Flesh for Frankenstein
Encyclopedia
Andy Warhol's Frankenstein or Flesh for Frankenstein is a 1973 horror film
directed by Paul Morrissey
and produced by Andy Warhol
, Andrew Braunsberg, Louis Peraino, and Carlo Ponti
and starring Udo Kier
, Joe Dallesandro
, Monique van Vooren and Arno Juerging. It was filmed in Cinecittà
by a crew of Italian filmmakers.
In the United States, the film was marketed as Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, and was presented in the Space-Vision 3-D
process in premiere engagements. It was rated X
by the MPAA, due to its explicit sexuality and violence. A 3-D version also played in Australia in 1986, along with Blood for Dracula
, an obvious pairing. In the seventies a 3-D version played in Stockholm, Sweden. In subsequent US DVD releases, the film was retitled Flesh for Frankenstein, while the original title was used in other regions.
The film was later cut to 93 minutes for an R-rating, thereby increasing its viability for wider distribution. The U.S. DVD releases have utilized the full uncut version, which is now unrated. The film had its television premiere in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2009 and was broadcast in 3D as part of Channel 4's 3D Week.
and female
(Dalila Di Lazzaro) from parts of corpses. The doctor's sublimation
of his sexual urges by his powerful urge for domination is shown when he utilizes the surgical wounds of his female creation to satisfy his lust
. He is dissatisfied with the inadequate reproductive urges of his current male creation, and seeks a head donor
with a greater libido
; he also repeatedly exhibits an intense interest that the creature's "nasum" (nose
) have a correctly Serbian shape.
As it happens, a suitably randy farmhand (Joe Dallesandro) leaving a local brothel
along with his sexually repressed friend, brought there in an unsuccessful attempt to dissuade him from entering a monastery
, are spotted and waylaid by the doctor and his henchman
(Arno Juerging); mistakenly assuming that the prospective monk is also suitable for stud
duty, they take his head for use on the male creature. Not knowing these behind-the-scene details, the farmhand survives and finds his way to the castle, where he is befriended by the doctor's wife; they form an agreement for him to gratify her unsatisfied carnal appetites.
Under the control of the doctor, the male and female creatures are seated for dinner with the castle's residents, but the male creature shows no signs of recognition of his friend as he serves the Baron and his family. The farmhand realizes at this point that something is awry, but himself pretends not to recognize his friend's face until he can investigate further. After a falling out with the doctor's wife, who is merely concerned with her own needs, he is captured by the doctor while snooping in the laboratory
; the doctor muses about using his new acquisition to replace the head of his creature, who is still showing no signs of libido. Nevertheless, the doctor's wife/sister is rewarded for betraying the farmhand by being granted use of the creature for erotic purposes, but is killed during a bout of overly vigorous copulation. Meanwhile the jealous henchman repeats the doctor's sexual exploits with the female creature, resulting in her graphic disembowelment
. The doctor returns and, enraged, does away with the henchman; when he attempts to have the male creature eliminate the farmhand, however, the remnants of his friend's personality rebel and the doctor is killed instead in gruesome fashion. The creature, believing he is better off dead, then disembowels himself. The doctor's children then enter the laboratory, pick up a pair of scalpels, and proceed to turn the wheel of the crane that is holding the farmhand in mid-air. It is not clear if the scalpels are there in order to release him, or take over where father left off.
The gruesomeness of the action was intensified in the original release by the use of 3-D
, with several dismbowelments being shot from a perspective such that the internal organs are thrust towards the camera.
said of the film, "Flesh For Frankenstein is a morbid and grotesque comedy that won't be to everyone's taste but that does deliver some interesting humor and horror in that oddball way that Morrissey has."
Nora Sayre
of The New York Times
said, "In a muddy way, the movie attempts to instruct us about the universal
insensitivity, living-deadness and the inabilty to be turned on by anything short of the grotesque. However, this "Frankenstein" drags as much as it camps; despite a few amusing moments, it fails as a spoof, and the result is only a coy binge in degradation."
