The Evil of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Evil of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson February 14, 2021

My first formal introduction to Freddie Francis's work was when I saw his marvelous, Oscar-winning period cinematography for Edward Zwick's Glory (1989), a Civil War drama screened in two different courses that I took. I was unaware until recently that Francis was nearly as prolific a director as he was a DP. He began directing six years after he started in the industry as a cinematographer. The Evil of Frankenstein was Francis's fifth solo directing effort and happened literally by accident. Terence Fisher was scheduled to direct it until he suffered a non-fatal vehicular accident. Fisher helmed The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Revenge of Frankenstein (1958). (Frankenstein Created Woman [1967] and The Horror of Frankenstein [1970] would follow in Hammer's monster series.) Hammer Studios chose Francis as Fisher's replacement. TEoF was a Hammer/Universal international co-production.

Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) and his young assistant Hans (Sandor Elès) are forced to flee a country town due to the scientist's controversial experiments. The pair return to the baron's hometown of Karlstad (in the former Yugoslavia) and the laboratory of Frankenstein's uninhabited chateau. The chief of police (Duncan Lamont), the Burgomaster (David Hutcheson), and other local authorities notice that Frankenstein and Hans are back in town. Fearing that the duo will repeat their prior work and cause a stir, they drive them out of town. They encounter some luck when a mute and deaf girl (Katy Wild) leads them inside a cave where they discover Frankenstein's monster (Kiwi Kingston) frozen inside a glacier. The baron brings his monster back to his lab and resuscitates him. However, the monster doesn't really know how to function and obey commands. The baron returns to a carnival he visited earlier and enlists the services of Zoltan (Peter Woodthorpe), a duplicitous hypnotist. Zoltan hypnotizes the monster into extracting vengeance on the authorities that forced both he and the baron to leave town. But the baron doesn't realize that Zoltan's commands contain murderous aims.

The Evil of Frankenstein is shot with a half-baked script by Anthony Hinds, who is credited with the pseudonymous John Elder. The picture can't decide if it wants to be a Hammer Horror or Universal monster movie. Since it's a co-production of these studios, it attempts to be a blend of both. This results in some anachronisms. For example, it attempts to replicate the makeup Jack Pierce gave Boris Karloff in James Whale's Frankenstein (1931). But the makeup looks plastered on Kiwi Kingston and what worked wonders in black and white doesn't looks as vintage in color. Another problematic aspect is that Kingston, a 6-foot, 5-inch wrestling champion from New Zealand, isn't near the actor of Karloff's caliber. Weighing at 238 pounds, Kingston wobbles and ambles around the lab. He also doesn't give the monster much of a personality either. Universal thought otherwise. The studio's publicity material, which was was circulated in US newspapers, promised: "Those who have been privileged to see Kiwi in action before the cameras predict he will be the most spine-tingling Monster of them all." In addition, Hinds ignores continuity in both plot and story from previous Hammer Frankenstein films. He also fails to recapture the old magic of the Universal monster classics. As Dale Munroe of the Los Angeles Evening Citizen News put it in his review of TEoF: "The screenplay is an uninspired, and anything but suspenseful, rehash of the half dozen or more excellent Frankenstein thrillers produced in the Holly­wood of the 1930s." The movie still has much to recommend it, however. Peter Cushing delivers another excellent performance as the baron. Also, Francis employs his considerable experience as a cinematographer to full effect. He frames (with DP John Wilcox) some terrific multi-plane deep-focus compositions with as many as four characters in one shot. For all its flaws, TEoF remains eminently watchable.

The Evil of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Factory's Collector's Edition of The Evil of Frankenstein comes with one BD-50 and new artwork (replicated with a slipcover) by Mark Maddox. I love the green lettering used for the centered title and the illustrations of the baron and Frankenstein. The movie has been previously available in the following countries: America (in Universal Home Entertainment's Hammer Horror 8-Film Collection, 2016), France (Elephant Films, 2017), Germany (Anolis Entertainment, 2015), and the UK (Final Cut Entertainment, 2013). Each high-def transfer for these editions was based on a 2K scan. Shout! advertises this transfer from a new 4K scan of the film's interpositive. I've studied all the releases and would rank Shout!'s at the top. It's image shows more information on all four sides. Whereas the other transfers (sans the UK) present a zoomed-in 1.78:1 from the original aspect ratio's 1.85:1, the Shout! displays a pure 1.85:1 without any zooming or cropping. Color grading varies between the Shout! and the other BDs, which have a grayer and washed out look. The Shout! is also moderately brighter with warmer tones. The film's Eastmancolor looks the strongest here. I would have liked a more consistent dispersal of grain on the Shout!, though. It's more prominent in certain scenes than others, depending on the lighting scheme. Shout! has transferred the MPEG-4 AVC-encoded disc at an average video bitrate of 36000 kbps. My video score is 4.25/5.00.

