Frankenstein 90 (1984)

Set in France’s near future, Victor Frankenstein (Jean Rochefort) is stealing body parts from the government lab where he works in order to complete his monster. With the help of a corrupt police inspector (Ged Marlon) he finally obtains the final body part he needs. Once he succeeds in bringing his monster named Frank (Eddy Mitchell) to life, he tries to teach him manners and how to behave in proper society.

Victor’s girlfriend, Elizabeth (Fiona Gélin), discovers what Victor has done and together they build Frank a mate named Adelaide (Herma Vos). But Frank isn’t satisfied with their creation and he goes on a rampage in the city, only to disappear afterwards. Victor, Elizabeth, and Adelaide travel to Castle Frankenstein in Germany with hopes to bring Frank back before he does any more damage.

This French horror comedy is as surprising as it is hilarious. Alain Jessua is a fine director and pays homage to the earlier Frankenstein films by poking fun at them wherever he can. The sets are intricate and the effects (although restrained) are superb. The movie is impeccably filmed with nearly flawless cinematography and good lighting.

The actors are all adept at comedy. The lovely Herma Vos is great as Adelaide, the spurned “bride of Frankenstein”. Jean Rochefort is unlike any Dr. Frankenstein I’ve ever seen. He’s more interested in teaching Frank proper table manners and how to drive than announcing his discovery to the scientific community.

Much of the film’s charm comes from Eddy Mitchell’s portrayal as Frank. Instead of a lumbering beast with bolts sticking out of his neck, this Frankenstein monster is just this really ugly French guy in blue jeans and a sweater. Despite having the capacity of a child, Frank is well-spoken and often bored with the world around him instead of intensely curious. It takes a fine comic actor to take this character where it goes and Mitchell does one hell of a job.

Frankenstein 90 twists the Frankenstein legend wherever it can. Much of the humor is subtle but breaks out into slapstick at the right (and usually totally unexpected) moments. This is definitely not a straight horror film with almost none of the heavy atmosphere one expects from Frankenstein films. The music is corny AM funk removing the last traces of seriousness from the whole affair.

I can’t help but recommend Frankenstein 90. Be warned, if you don’t like French style comedy, this may get under your skin. However, the humor here has a very dark tone and can get quite wicked in some places, so horror fans shouldn’t have to test their patience too much. This also has one of the most outlandish satirical endings I’ve ever seen delivered with such a deadpan expression.