I’ve been a horror fan for many years, but I have to admit I never did watch many Hammer horror films, so now that Scream Factory has started releasing certain Hammer films on Blu-ray, it’s the first time I have seen some of these movies. Frankenstein Created Woman is a first-time watch, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to experience going into the film. Was the movie going to be a typical Frankenstein monster flick or was it going to be something different? Turns out, it was the latter and for that reason, I have to say Frankenstein Created Woman is one of the best Hammer horror films I’ve seen so far.
What makes Frankenstein Created Woman one of the better Hammer horror films I’ve seen? It’s a combination of many things. First, Peter Cushing returns as Baron Frankenstein, a man whose passion for science overrides his compassion for humanity. Cushing as usual puts in a stellar performance that elevates the film a notch. Second, the story offers up enough surprises that will keep you glued to the screen. First, it’s a love story, then it’s a science fiction story, and finally, it morphs into a slasher. Each shift into a different genre works wonderfully and never feels out of place. Susan Denberg is the next piece of the puzzle that makes the film worth checking out. She starts the film off as the damsel in distress, a disfigured woman who is terrorized by the local jerky aristocrats. Her only desire to keep going is her lover Hans (Robert Morris), an assistant to Frankenstein. When situations arise that force Susan’s character Christina to take her life, she returns as a walking blonde bombshell with a black heart out for revenge.
Frankenstein’s assistant, Doctor Hertz, played by Thorley Walters, is another plus, as he provides ample amounts of humour thanks to his drunken portrayal of the dutiful but borderline dimwitted assistant who tries his best to help Frankenstein, even if he is not entirely aware of what he is doing. He may just be comedy relief, but he excels at what he is supposed to do.
There isn’t much negativity I can put towards Frankenstein Created Woman. Sure, some of the plot isn’t explained the best, leaving a lot of it up to, shall we say, “magic” or “science,” but stuff like that you can let slide when the film is just an honest to goodness fun time. Fans of Frankenstein, slashers, and wacky-doodle mystical science fiction stories are going to love this film.
Blu-ray
Scream Factory releases Frankenstein Created Woman on a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray with a transfer that excels in all departments. Scream reports it as being a new 2K scan from the original film elements and when you compare it to the Millennium Media Blu-ray release, you can see that the new release is a much more vibrant and clean-looking picture. It’s also presented in the film’s original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The audio is presented in DTS-HD MA mono, with English Subtitles. No issues popped up when I checked the film out. The dialogue was loud and clear.
When we come to the extra features, we have plenty of old and new. The new comes in the form of an audio commentary with Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr, a new 13-minute interview with Robert Morris (Hans) who reminisces about having to cover up a nipple to keep the movie free of nudity, and finally an 11-minute interview with Camera Assistant/Clapper Loader Eddie Collins and 2nd Assistant Director Joe Marks. Everything else on the disc is from older releases, with highlights being two World of Hammer episodes about Peter Cushing and The Curse of Frankenstein. Also included is Hammer Glamour, which was also included on the Blu-ray release of The Witches. Honestly, when it comes to features on beautiful women, I’m not complaining that it’s included on another Scream Factory release. Rounding it all out are Trailers, TV Spots, Radio Spots, and Still Galleries.
Extra Features
- NEW 2K Scan From The Original Film Elements
- NEW Audio Commentary With Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman And Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr
- NEW Interview With Actor Robert Morris
- NEW Interview With Camera Assistant/Clapper Loader Eddie Collins And 2nd Assistant Director Joe Marks
- Audio Commentary By Actors Derek Fowlds, Robert Morris, And Film Historian Jonathan Rigby
- World Of Hammer Episode The Curse Of Frankenstein
- World Of Hammer Episode Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing
- Hammer Glamour Featurette
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spots
- Radio Spots
- Still Galleries – Movie Stills, Posters, And Lobby Cards
Verdict
Frankenstein Created Woman offers up a journey through a variety of genres, be it love, science fiction, or slasher. Peter Cushing puts in a fantastic performance, and Susan Denberg is a sight for sore eyes. Scream Factory releases a wonderful Collector’s Edition Blu-ray with solid video, and plenty of new and old features to check out. I definitely recommend picking this one up!
Be sure to check out the extensive Blu-ray Gallery of Frankenstein Created Woman on Cultsploitation.