This mockumentary is not going to be for everyone but I enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of an episode of "Inside No 9" with its off kilter humour and the addition of Alfred Molina was a real treat. This was obviously a real labour of love for David Harbour and that comes across in every line. As I said, not for everyone but it worked for me.
35 Reviews
What did I just watch? I want MORE!
chadhulhu-249-96309618 July 2019
I was surprised by this Netflix One shot, I was going pass it by, as most of Netflix Canada is boring as can be. I really enjoyed the retro silliness of the PBS feel and the ads for London, USA.
This, if dry wit and absurdity is not your thing, you will not enjoy. But give it a try it might surprise you.
That's how I got into Julliard
Darthfrodo5817 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This short is one of those rare productions where you're either going to go with it and have a good time, or you're going to be lost and (no disgrace in that) go 'What did I just watch?'
It's a play within a play within a play with several (sometimes hilarious) 'in' jokes like commercials for Checkhov's Gun 'You know you're going to fire it'.
Those involved in the performing arts will probably get laughs and enjoyment out of this and for those who don't understand it it's perfectly fine. It's art and open to one's own interpretation. Stranger Thing's David Harbour does a great job in several roles and it's fun to see Mary Woronov in fine form too.
Not the Niece: Low budget fun
bp2916 July 2019
While part of me was questioning why this was even made, I just couldn't look away. The whole plot was rather absurd and seemed like it was written by two high school boys for a short film project, however I was intrigued by the plot twists and obvious hommages to The Room. All in all, if you can appreciate low brow humor, then this 32 won't be a waste of your time
What's my name
kosmasp15 February 2020
Tongue in cheek - that's the saying. Not sure if Frankensteins monster actually had a tongue - well a functioning one, like a human being. And I mean in the book. I have to admit I never read it, but I've seen quite a few of the interpretations. And David Harbour starring in this one, is quite funny. While there is some disagreement about his ability to fill in Ron Perlmans Hellboy shoes, I think we can agree his spot on here.
It's short and sweet, or rather funny. It works on quite a few levels, riffing on the "name calling" and other cliches that have been grown over the years. If you are a fan of the genre or the specific "tale", there is much to find here. Kudos to the filmmakers and everyone involved
It's short and sweet, or rather funny. It works on quite a few levels, riffing on the "name calling" and other cliches that have been grown over the years. If you are a fan of the genre or the specific "tale", there is much to find here. Kudos to the filmmakers and everyone involved
absurd humor
Kirpianuscus18 July 2019
If you love absurd comedies, you love it. If not... . Because it is an ironic portrait of actors, need of sons to discover the life of father, bad acting and cliches. It is brilliant because the last impression is just the waste of time with a bad short movie. Or the consolation with the presence of Alfred Molina. In fact, is one of necessary kicks to the viewer. To discover the art of actor from different perspective. To rediscover a long tradition of manierist way to perform, rivalries and the meet, not very pleasant, with the past. It is not a great or memorable film. It can be defined as a joke. And it is one. But, in strange manner, it is just an useful films. For laugh, for understand and for the meet. With yourself.
Not funny and not my cup of tea
michael82-471-77161818 July 2019
This show constitutes 28 minutes of my life I'll never get back. The run time is 32 minutes, but I just couldn't force myself to endure another 4 minutes. The satire is dry and the comedy attempts fall flat, being chuckle worthy at best and that's being generous.
Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein
bobcobb30118 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Far from perfect, but I miss the days of Adult Swim doing parody live-action shows and this felt reminiscent of that.
They weren't exactly sure how to wrap up their story, but I was still laughing throughout most of it.
They weren't exactly sure how to wrap up their story, but I was still laughing throughout most of it.
Worse than something two high school kids threw together!
MegaritzMom21 July 2019
I think this short was supposed to be an absurd, funny spoof on Orson Wells, and I frequently like this sort of thing, but I did not find this one funny or enjoyable at any time except when the assistant continued acting after they were "caught". The premise was not very clear in the beginning. The people in the office scenes should have been at least a little believable, but were not. The acting in those office scenes was awful. I could see what the play scenes were going for, but they didn't quite get there. The scene with the mother was particularly bad, and that scene had the potential to be hysterical if done properly. It was hard to tell when David Harbour was acting as himself and when he was acting as his father. There should have been something noticeable to clue the viewers as to which person he was at which times.
It was mentioned in another review that this looked like something two high school boys threw together. My own son, Will Lugar and his high school friends, did a spoof on Ed Wood's films that they called Blu Tabascoe and another spoof on Metal Gear called Metal Gear Solid: Fight of Metal Gears. On a zero budget, both are much funnier than this short (they are located on YouTube under user ID megaritz).
Watching Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein was a half-hour of my life that I will never get back. I decided to spend another half-hour in an attempt to warn others to not waste their time as I did.
