Terror Of Frankenstein

"Literate, well-made adaptation of the classic story...This is the most faithful of all film versions of Mary Shelley's novel." – Leonard Maltin

The classic story of a man who creates a monster...as it's never been told before! Victor Frankenstein discovers the the secret of life – but what he creates in his laboratory is no mere man, but a misbegotten creature bent on punishing his creator for bringing him into an unjust, cruel world…

While making the 1975 documentary In Search of Dracula, filmmaker Calvin Floyd began researching the legend of Frankenstein for an eventual companion piece. Floyd became so entranced by the original story that he completely abandoned In Search of Dracula's documentary format to film a straightforward adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel. This had never been attempted before, not even by Universal or Hammer. Cast as Victor Frankenstein is Leon Vitali, the English actor who served as Stanley Kubrick's personal assistant on many of his classic films, and appeared as Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon (1975). The monster is played by Per Oscarsson, who later starred in the Swedish film version of Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009). Shot in Ireland with breathtaking cinematography by John Wilcox (who spent most of his career working at Hammer) Terror of Frankenstein eschewed the sensationalism of previous versions in favor of a thoughtful exploration of Mary Shelley's original themes. Sadly it did not receive a theatrical release in the United States (though it did appear in some foreign markets as Victor Frankenstein) making this film something of a Holy Grail for fans of the classic monsters. A hidden Frankenstein gem, Terror of Frankenstein is a must-see for horror buffs.