Tales of Frankenstein – review

Director: Donald F Glut

Release date: 2018

Contains spoilers


Whilst Donald F Glut is known here at TMtV for some B grade vampire movies, he is also an author, having penned several reference works, including a couple of vampire books, and several Frankenstein’s Monster related stories.

This anthology film is based on some of those stories and, as the name suggests, contains material squarely based on Mary Shelley’s creation. However, there is a vampire element to the final story and it is to that, that we turn.

moved to Transylvania

Entitled Dr. Karnstein's Creation we immediately are alerted to the vampiric heritage which Glut has used, Karnstein bringing Carmilla to mind. The aforementioned Dr Karnstein (Jim Tavaré, Castlevania: Hymn of Blood) has moved to Transylvania in order to continue Frankenstein’s work. We meet him in a tavern.

Jim Tavaré as Dr Karnstein

It is a strange tavern, that is certain, with a bevy of attractive barmaids serving an all-male clientele of villagers. Karnstein has met Carl (Justin Hoffmeister) there and is roping the American-wannabe into the ghastly business at hand. He has spotted a castle, avoided by the locals as it is said to be haunted by vampires, and deems it the suitable location for his work. Meanwhile the caretaker of the cemetery, Radu (Eliot), describes his job as “babysitting the dead… make that undead.”

well-preserved

As part of his plans, Karnstein along with Carl, raids the cemetery for body parts. In a crypt, with garlic on the coffins, he finds a corpse brilliantly preserved. Karnstein puts this preservation down to the qualities of the local earth but, as Carl points out, the body isn’t buried in the earth. Karnstein counters that there is soil in the coffin. We get a good idea of what the corpse might be, even if Karnstein is oblivious. Later it is mentioned that moonlight from a full moon can revive a vampire (tying this into the nineteenth century lore). As a mob forms we see at least one person with a wooden stake.

reflection

So, Karnstein has grave robbed a vampire’s grave but – and this is a heavy spoiler, although it is a neat and unusual piece of lore – he has also dismembered said vampire and used one or more body parts to build his creation. When he attempts to give it life the experiment is successful. However the revived creature hungers and has fangs – so we have a Frankenstinean vampire. In a neat moment the creature looks in the mirror but only his clothes and brain (taken from a human not a vampire) reflect. The acting and effects are fairly B throughout, although Jim Tavaré is having a rare old time in his role, hamming it up with gusto and adding a layer of fun to the character of the mad scientist. 5 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US