J.C. Maçek III of WorldsGreatestCritic.com wrote, "There is a brilliance to the satire here and a certain way that Morrissey has with the camera eye and framing that allows for the lavishness of the countryside and even the castle and laboratory interiors to look incredible. On the other hand, one must be in on the joke to get much more enjoyment out of Flesh for Frankenstein. I get the joke, I'm a Warhol fan. I understand. But there's no way to make this into a "great" film. If the implied nastiness of the psycho-sexuality
here doesn't get you the incessant gore will, especially when the two are combined. If neither one gets to you at all, even when combined, then you might want to consult a shrink. That's, um... not what gallbladders are for, there, Sparky!"
is better known as the author of Fellini's Amarcord
and Antonioni's Blowup
.
While some Italian prints reportedly give second unit director Antonio Margheriti
credit as director of the film, Udo Kier has stated that Margheriti had nothing to do with directing the film. Kier stated that he and the other cast members received direction only from Morrissey, and noted that he never saw Margheriti on the set.
As a favor for producer Carlo Ponti
, Antonio Margheriti
agreed to take credits for free as director for the Italian release in order to help the film get funds from the government. Unfortunately, it ended up as a trial for producer and alleged director who both lost.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army...
and produced by Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Andrew Braunsberg, Louis Peraino, and Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti was an Italian film producer with over 140 production credits, and the husband of Italian movie star Sophia Loren.-Career:...
and starring Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
, Joe Dallesandro
Joe Dallesandro
Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro , better known as Joe Dallesandro, is an American actor, and Warhol superstar. Although he never became a mainstream film star, Dallesandro is generally considered to be the most famous male sex symbol of American underground films of the 20th century, as well as a sex...
, Monique van Vooren and Arno Juerging. It was filmed in Cinecittà
Cinecittà
Cinecittà is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema.-History:The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi for propaganda purposes, under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte"...
by a crew of Italian filmmakers.
In the United States, the film was marketed as Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, and was presented in the Space-Vision 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
process in premiere engagements. It was rated X
X-rated
In some countries, X is or has been a motion picture rating reserved for the most explicit films. Films rated X are intended only for viewing by adults, usually legally defined as people over the age of 17.-United Kingdom:...
by the MPAA, due to its explicit sexuality and violence. A 3-D version also played in Australia in 1986, along with Blood for Dracula
Blood for Dracula
Blood for Dracula is a 1974 film directed by Paul Morrissey and produced by Andy Warhol and Andrew Braunsberg. It stars Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Maxime McKendry, Stefania Casini, and Arno Juerging...
, an obvious pairing. In the seventies a 3-D version played in Stockholm, Sweden. In subsequent US DVD releases, the film was retitled Flesh for Frankenstein, while the original title was used in other regions.
The film was later cut to 93 minutes for an R-rating, thereby increasing its viability for wider distribution. The U.S. DVD releases have utilized the full uncut version, which is now unrated. The film had its television premiere in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2009 and was broadcast in 3D as part of Channel 4's 3D Week.
Plot
Dr. von Frankenstein (Udo Kier) neglects his duties towards his wife/sister (Monique van Vooren), as he is obsessed with creating a perfect Serbian race to obey his commands, beginning by assembling a perfect maleMale
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
and female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
(Dalila Di Lazzaro) from parts of corpses. The doctor's sublimation
Sublimation (psychology)
In psychology, sublimation is a mature type of defence mechanism where socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are consciously transformed into socially acceptable actions or behaviour, possibly converting the initial impulse in the long term...
of his sexual urges by his powerful urge for domination is shown when he utilizes the surgical wounds of his female creation to satisfy his lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
. He is dissatisfied with the inadequate reproductive urges of his current male creation, and seeks a head donor
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
with a greater libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
; he also repeatedly exhibits an intense interest that the creature's "nasum" (nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
) have a correctly Serbian shape.
As it happens, a suitably randy farmhand (Joe Dallesandro) leaving a local brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
along with his sexually repressed friend, brought there in an unsuccessful attempt to dissuade him from entering a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, are spotted and waylaid by the doctor and his henchman
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
(Arno Juerging); mistakenly assuming that the prospective monk is also suitable for stud
Stud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
duty, they take his head for use on the male creature. Not knowing these behind-the-scene details, the farmhand survives and finds his way to the castle, where he is befriended by the doctor's wife; they form an agreement for him to gratify her unsatisfied carnal appetites.
