Horrorfest 2020: Hammerfest - The Horror of Frankenstein

Starring Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson and David Prowse

Written by Jeremy Bunrham and Jimmy Sangster, directed by Jimmy Sangster

This is the sixth Hammer FRANKENSTEIN movie and the first one to be made without Peter Cushing in the title role. That's because it's a remake of sorts - retelling Frankenstein's origins as a young student, and his first time building a monster. And this isn't the first time Hammer has "rebooted" the franchise, as we say today -- technically one of the previous Cushing entries was sort of a redo, as well.

I've read from a bunch of different sources that this movie was also intended to be a parody of the FRANKENSTEIN story. However, it's not a laugh-out-loud funny parody, and it doesn't do a point-by-point retread of any of the previous FRANKENSTEIN movies, instead introducing a bunch of unique spins on the story itself. It is funny in parts, but not a straight up comedy, at least, not to my eye. However, this does give it its own sense of style and kind of makes it a brisk watch.

Ironically, in some ways, this version of the young doctor Frankenstein is even more evil than usual -- odd choice for a comedy. As played by Ralph Bates, he inherits his family's fortune by murdering his father (and making it look like an accident) and then gets kicked out of medical school for getting the dean's daughter pregnant. This is all before he fixates on putting together a dead body and reanimating it.

Interestingly, David Prowse, the actor who wore the Darth Vader costume for the first three STAR WARS movie, stars as the monster, here. He's an imposing presence, obviously, being tall and muscle bound, and it is clear why a guy like him was chosen for a part like Darth Vader. It's fun to see his face after only seeing him behind a mask for so many years.

Bates' Frankenstein has a smugness and over-confidence about him that sort of reminds me of some of Jason Schwartzman's characters over the years, so if you're wondering if I'd be into a Jason Schwartzman mad scientist movie the answer is yes.