside the usual elements of horror and suspense. Director Terence Fisher rises to the occasion with remarkable dexterity, orchestrating set-pieces which have been compared to Hitchcock in some quarters, especially the opening sequence in which a petty thief (Harold Goodwin) breaks into the wrong house and has a truly hair-raising confrontation with its volatile owner (leading to a truly great 'reveal'); and the traumatic moment in the back garden of Carlson's boarding house, when she's forced to deal with a corpse (one of Frankenstein's cast-offs) ejected from its makeshift grave by a burst water pipe. Freddie Jones adds pathos to the proceedings as the helpless victim of Frankenstein's latest experiment, his brain transplanted into another man's body against his will, traumatizing his incredulous wife (Maxine Audley) who refuses to accept his new identity (a scenario echoed by a similar plotline in John Woo's FACE/OFF in 1997). The period decor may look a little cramped and cut-price in places, but this is Hammer/Fisher/Cushing at the very height of their creative powers, and the film is a small masterpiece of British Gothic.

Warner's DVD offers a sterling reproduction of the film, letterboxed to its original screen ratio, anamorphically enhanced, with a strong soundtrack marred only by background hiss (clearly audible during quieter sequences) and a brief muffled section toward the end of the movie, during a short sequence without music or dialogue. The only extra is a trailer which sells the film as an outright exploitation flick, though the production is slightly classier than this tell-all promotion suggests! The running time quoted below doesn't include the Time Warner logo at the end of the DVD print, which wasn't part of the original film.

100m 33s
1.75:1 / Anamorphically enhanced
DVD soundtrack: Mono 1.0
Theatrical soundtrack: Optical mono
Optional English subtitles and closed captions
Region 1

The extras amount to the original theatrical trailer. What makes this DVD worthwhile is the sharp, crystal clear and stunning transfer to DVD. The vivid, rich colors from the original film remain, for the most part, in tact. Although there's a bit of fading evident, the rich colors and nicely detailed sets look quite nice. There's few if any analog or digital artifacts in evidence.

It's a pity that there's no commentary track from a Hammer film or horror historian. Although most of the cast is dead, Simon Ward (in his debut as a Dr. that Frankenstein blackmails in to helping him make his latest creature)could have provided much needed information about the shooting of the film. It's a pity as "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" benefited from the commentary track featuring actor David Prowse.

A good choice to add to your Hammer film collection.