Frankenstein 90 (1984)

We come now to what some have described as a French version of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. It’s a comedic spoof of the Frankenstein story, but (unlike Young Frankenstein) it’s a color movie. And it’s set in 1984. And it involves lots of nudity and sexual situations. Come to think of it, I don’t think this really deserves to be associated with Young Frankenstein at all!

The Plot: We once again have a current-day descendant of the Frankenstein family, wishing to continue the experiments of the infamous Baron Frankenstein. His goal is to create a man who is not a monster. This current-day Frankenstein (confusingly named Victor, just as the original Frankenstein had been) succeeds in creating a man with an electronic brain (it’s 1984, after all). The creature is generally good natured, articulate, and looks pretty much like any other man, except that his face is heavily bandaged for much of the movie. The only problem is that he has moments where he’s prone to unintentional violence, resulting in a few deaths. And he also has a very strong libido. So Victor makes him a female mate. This leads to the predictable hijinks and homicide we expect from a French Frankenstein spoof.

The Monster: The creature is named “Frank” (har) and is played by French singer Eddy Mitchell. It’s a pretty understated performance. Other than having excessive strength and a profound cluenessness about modern life, there isn’t much to connect him with Shelley’s creature.

The Atmosphere: This movie plays as a romantic comedy. Or maybe a dark romantic comedy, for there’s more death and dismemberment than in your typical Meg Ryan flick. There are various episodes of situational humor, as Frank learns to drive a car, for instance. Or to eat a bowl of spaghetti. I wouldn’t say it’s comedy gold, but it has its moments.

The movie does have some of the more traditional Frankenstein scenes (a castle, cobweb, graveyards), which, while they’re used to a more cartoonish effect, do give this movie its moments of true Frankenstein flavor.

Throughout the movie there’s an incessant goofy, French-comedy-style musical score that desperately tries to convey mirth and zaniness, even during the (allegedly) scary scenes. It’s the equivalent of a laugh track on a Flintstones cartoon–OK, we get it! This is supposed to be funny. Noted.

General Comments: I don’t really get French cinema. If you’re looking for a comic version of the Frankenstein story, Young Frankenstein serves very well. What’s more, YF is satisfyingly respectful of the original.

Tomorrow it’s another odd take on the Frankenstein tale, this time directed by Roger Corman. Frankenstein Unbound is available for free on YouTube.