Twelve chapters are encoded for the 84-minute feature.

The Evil of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono mix (1086 kbps, 24-bit). The monaural track is thin and lacks much depth except when composer Don Banks's score emerges on the center channel. There is no background hiss. Dialogue is relatively crisp and almost always intelligible. I didn't hear any pops, crackles, or dropouts.

Shout! delivers optional English SDH for the main feature.

The Evil of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary with Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr - in this apparently scripted commentary, Nasr gives a detailed production history of The Evil of Frankenstein and discusses the roles cast and crew members played in its creation. Nasr has studied a draft of one of Hinds's scripts and compares how it deviates from the finished film. He also delves into scenes that were shot for the TV version. Nasr is overly critical of the movie and ponders a lot of "what ifs." He is appreciative of the keen eye that Francis brought to the composition and framing, though. Nasr dedicates his commentary to the late screenwriter, film critic, and historian F.X. Feeney. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW The Men Who Made Hammer: Freddie Francis (29:40, 1080p) - a half-hour featurette about the films Freddie Francis shot and directed. Tony Dalton, who co-authored the 2013 book Freddie Francis: The Straight Story from Moby Dick to Glory, a Memoir with Francis, talks about Francis's collaborations with various directors such as Jack Clayton, John Huston, and David Lynch. He also details the films Francis directed, including a section on The Evil of Frankenstein. This is a very good overview of Francis's career. It's illustrated with posters, production stills and other photographs. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW An Interview with Assistant Director William P. Cartlidge (8:05, 1080p) - Cartlidge reminisces on what he saw Freddie Francis contribute to The Evil of Frankenstein, his impressions of Peter Cushing, and the movie's optical effects. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW An Interview with Actress Katy Wild (11:19, 1080p) - Wild has very sharp recollections portraying the beggar girl in the film. She recounts her audition, scenes with Kiwi Kingston, and how she approached this key role. In English, not subtitled.

• TV Version of THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1:37:47, upscaled to 1080i; Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, 256 kbps) - The TV version begins with this disclaimer: "The following program was mastered from the best available video source." Blu-ray.com community member "DrCushing" supplied Shout! Factory "with an HD telecine file from my 16mm print and a file from my over the air VHS recording. I offered access to both the 16mm print and VHS for new transfers, but Shout apparently did not have the budget and opted to use the uncorrected HD 16mm file. The source used for the TV version was not VHS" (forum post). Shout! says this source was the "best available." The archival print shows a lot of speckling, although marks seem to diminish as the film progresses. A new scan and frame-by-frame restoration would have been relatively expensive, but it's wonderful and generous of DrCushing to have donated these elements. It's an MPEG-2 encode with a windowboxed presentation that shows rounded corners. Presented in English, not subtitled.

• The Making of THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (28:30, 1080p) - a 2013 featurette produced by Final Cut Entertainment and narrated by Edward de Souza. This nearly half-hour piece features interviews with Hammer historian Wayne Kinsey, actress Caron Gardner, assistant director Hugh Harlow, script supervisor Pauline Harlow, and art director Don Mingaye. The program also inserts an archival interview with Peter Cushing. In English, not subtitled.

• A Moment with Actress Caron Gardner (2:24, 1080p) - a snippet from a longer interview with Gardner. She talks about how blonde and buxom actresses like herself were typecast by Hammer and other studios in the Sixties. In English, not subtitled.

• TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN TV Pilot (27:14, upscaled to 1080p) - this is a pilot for a series that never materialized. It's been available in the US before on DVD and looks acceptable. Presented in black and white in the 1.33:1 ratio.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:24, 1080i) - a partially restored original trailer Universal put out in the US. It has been panned and scanned from its widescreen ratio. While some dirt has apparently been removed, speckles and other markings remain; it has not been color corrected. For its age, it looks acceptable.

• Image Gallery (8:05, 1080p) - this moving slide show presents a whopping 110 images. They comprise (in black and white and color): production stills, character sketches, posters, lobby cards, and an exhibitor's manual.

The Evil of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Evil of Frankenstein can be best appreciated as an aberrant, stand-alone entry in Hammer's multi-film Frankenstein series. Shout! Factory has delivered a very good transfer based on a fresh 4K scan, solid uncompressed audio, and bountiful extras (both old and new). This package comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.