"Unfortunately, there's no cure for death."
classicsoncall25 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This has about as much to do about Frankenstein as "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" which I watched a few days ago. Seriously, that's a real movie title, you can look it up. This thirty two minute piece of work was filmed almost as a stage play but with inserted breaks and commercials to keep you further off balance from the absurdity of the story. There's really no rhyme or reason going on here, but it is hilariously funny if you go for this kind of stuff, which I do. Currently running on Netflix, it reminded me of another short film about a talking monkey being interrogated for murder, the title of which escapes me right now, but that one was done in the same vein. Consequently its a little hard to evaluate using the IMDb rating system, and on any given day I might give it anywhere from a '6' to a '9' depending on my frame of mind, and that doesn't happen very often. David Harbour is the main actor here portraying various characters and impersonating others, and I couldn't help comparing him to a faux Orson Welles, but perhaps without the gravitas. Notwithstanding my first sentence, the idea of Frankenstein does enter the picture but is hardly of any consequence once you get into it. If you decide to watch, you might as go the whole way and commit to the half hour or so, even if the random events don't amount to anything by the finale. The fun is simply getting from Point A to an unrelated Point B.
Silly and pointless not even funny
singleflowernomore17 July 2019
I don't know how netflix agreed to produce this silly movie
The idea was new but it was hardly delivered
They lost the point and lost the fun
I'm a big fan of david harbour and i think he's a terrific actor not only in melodrama but also in comedy
I watched the funny or die movie the new eleven for him and it was hilarious
But this Frankenstein thing is meaningless sorry
Absurd comedy done right (kind of)
NourMartinez17 July 2019
Some people are going to love the type of comedy in this short film whereas I know others will not understand it nor find it funny,
I was watching this with a friend, I was laughing frequently. If you're not a fan of subtle absurd humour then I wouldn't recommend it, I honestly just found it as a fun half hour to just revel in its absurdity, which is of course it's biggest strength with the stupid twists that make no sense but don't fail to make me laugh.
I was watching this with a friend, I was laughing frequently. If you're not a fan of subtle absurd humour then I wouldn't recommend it, I honestly just found it as a fun half hour to just revel in its absurdity, which is of course it's biggest strength with the stupid twists that make no sense but don't fail to make me laugh.
Strange but funny
traybry-8397521 July 2019
What was the point of making this?
ryanvanhaaren9 August 2019
I saw this on netflix and I thought: okay lets watch this. Lets see what this is about. And now im thinking what the frick? It has no meaning. I find it very random, not funny at all, not clear what the message is, and just stupid. People its not worth watching!!
Unwatchable
WVfilmfem20 July 2019
WTH was that?!
TheTruthofItIs21 August 2019
With a title like that I was expecting something at least mildly entertaining but this was a third-rate, mockumentary with the atmosphere of an early '70s production. How such things make it from concept, to green-light, to production, and release is stupifying! It's low budget enough that it had to be bankrolled by David Harbour himself along with friends/family - but to what end?! It's just a dumb vanity project and a waste of time to anyone sucked into watching.
David Harbour is just fun to watch!
RalphD198117 July 2019
I have no background information about this mockumentary, but it kinda seems like a passionate project. I must applaude Netflix for still supporting such daring pieces, which they know won't be a crowd pleaser.
I actually found the bad acting refreshingly acted well.
The whole thing is very intetesting and entertaining.
I actually found the bad acting refreshingly acted well.
The whole thing is very intetesting and entertaining.
I like the lead, but it did not win me over
Horst_In_Translation27 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein" is an American comedy short film directed by Emmy nominee Daniel Gray Longino and written by Emmy winner John Levenstein. It runs for slightly over half an hour and became pretty successful since its release a little over 2 months ago back in July 2019. The main reason for that is the fact that the lead performance comes from David Harbour, who is really known for his role in Stranger Things, but also for playing the title character in the new Hellboy movie. I've seen neither (so far), so I won't go a lot into detail about his other turns, but lets focus on him here in this short film. I do like him as an actor, no denying and I think he elevates the material here and probably no other actor really would have made this a much better watch, better if at all. Harbour's involvement with this film here felt so strong that I am surprised he did not write the script. Oh well, or maybe not because he is not a writer I think. Anyway, I thought the beginning was decent with the introduction to his father and grandfather, of course all fictitious. His father is played by him and also the one we see on the picture is him. That is part of the comedy that they did not even try to hide it. Sadly the film afterwards gets worse in my opinion. I wanted to laugh a lot more here than I eventually did unfortunately. The parts with what is mentioned in the title and the random inclusion of Lady Macbeth playing a potential love interest did almost nothing for me. The sequences back in the now when we see Harbour talk to his father's old colleague and his wife with constantly new characters appearing out of nowhere, was better, but also not too great sadly. The prop gun revelation was kinda fun. And besides that, it is always nice for me to see Alfred Molina in a movie. Really like him as an actor and he is the only cast member except Harbour who I knew. However, his material is not enough either in terms of both quantity and quality to make a difference. Overall, these 32 minutes could not win me over. The comedy tries so hard to be edgy and different that it actually feels and you can see the yput a lot of effort in there. But these is no easiness, no lightness and the level and entertainment value sure does not reflect this effort. I mean it is not a failure, but if even I as somebody who likes Harbour cannot be won over, then people who aren't really aware of him will not have a fun time here watching this one. I am glad it was this short. Watch something else instead.
