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FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND
This 1990 horror/sci fi extravaganza was something of an Event upon its initial release, even if it was ignored by its distributors (who gave it minimal support) and the general public (who didn’t bother turning out). It was, after all, the first directorial effort in nearly twenty years by the legendary Roger Corman, and looks to be the last movie he’ll ever helm. Among those few who’ve seen it FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND is generally regarded as a disaster, but I believe a reappraisal is in order. It’s far from perfect, certainly, but is nonetheless one of the decade’s most thoughtful and ambitious genre efforts.
The Package
FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND started life as a 1973 novel by the British “new wave”
sci fi guru Brian Aldiss, about a future world in which a time slip transports a
man into 19th Century Geneva where he meets Dr. Frankenstein, his
monster and their creator, novelist Mary Godwin (before she became Mary
Shelley). The material made for a nice fit with B-movie legend Roger Corman,
whose best films (ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS, A BUCKET OF BLOOD, THE TRIP)
mixed schlock with intelligence. FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND was Corman’s first
attempt at directing a film since 1971’s GAS-S-S-S!, with the intervening years
spent running New World and then Concorde Pictures (during which time he oversaw
grade-Z classics like DEATH RACE 2000, HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD and BATTLE BEYOND THE
STARS).
Unfortunately, FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND was heavily recut and given an
extremely limited release by Twentieth Century Fox. Everyone involved seems to
have washed their hands of it, even though the film ranks high in the retro
B-movie arena (a subgenre admittedly not in favor then or now).
The Story
Joseph Buchanan is a brilliant scientist living in “New Lost Angeles” in
the year 2031, where he’s developing a “humanitarian” weapons system that
implodes matter. Unfortunately, his experiments succeed only in rupturing the
fabric of time, and Buchanan somehow gets sucked into a vortex that deposits
him--and his souped-up futuristic sports car--in 19th Century
Geneva. Here he meets up with a fellow scientist who turns out to be none other
than Victor Frankenstein, whose monster is rampaging through the countryside.
Buchanan also meets Mary Godwin, whose novel FRANKENSTEIN, OR THE MODERN
PROMETHEUS would go on to immortalize Victor’s exploits. For now, however,
she’s the meek mistress of the poet Percy Shelley and her book has yet to be
written. Buchanan starts up a relationship with Mary despite the fact that he’s
easily twice her age, and also hangs out briefly with Percy Shelley and his
buddy Lord Byron.
But there’s still the business with Frankenstein and his monster to be
dealt with: it seems the latter is killing off the Frankenstein family in order
to convince Victor to create a female creature. Eventually Victor agrees, and
ropes Buchanan into using his scientific knowledge to help create the monstrous
woman. Things go wrong, however, and they all end up in a bizarre future world
where a final showdown takes place.
The Direction
This film has quite a few problems, but, in Roger Corman’s defense, it was
reedited against his wishes, and a director’s cut, so far as I know, doesn’t
exist (outside the Japanese laser disc version, which features a few seconds of
extra gore footage). So, this being the only available version of FRANKENSTEIN
UNBOUND, I’ve no choice but to criticize it as is. Foremost among the film’s
problems is the script by Corman and film critic F.X. Feeney, which clumsily
mixes time travel fantasy with historical speculation (a problem shared by the
Brian Aldiss novel). The Mary Shelley character exists only to provide a love
interest and abruptly disappears an hour into the film, leaving actress Bridget
Fonda with little to do but stand around and look pretty (Fonda has dubbed her
portrayal “lobotomized”). For that matter, few of the actors get much of a
chance to shine, although the cast is wildly eclectic: John Hurt in the lead
role, Raul Julia as Victor Frankenstein, Jason Patrick as Lord Byron and ex-INXS
headliner Michael Hutchence as Percy Shelley.
B-movie fans will enjoy the endearingly tacky visuals and effects, which,
in keeping with Corman’s pedigree, wouldn’t look out of place in a sixties
drive-in flick. Check out the protagonist’s futuristic laboratory, with its
rows of blinking lights, that looks like a left-over set from THE BRAIN THAT
WOULDN’T DIE. Other “futuristic” effects are achieved by wavering laser beams
and Tesla coils, which only enhance the sixties B-movie vibe, as does the
decidedly low rent makeup on Frankenstein’s Monster. Thankfully, Corman’s
instincts as an entertainer are fully in evidence: the proceedings are lively
and fast paced (and spiced with much gratuitous gore). Viewing FRANKENSTEIN
UNBOUND is a bit like experiencing an old AIP picture, but with a scope and
ambition far beyond that of most genre flicks then or now.
Vital Statistics
FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND
Mount Company/Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Roger Corman
Producers: Roger Corman, Thom Mount, Kobi Jaeger
Screenplay: Roger Corman, F.X. Feeney
(Based on a novel by Brian W. Aldiss)
Cinematography: Armando Nannuzzi, Michael Scott
Editing: Jay Cassidy
Cast: John Hurt, Raul Julia, Bridget Fonda, Jason Patrick, Michael Hutchence,
Nick Brimble, Catherine Rabett, Catherine Corman, William Geiger, Mickey Knox,
Myriam Cyr, Terri Treas, Cynthia Allison, Isabella Rocchietta, Matt Cassidy