Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

The Frankenstein Complex Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 2, 2021

Note: This documentary is available on Blu-ray as part of The Monster Collection.

There was a time in the ostensible Dark Ages, meaning pre-internet, when those with an interest in this or that subject had to forage out into the big, wide world to satisfy their yearnings for knowledge, and in that regard, the anecdotes are legion as to what magazines like Forrest J. Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland meant to any number of (then) young kids who went on to notable careers in horror, in any number of media ranging from writing, as in the case of Stephen King, to movies, as in the case of too many people to list individually. For more modern types wanting a really fun and interesting overview of the sorts of stories that used to define Ackerman's iconic publication, The Monster Collection should suffice more than well enough, bringing together two really excellent documentaries as well as a plethora of additional supplemental material.

One of the things that Famous Monsters of Filmland and other publications of its general ilk used to excel in was letting fans get to know the artisans behind the screen (so to speak), and that is exactly what The Frankenstein Complex also offers. While there is some ruminating by various talking heads, including figures as legendary as Guillermo del Toro, about the human "need" for monsters, where this documentary really establishes its foothold is by profiling and featuring interviews with a huge gamut of people who have been involved in the fabrication of various creatures, as well as the creation of all sorts of special effects. (The film is listed at some online sites, including the IMDb, as Creature Designer - The Frankenstein Complex, but its title on the cover and the documentary itself is simply The Frankenstein Complex. )

The film is lovingly dedicated to Ray Harryhausen, but it journeys back to the dawn of "special effects" courtesy of a brief focus on Lon Chaney and his "self made" make-up effects. The film has a sort of stream of consciousness approach at times, but it moves through a huge swath of material and time, ultimately dealing with the advent of CGI. Interestingly, there are some rather surprising discoveries the documentary makes in terms of latter day films where one might assume all of the special effects were computer generated, but where "old school" practical solutions were actually found.

The Frankenstein Complex does an admirable job of offering a lot of opportunities for any number of iconic special effects gurus to talk about their craft, and the "backstage" look at some of their work is almost always fascinating. As some of the talking heads mention, one of the interesting thing about "monster movies" is that there needs to be some sort of "emotional connection" for monsters to be scary, and how that has been achieved in various films is also at least tangentially explored.

The Frankenstein Complex Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Frankenstein Complex is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Doppelgänger Releasing and Music Box Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (largely) in 1.78:1. There are a few inconsistencies on display here in terms of general sharpness and clarity, and some expected downturns in quality when archival video comes to the fore, but for the most part this is an enjoyably detailed presentation that is especially winning in some of the close-ups of fabricated creatures, where textures can be quite impressive. Interview sequences are again generally consistent, though there are again some fluctuations at times, to the point that I wondered if perhaps some of the interviews might have been done with lower res cameras. Fine detail at its best can be almost palpable, as in the mottled art paper seen in screenshot 8.

The Frankenstein Complex Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Frankenstein Complex features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 options, though this is another case where our specs, which only allow one "primary" language, can't completely account for this documentary's bilingual approach, which is at times in French (with optional English subtitles, as outlined a bit further below), though the bulk of the piece is in English. The surround track gains most of its immersive capabilities with a nice rendering of co-director Alexandre Poncet's score. All of the interview segments as well as occasional voiceover are rendered cleanly and clearly, without any issues whatsoever. Doppelgänger Releasing and Music Box Films have commendably provided two sets of subtitles, one which translates only the French, and another which provides a complete account of all spoken material in both languages.

The Frankenstein Complex Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Frankenstein Odyssey (HD; 57:23) is a fantastically entertaining behind the scenes look at the making of the main documentary feature. Some parts of this are in French, with English subtitles.


• Deleted and Alternate Scenes (HD; 17:57)


• Digital Craftsmanship (HD; 15:38) looks at the post-production process. Again, this French production has a French speaking crew, and so this is largely in French with English subtitles.


• Photo Gallery (HD; 8:13)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:11)


• The Frankenstein Complex Musical Score (HD; 1:08:55) is basically a soundtrack recording of the documentary's score, which plays to key art.

The Frankenstein Complex Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A lot of horror films have crossed my review queue over the many years I've been writing about movies, and while the genre may admittedly not be my favorite, I almost always have admiration for the effects work many of these outings offer. The Frankenstein Complex is a first rate opportunity to not just see how some notable creatures and/or effects were realized, but to get to know the people who made everything happen. It's obvious that this was a passion project for Gilles Penso and Alexandre Poncet, and the result is a documentary that should be widely enjoyed by everyone who has ever paid attention to "below the line" credits, especially in the VFX department. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements very enjoyable. Highly recommended.