The 1973 "Flesh for Frankenstein" in 3D is, among other things, a parody of Hitler's quest to create an Arian master race. In that, this Paul Morrissey directed film is even more irreverent than Mel Brook's "Springtime for Hitler." And it's every bit as funny, if not more so.
The gore level is off the charts. The intention is to parody with blood and guts the decadence of the uber-rich and entitled. The result? The gore is so excessive, the effect is more comical than nauseating. And that's a good thing when watching this film in standard 2D. ... But wait! ... The original 3D presentation (available in 2022 on 4K Blu-ray DVD) is sure to raise the gross-out stakes as it thrusts blood, guts and organs right out of the screen and into your face.
Sexual excesses are also parodied (to the extreme) throughout the film. In one notable example of fetishism run amuck, Doctor Frankenstein (Udo Kier) reaches an orgasm while fondling his female zombie's bloody organs through an open wound. But his actual climax is delivered verbally to his astonished assistant who has been watching the abominable sex act. After dismounting his zombie, Frankenstein zips up his pants and informs the feeble-minded Otto: "To know life, you must f##k death in the gallbladder."
If these scenes sound ludicrous, buckle up. The actors and acting are also bizarre. And they are strangely fascinating. The cast are German and other European actors who speak the odd bits of dialogue in accents which are at once comical and astonishing. (eg How dare you wake me in the middle of the day, you know I have insomnia.")
In a film populated with bizarre, out of place characters, the ultimate misfit suddenly appears on screen. It's Joe Dellesandro. This brings us to the reasons this film got financed: 1. Joe Dellesandro would be featured and Andy Warhol's name would appear in the promotional materials (although he had nothing to do with the production). 2. That the film be made in 3D. 3. That it cost just $300,000, and be shot in just three weeks time. Surprisingly It has a "3 Million Dollar Look" thanks to the costumes, sets, cinematography, and production design by the team of professionals at Italy's Cinecitta Studios.
Joe Dellesandro Can best be described as a well built, handsome New York Street Hustler. But it's his Bronx accent which stands out. It's as jarring as any of the film's 3D visual effects. Nevertheless, after the shock of hearing his initial spoken dialogue, he oddly starts to fit right in. And why not? Casting him is no more bizarre than the film itself. There's no doubt he is suitable for the character he plays: a well hung, sex-stud stable-boy. What seems at first to be an inconceivable bit of casting, soon fits right into this strange brew of horror, fantasy and comedy.
There's one final ingredient which in any other film might seem out of place. That is the music score by Claudio Gizzi. The score is horror-movie-music appropriate during the action scenes of violence and suspense. But it is never more appropriate than during the goriest of the film's interludes. In those scenes, the orchestral composition played under spilling guts and gore, (especially the bloodbath finale) is absolutely beautiful music. This haunting and melodious composition makes for an appropriate counterpoint to the gore and horror unfolding on screen.
NOTEWORTHY: Carlo Rembaldi (special make-up and gore effects) would soon become known for his amazing work on E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Alien (1979)
There is a 1998 DVD release by the Criterion Collection which includes a fascinating commentary by a film historian, Director Paul Morrissey, and Frankenstein actor Udo Kier --. It's an alternate audio track running the entire length of the feature film.
The gore level is off the charts. The intention is to parody with blood and guts the decadence of the uber-rich and entitled. The result? The gore is so excessive, the effect is more comical than nauseating. And that's a good thing when watching this film in standard 2D. ... But wait! ... The original 3D presentation (available in 2022 on 4K Blu-ray DVD) is sure to raise the gross-out stakes as it thrusts blood, guts and organs right out of the screen and into your face.
Sexual excesses are also parodied (to the extreme) throughout the film. In one notable example of fetishism run amuck, Doctor Frankenstein (Udo Kier) reaches an orgasm while fondling his female zombie's bloody organs through an open wound. But his actual climax is delivered verbally to his astonished assistant who has been watching the abominable sex act. After dismounting his zombie, Frankenstein zips up his pants and informs the feeble-minded Otto: "To know life, you must f##k death in the gallbladder."
If these scenes sound ludicrous, buckle up. The actors and acting are also bizarre. And they are strangely fascinating. The cast are German and other European actors who speak the odd bits of dialogue in accents which are at once comical and astonishing. (eg How dare you wake me in the middle of the day, you know I have insomnia.")
In a film populated with bizarre, out of place characters, the ultimate misfit suddenly appears on screen. It's Joe Dellesandro. This brings us to the reasons this film got financed: 1. Joe Dellesandro would be featured and Andy Warhol's name would appear in the promotional materials (although he had nothing to do with the production). 2. That the film be made in 3D. 3. That it cost just $300,000, and be shot in just three weeks time. Surprisingly It has a "3 Million Dollar Look" thanks to the costumes, sets, cinematography, and production design by the team of professionals at Italy's Cinecitta Studios.
Joe Dellesandro Can best be described as a well built, handsome New York Street Hustler. But it's his Bronx accent which stands out. It's as jarring as any of the film's 3D visual effects. Nevertheless, after the shock of hearing his initial spoken dialogue, he oddly starts to fit right in. And why not? Casting him is no more bizarre than the film itself. There's no doubt he is suitable for the character he plays: a well hung, sex-stud stable-boy. What seems at first to be an inconceivable bit of casting, soon fits right into this strange brew of horror, fantasy and comedy.
There's one final ingredient which in any other film might seem out of place. That is the music score by Claudio Gizzi. The score is horror-movie-music appropriate during the action scenes of violence and suspense. But it is never more appropriate than during the goriest of the film's interludes. In those scenes, the orchestral composition played under spilling guts and gore, (especially the bloodbath finale) is absolutely beautiful music. This haunting and melodious composition makes for an appropriate counterpoint to the gore and horror unfolding on screen.
NOTEWORTHY: Carlo Rembaldi (special make-up and gore effects) would soon become known for his amazing work on E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Alien (1979)
There is a 1998 DVD release by the Criterion Collection which includes a fascinating commentary by a film historian, Director Paul Morrissey, and Frankenstein actor Udo Kier --. It's an alternate audio track running the entire length of the feature film.