The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (1972)

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (1972), Jess Franco’s riff on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein mythology, is fond, irreverent, inventive, surreal and–as its title indicates–erotic. In short, it’s an undiluted dose of Franco psychedelia.

Shortly after bringing his monster to life, Dr. Frankenstein (Dennis Price) is murdered by Melissa (Anne Libert), a mostly nude bird-woman hybrid, and the hunchbacked Caronte (Luis Barboo), who steal the monster for their own master, Cagliostro (Howard Vernon). The doctor’s daughter, Vera Frankenstein (Beatriz Savón), is a knock off the old block, and brings her father back to life just long enough to find out who killed him and took the monster. Before she can avenge her father, however, Vera is kidnapped by Cagliostro, who intends to use parts of her for a companion to the male monster. While the local authorities seek out the missing Vera, Cagliostro uses Frankenstein to whip prisoners in the villain’s fiendish erotic spectacles.

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein captures the visual sensationalism of Jess Franco. It’s a film whose bizarre set pieces, evocative locations, and dreamlike qualities can’t be justly rendered in textual description. The overall cinematic effect of Franco’s staging is more important than the “what” of what he is doing.

With a title like The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein, what you want to know is, does it live up to its name? And the answer is yes. Very much so. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s a particularly humorous movie, and quite goofy in its erotic-macabre imagination. In this sense, it’s quite a different experience from the more moody, personal Franco films like A Virgin Among the Living Dead or Nightmares Come at Night.
As per usual, the Kino Cult streaming version looks spectacular with lush, celluloid qualities. Their Blu-ray includes commentary by Tim Lucas. Clocking in at only 74 minutes, uninitiated viewers curious about Franco might want to consider this as an entry-point to the auteur.

Streaming at Kino Cult, or available on DVD/Blu-ray.

–Cullen Gallagher