Bunuel1976 Review of Blackenstein

Blackenstein (1973)

Blackenstein – THE BLACK FRANKENSTEIN (William A. Levey, 1973) BOMB

[1/10 · 24 October 2013]

I knew going in this did not have much of a reputation but, frankly, I was not expecting the result to be of such an utterly amateurish quality either! Anyway, after the runaway success that the Blaxploitation take on "Dracula" i.e. BLACULA (1972) had been, it was inevitable that Frankenstein would also undergo a similar makeover – pity they did not wait for a better script or, for that matter, a more talented crew of both technicians and performers before experimenting! Incidentally, the critique of the Vietnam War – the monster here is a veteran rendered limbless by the conflict who receives new transplants but goes typically berserk – falls flat on its face. However, neither is the make-up devised for it any better: after his cells are exchanged with those of another patient in white(!) Dr. Stein's laboratory – by a zombie-like assistant who lusts after his girl, a former pupil of the doc's – he gets an absurdly elongated and bulging forehead to go along with the recognized arms outstretched countenance and snarling! Though kept in a cell, this is conveniently left open for the creature to roam the streets freely and disembowel(!) any passer-by who happens to cross his path (but starting out with a hospital orderly who had abused him while still a cripple)! For what it is worth, the only scene that elicits a vaguely positive reaction is the irrelevant stand-up comedy routine revolving around a talking dog!