Tales of Frankenstein

When Donald F. Glut first announced Tales of Frankenstein, I was ecstatic. The promise of an independent but slickly made homage to my favorite story was very exciting, so obviously I did what I could in terms of donating to the project. And I'm so glad I did...this movie is awesome! I'm not generally big on anthologies, but there isn't a single story I disliked here. Each one was well-paced, well made and tons of fun. Each monster was executed perfectly, with the last one being my favorite. Genre film fans will also be pleased by the appearances of actors like Mel Novak (Game of Death), Jerry Lacey (Dark Shadows), Anne Robinson (War of the Worlds), Robert Axelrod (The Blob) and Swamp Thing creator Len Wein, in what would be his final film appearance. If I have any complaints, it's that I wish there was more to the wraparound segments and that the actually Frankenstein Monster was given a little bit more to do. Otherwise, almost no complaints. Frankenstein's Monster, mad doctors, vampires, a man in a gorilla suit...it's all there. Highly recommended!

Those that know me, know that I am extremely selective about horror movies and normally I am not attracted to it, very rare times I sit and watch horror films, specially the "classic kind" but I came across the opportunity to play this title on my home theater and immediately the 1st thing I was surprised by was the sound, it actually has great sound, although is not my type of movie but I was happy with Mel Novak's performance and I became a fan of Donald F. Glut after watching the bonus material on the disc, is really cool to see how this film maker has been around for so long making films out of passion, very inspirational and interesting. definitely worth to have as part of your collection :)

Four spin-off stories from the Frankenstein genre. It's definitely a cheesy movie with cheap props and it was pretty much like watching a theatre production on film. I wouldn't normally give this type of movie more than 10 minutes before switching it off but there was something about it that kept me watching. It has a subtle humour and really doesn't take itself too seriously - plus the stories kept the feel or the integral essence of the original Frankenstein movies, as well. The cast did a really good job and they all played their parts very well. The directing was also very good and sincere in that it didn't allow the stories to get boring or stagnant and I feel a bit mean giving this a 6 after the effort that was put into it so I'm going to give it a 7 instead.

The film's stories consist of "My Creation, My Beloved" - a descendant of Victor Frankenstein attempts to create the perfect man and woman. "Crawler from the Grave" - another Frankenstein descendant returns from the grave in the most unexpected way. "Madhouse of Death" - A private detective ends up in an old, dark house where a scientist is working on a very strange experiment. "Dr. Karnstein's Creation" - A mad scientist creates a monster that is a hybrid of Frankenstein's creature and the Vampire monster.

"My Creation, My Beloved" moves a bit slow, but it stays true to the original Frankenstein asthetic, and often shows a homage to the Hammer Film era. The cinematography and locations are atmospheric and a nice marker for what a classic horror fan wants. Although the story seems slightly unoriginal, it does give us a fun, alternative ending to the Frankenstein tale.

"Crawler From The Grave" moves a bit away from the more classic tale, but still manages to honor Shelley's characters. It does venture into more paranormal area with the cursed ring worn by Frankenstein. A more original tale, I thought it was interesting but I felt the absence of the monster making was crippling the entertainment value.

"Madhouse Of Death" was my least favorite of the four stories. It ventured too far to really show recognizable Frankenstein homage. On its own though, the concept and story choices are interesting and worthy. A total nod to late 30's and 40's horror noir, like The Monster Walks and The Return Of Doctor X. I just didn't get any real connection to Mary Shelley from this one. And there is a lot of cultural insensitivity in the film with a few characters, I know it is unintentionally present.

"Dr. Karstein's Creation" is a revisioning of the classic Frankenstein tale, and among the strongest of the four stories. There is an air of misogny that weighs on the entertainment value, but the story on a whole returns to a truer interpretation of the Shelley story and has some nice visual asthetics and creature design.

Overall "Tales Of Frankenstein" is a decent indie anthology that tries real hard to celebrate Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It has its good moments and bad moments. The stories may not be original but Gluts' choices and perspective is. Low-budget indie fans will find plenty to like about this movie, however thriller and popcorn horror fans may be disappointed.

A great indie tribute to a horror classic. I thought the acting was spot on for the thematic tone and genre. Anyone looking at this film with a critical opinion is clearly not watching the film from it's intended lens. Some of my favorite performances from this ensemble cast were Jack Anvil played by Jamisin Matthews and Helga played by Lilian Lev. Matthew's embodiment of 1940's Los Angles style was excellent, he even get's a great one liner in about "Central Casting" Also Buddy Friedman's Dr. Frankenstein was uniquely grounded by a great understanding of the material and it's characters.