Come on David!
moniquerich24 January 2023
I'm 16 minutes in, with 16 long, excruciating minutes left! Ugh!! I like David Harbour as much as the next person but THIS was horrible!
First, it makes zero sense. Just 32 minutes of David babbling on and on, playing his father (why, I don't know) in some footage he found while fighting rats in his mother's attic (help me please! I blinked twice), nevertheless...
The acting from everyone involved was terrible. EveryONE! I literally have no idea what's going on or what I'm supposed to figure out or, and most importantly, why I'm even watching it. The name, Frankenstein's Monsters Monster, Frankenstein is what initially got my attention because it's funny, right?
Wrong. It's absurd drivel. I'm actually so upset with myself that I'm putting myself in timeout and I want me to think about what I did, and write a 3 page essay on why I watched this before coming here and reading the REAL reviews, not just the first 3 or 4 which were complete LIES! Hopefully, I'll learn my lesson. I gotta go sit in the corner now.
First, it makes zero sense. Just 32 minutes of David babbling on and on, playing his father (why, I don't know) in some footage he found while fighting rats in his mother's attic (help me please! I blinked twice), nevertheless...
The acting from everyone involved was terrible. EveryONE! I literally have no idea what's going on or what I'm supposed to figure out or, and most importantly, why I'm even watching it. The name, Frankenstein's Monsters Monster, Frankenstein is what initially got my attention because it's funny, right?
Wrong. It's absurd drivel. I'm actually so upset with myself that I'm putting myself in timeout and I want me to think about what I did, and write a 3 page essay on why I watched this before coming here and reading the REAL reviews, not just the first 3 or 4 which were complete LIES! Hopefully, I'll learn my lesson. I gotta go sit in the corner now.
Is this Part of the Joke? I don't Know
JayWolfgramm4 November 2022
David Harbour stars in this TV short, where he is trying to uncover a mystery about his father. Harbour's father, also played by David Harbour, performed a TV Movie based on Frankenstein. Conflict ensues as Harbour feels his co-stars are trying to upstage him. Meanwhile. David Harbour III is interviewing people who knew his father in an attempt to unravel what happened with his father.
The production of the TV Movie is hilariously cheap looking, and there is a funny deep cut about Orson Well's wine commercial. Where the TV short falls short for me is the storyline with David Habour III investigating his father. Sadly that is about half of the runtime of the show. There is a lot of the show that leaves the audience wondering, where is the joke?
It is seriously stupid, but the joke is how stupidly serious they take the whole thing.
The production of the TV Movie is hilariously cheap looking, and there is a funny deep cut about Orson Well's wine commercial. Where the TV short falls short for me is the storyline with David Habour III investigating his father. Sadly that is about half of the runtime of the show. There is a lot of the show that leaves the audience wondering, where is the joke?
It is seriously stupid, but the joke is how stupidly serious they take the whole thing.
Tongue firmly planted in cheek.
boilerhogs16 July 2019
Stupid Brilliance
hedley8616 July 2019
David Harbour's Darkplace.
morrison-dylan-fan24 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Reading a old issue of UK film magazine The Dark Side,I noticed a review for a off-beat sounding Comedy Horror film. Having recently signed up to Netflix, I got set to discover the monster behind the monster.
View on the film:
Unearthing a TV Horror special not seen since it originally aired, director Daniel Gray Longino & cinematographer Carl Herse record a loving pastiche to British TV Costume Drama's of the past, with hilarious sight gags of the actors all standing in one line,and saying their lines down the camera,rather than face to face, along with wonky special effects causing the walls of the set to shake, all topped by a spoof of a famous Orson Welles commercial being poured over the final.
Whilst the ending is rather abrupt, Longino sands over it with a real attention to detail in creating the same flat, fuzzy, recorded on video appearance of old UK TV Costume Dramas, complete with wobbly camera panning shots,and zoom-ins jolting to a close-up.
Bringing John Levenstein's witty fake documentary (not Found Footage) script to life, David Harbour gives a fantastic performance as himself and his dad (!), with Harbour nodding to Orson Welles,both in the tone of his fathers voice, and the serious manner in which he treats the pulpy rubbish of meeting Frankenstein's monster,monster.
View on the film:
Unearthing a TV Horror special not seen since it originally aired, director Daniel Gray Longino & cinematographer Carl Herse record a loving pastiche to British TV Costume Drama's of the past, with hilarious sight gags of the actors all standing in one line,and saying their lines down the camera,rather than face to face, along with wonky special effects causing the walls of the set to shake, all topped by a spoof of a famous Orson Welles commercial being poured over the final.
Whilst the ending is rather abrupt, Longino sands over it with a real attention to detail in creating the same flat, fuzzy, recorded on video appearance of old UK TV Costume Dramas, complete with wobbly camera panning shots,and zoom-ins jolting to a close-up.
Bringing John Levenstein's witty fake documentary (not Found Footage) script to life, David Harbour gives a fantastic performance as himself and his dad (!), with Harbour nodding to Orson Welles,both in the tone of his fathers voice, and the serious manner in which he treats the pulpy rubbish of meeting Frankenstein's monster,monster.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
