Doctor Hackenstein

My review was written in December 1988 after watching the movie on Forum video cassette.

Even with a new name, you can't keep the Frankenstein monster down for long as "Dr. Hackenstein" present a pleasant sex-switch comedy spoof in the vein of Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein".

Pic is set in 1909 with David Muir as the good doctor, intent on bringing his wife (Sylvia Lee Baker) back to life with the aid of spare body parts. Chief victims are a trio of comely girls who stay the night at Hackenstein Manor after their car crashes.

With topless footage (a bit incongruous concerning the femme monster) and gore added, pic is still quaint with okay period atmosphere and plenty of black humor. Muir is effective, playing the role straight, while in the supporting cast the late Anne Ramsey acts opposite hubby Logan Ramsey as a pair of grotesque graverobbers.

Color scheme here is rather drab and film probably would have been more effective (though less saleable) in black & white a la Brooks' classic homage.

This is far better than it has any right to be. But that's not to say that it is flawless. There are definite Vibes of both bride of Re-Animator and frankenhooker, but it does not come close to those films in terms of Gore, comedy, or overall sense of fun. There were a few jokes that got a chuckle out of me, and the little bit of Gore that is in it does look alright. Far from the worst thing the Troma team has ever distributed. But a far cry from what the typical gorehound or horror-comedy enthusiast would be expecting. I technically rate this of 5.5, but as Imdb doesn't count half's, I upped it to a 6.

Two sisters, their perverted brother, and their cousin have car trouble. They then happen about the home of Dr. Hackenstein whom conveniently needs the body parts of three nubile young women to use in an experiment to bring his deceased lover back to life. He tells them that he'll help them get home in the morning, so they spend the night. Then the good doctor gets down to work in this low-budget horror-comedy.

I found this to be mildly amusing, nothing at all to actually go out of your way for (I stumbled across it on Netflix instant view & streamed it to the xbox 360), but better then I expected it to be for a Troma acquired film. Most of the humor doesn't work, but their are still some parts that caused me to smile. Plus the late, great Anne Ramsey has a small part and she was always a treat to watch.

Eye Candy: Bambi Darro & Sylvia Lee Baker got topless

My Grade: D+

This movie features an o.k. score and a not bad performance by David Muir as Dr. Hackenstein. The beginning and end credits show along with the most of the actors and the "special effects" that this is a low budget movie. There is nothing in this movie that you could not find in other mad scientist, horror/comedy, or low budget movies. Not special for any nude scene buffs or bad movie lovers either. This movie is simply here. Anne Ramsey and Phillis Diller are nothing to get excited about as well. If you are curious as I was and can actually find this, you will realize the truth of the one line summary.

Take your basic Frankenstein flick, inject some Reanimator (but not the good parts), and you have Doctor Hackenstein. Certainly, this was obviously inspired by aforementioned films but it never materializes as anything special on its own.

A scientist accidentally kills his wife, so the whole movie takes place over the course of one night as he attempts to revive his wife. To revive his wife, he decides to chop off body parts from some women that have become stranded and, coincidentally, decide to stay the night at his place.

I can't really say the acting is bad, nor is the directing. Everything here is just way too standard. What little attempts there are at humor actually work (check out the scene when Hackenstein keeps hiding behind his deaf assistant because she would undoubtedly be very upset if she saw him clutching a woman and a needle), but that's hardly enough to recommend this film. The music is decent, what blood that's there is decent, and the cast looks quite good. And for half of the time, I was even entertained by this film. But I never felt like this was anything more than a time waster. Avoidable.

Try Frankenhooker instead.