Under the control of the doctor, the male and female creatures are seated for dinner with the castle's residents, but the male creature shows no signs of recognition of his friend as he serves the Baron and his family. The farmhand realizes at this point that something is awry, but himself pretends not to recognize his friend's face until he can investigate further. After a falling out with the doctor's wife, who is merely concerned with her own needs, he is captured by the doctor while snooping in the laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
; the doctor muses about using his new acquisition to replace the head of his creature, who is still showing no signs of libido. Nevertheless, the doctor's wife/sister is rewarded for betraying the farmhand by being granted use of the creature for erotic purposes, but is killed during a bout of overly vigorous copulation. Meanwhile the jealous henchman repeats the doctor's sexual exploits with the female creature, resulting in her graphic disembowelment
Disembowelment
Disembowelment is the removal of some or all of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract , usually through a horizontal incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment may result from an accident, but has also been used as a method of torture and execution...
. The doctor returns and, enraged, does away with the henchman; when he attempts to have the male creature eliminate the farmhand, however, the remnants of his friend's personality rebel and the doctor is killed instead in gruesome fashion. The creature, believing he is better off dead, then disembowels himself. The doctor's children then enter the laboratory, pick up a pair of scalpels, and proceed to turn the wheel of the crane that is holding the farmhand in mid-air. It is not clear if the scalpels are there in order to release him, or take over where father left off.
The gruesomeness of the action was intensified in the original release by the use of 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, with several dismbowelments being shot from a perspective such that the internal organs are thrust towards the camera.
Critical reception
Ian Jane of DVD TalkDVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
said of the film, "Flesh For Frankenstein is a morbid and grotesque comedy that won't be to everyone's taste but that does deliver some interesting humor and horror in that oddball way that Morrissey has."
Nora Sayre
Nora Sayre
Nora Clemens Sayre was an American film critic and essayist. She was a reviewer of films for The New York Times in the 1970s, and, from 1981, a writing teacher at Columbia University for many years...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "In a muddy way, the movie attempts to instruct us about the universal
Universal (metaphysics)
In metaphysics, a universal is what particular things have in common, namely characteristics or qualities. In other words, universals are repeatable or recurrent entities that can be instantiated or exemplified by many particular things. For example, suppose there are two chairs in a room, each of...
insensitivity, living-deadness and the inabilty to be turned on by anything short of the grotesque. However, this "Frankenstein" drags as much as it camps; despite a few amusing moments, it fails as a spoof, and the result is only a coy binge in degradation."
J.C. Maçek III of WorldsGreatestCritic.com wrote, "There is a brilliance to the satire here and a certain way that Morrissey has with the camera eye and framing that allows for the lavishness of the countryside and even the castle and laboratory interiors to look incredible. On the other hand, one must be in on the joke to get much more enjoyment out of Flesh for Frankenstein. I get the joke, I'm a Warhol fan. I understand. But there's no way to make this into a "great" film. If the implied nastiness of the psycho-sexuality
Psychosexual disorder
Psychosexual disorder is a term which may simply refer to a sexual problem that is psychological, rather than physiological, in origin.Psychosexual disorder was a term used in Freudian psychology....
here doesn't get you the incessant gore will, especially when the two are combined. If neither one gets to you at all, even when combined, then you might want to consult a shrink. That's, um... not what gallbladders are for, there, Sparky!"
Writer and director
Screenwriter Tonino GuerraTonino Guerra
Tonino Guerra is an Italian poet, writer and screenwriter who has collaborated with some of the most prominent film directors of the world.-Biography:Guerra was born in Santarcangelo di Romagna....
is better known as the author of Fellini's Amarcord
Amarcord
Amarcord is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo in 1930s Fascist Italy...
and Antonioni's Blowup
Blowup
Blowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
.
While some Italian prints reportedly give second unit director Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
credit as director of the film, Udo Kier has stated that Margheriti had nothing to do with directing the film. Kier stated that he and the other cast members received direction only from Morrissey, and noted that he never saw Margheriti on the set.
As a favor for producer Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti was an Italian film producer with over 140 production credits, and the husband of Italian movie star Sophia Loren.-Career:...
, Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
agreed to take credits for free as director for the Italian release in order to help the film get funds from the government. Unfortunately, it ended up as a trial for producer and alleged director who both lost.