The ultimate weapon, which was meant to be safe for mankind, produces global side effects including time slides and disappearances. The scientist behind the project, and his car, are zapped ... Read allThe ultimate weapon, which was meant to be safe for mankind, produces global side effects including time slides and disappearances. The scientist behind the project, and his car, are zapped from the year 2031 to 1817's Switzerland.The ultimate weapon, which was meant to be safe for mankind, produces global side effects including time slides and disappearances. The scientist behind the project, and his car, are zapped from the year 2031 to 1817's Switzerland.
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A sci-fi movie version of the legendary terror story. Lots of horror images and the picture's entertaining with no being too creepy . Good performances from John Hurt and Raul Julia and great supporting cast as Jason Patrick, Bridget Fonda, Nick Brimble, and with several powerful sequences . Besides, the film has great loads of blood and gore , the filmmaker retains a fascination with the decapitated members. Some typical elements as the monster's bride, the madness and electric storm on the tower remain still in similar way. Excellent atmosphere provided by professional cinematographers as Armando Nannuzzi and Michael Scott. Film is based on Brian Aldiss novel (Artificial intelligence A. I.). The motion picture was regularly directed by Roger Corman, in fact there are gaps as well as flaws in the plot and results to be a little slow-moving. Rating : 5.5/10. Average but amusing.
Hurt plays Dr. Joe Buchanan, a scientist whose implosion experiments have created "time slips". Joe himself gets caught in a time slip and is transported back to Victorian times where he chances to meet none other than Dr. Frankenstein (Julia), his monster (Nick Brimble), Mary Shelley (Bridget Fonda), Lord Byron (Jason Patrick), and Percy Shelley (Michael Hutchence, the late singer of the rock band INXS). Joe becomes determined to save the life of Justine Moritz (played by Cormans' daughter Catherine) and ultimately put an end to the monsters' rampage.
As scripted by Corman himself and film historian F.X. Feeney, this is fanciful entertainment that does have a good pace going for it. It is amusing to see characters from far different worlds interacting, although Frankenstein and others in this story adjust extremely well to discovering such things as computers and Joes' ultra-sophisticated car (which comes complete with a sexy female voice supplied by Terri Treas). The effects are frequently cheesy but entertaining, Nick Dudmans' makeup for the monster is good, period recreation is acceptable, and the music by Carl Davis provides just the right touch. How well the ending works may be up to the individual viewer.
Must viewing for all Corman devotees, if only to see the kind of project with which he laid his directorial career to rest.
Six out of 10.
I'm sure that the themes were a lot better handled in the book, but even though this is a very silly film; they still shine through. In the classic story, Frankenstein created his monster with the intention of helping mankind, and our scientist here has done the same thing. Both men's experiments ended up going wrong with dire consequences, and the story harks back to Shelly's classic theme of how man should not try and play God. One thing I really didn't like about this film was the make-up on the monster. It looks silly, and not in a good way; and since the monster is a big part of the story, it brings the film down a little. Corman has recruited a decent cast for this flick, including John Hurt, Raul Julia and Bridget Fonda. This is hardly an actor's film, however, and none of them put in good performances. John Hurt looks bored most of the time, and the rest of the cast are on autopilot; but like I say, it's not an actor's film so it doesn't matter. Overall, I can definitely see why a lot of people don't like this film - but if, like me, you have a penchant for ridiculous movies; you'll probably find something to like here.
Did you know
- GoofsWhen Dr. Buchanan (John Hurt) runs across the three slaughtered sheep in the woods at the beginning, closer inspection reveals that not only are they still alive, but asleep and breathing, and the supposed entrails are actually placed strategically on the sheep and not coming out from inside them.
- Quotes
The Monster: You think that you have killed me. But I will be with you forever. I am unbound.
- Alternate versionsThe Japanese Laserdisc release features 2 scenes of violence cut from U.S. theatrical & video prints: A shot of a man's heart pulled out (Side A at 34 min 11 seconds) and a graphic shot of a woman's chest ripped open (Side B at 13 min 4 seconds).
- ConnectionsFeatured in In Search of Frankenstein (1996)
- How long is Frankenstein Unbound?Powered by Alexa
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- Also known as
- Frankenstein Unbound
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Box office
- Budget
- $11,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $334,748
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $37,017
- Nov 4, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $334,748
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1