Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1973)

One of the best Hammer Frankenstein films (fight me) gets a new limited edition Blu-ray release from Second Sight. 

After the events of 1969's FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is presumed dead but is actually then resident medical director of an asylum for the criminally insane, practising under the name Dr Carl Victor (a nod to 1958's REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN). Sent to the same asylum is Dr Simon Helder (Shane Briant) for the 'same crimes' as the Baron and pretty soon the two are back to monster-making, with expected results.

"Hammer's Gothic giant running on near empty", said Cinefantastique. "Michael Carreras pushing the panic button" said the late lamented Denis Meikle in his seminal History of Horrors. Kat Ellinger, in a new commentary recorded for this release, passionately defends the film against the many naysayers the film has had over the years, and you'll find no argument here with much of what she says.

FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL is a triumph, the natural end point for both a character, a genre, and a way of film-making. Nobody gives the Baron much thought anymore (in both real and reel life) and while he's ostensibly free to come and go as he pleases, the film suggests that he's definitely a prisoner of his surroundings, pottering along in his lab, trying again and again with increasingly worse results (the latest creation is a disaster - to think he once reached the heights of Susan Denberg) and with very much a sense that things are never going to get better. As Ellinger says, it's a very well thought out film, perhaps surprisingly so given the circumstances under which it was made.

It's also surprising that everyone brings their A game to FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL. You'd expect it from Cushing, and perhaps from the dedicated British cast, but the tiny budget only occasionally shows. The sets and set dressing are marvellous, the lighting and photography are claustrophobic and forbidding, and James Bernard's music score is one his his best, especially that violin 'concerto'.

        Second Sight's Blu-ray provides the same excellent transfer as Icon's previous release, offering the film in two aspect ratios: 'open frame' (1:1.37) and the ratio in which it was shown in many British cinemas (1:1.66). If you want to see as much picture information as possible then the ‘open frame’ ie 1:1.37 option is the one to go for. As well as the new commentary, Second Sight have ported over the commentary with Marcus Hearn, Shane Briant and Madeline Smith, which is agreeably chatty as well as providing plenty of facts on the production. Other special features brought over from the previous Icon release are Taking Over The Asylum - a 25 minute making of with Denis Meikle, Jonathan Rigby and others, and Charming Evil, 13 minutes on Terence Fisher with contributions from both family members and academics.

New to Second Sight's release is David Huckvale, whose analysis of the music had me going to the piano to play all those augmented chords. It's excellent stuff and Mr Huckvale returns to provide an appreciation of the film in the other new extra. Add in a book, art cards, and a rigid slipcase and this is the treatment one of Hammer's best and most poignant films deserves.

FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL is out on Blu-ray in a special limited edition from Second Sight on Monday 29th August 2022