Horrific sex maniacs : Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (1974)

Frankenstein movies are kinda hit and miss aren’t they. The story itself has been done so many times with varying success that it really doesn’t affect us anymore. Personally, I think the best films outside of the Universal and Hammer sets were the ones produced in the 1970’s. They were weird, sexy and most of all, took the man in different directions. How can you beat a title like Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks”?

Elvira, everybody’s favorite breastalicious horror host, is responsible for introducing me to this strange Italian freak show which features Necrophilia, muddy skinny dipping, rape and of course, man-made monsters! The film opens with that crazy “Count” Frankenstein (Rossano Brazzi) rescuing the body of a Neanderthal from the local villagers! Don’t ask, just go with it. What a nice guy. Oh, wait, scratch that. What he actually wants to do is experiment on him like he does everything else. Frankenstein actually has a menagerie of creatures in his castle which include an odd hunchback (Frankenstein ‘80 alum Xiro Papas), a steroid monster named Igor (Gordon Mitchell), a necrophiliac dwarf (Michael Dunn), and a nasty servant named Hans (Alan Collins).

Well our little necrophile, Genz left his tiny footprints at the cemetery while grave robbing as one does. The local police make their way over much to Frankenstein’s chagrin! So the Dwarf is out, but that’s OK, he likes to fuck dead girls and that’s creepy anyway! Just in time too, since Frankenstein’s daughter Maria (Simonetta Vitelli) has come home and brought a friend, the super hot Krista (Christiane Rucker).  Turns out Krista likes older nerds and she’s down to ease her new friends loneliness. YAY! Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks indeed! But the love fest doesn’t last as Frankenstein’s monster gets a gander at Krista as well and decides he wants to hit that too. As if this madness is not enough madness for you, the Dwarf has met a Neanderthal too and he’s still upset about being ousted!

I couldn’t have dreamt up this film if I was on acid! The stranger thing is that it’s filled with a decent cast. Rossano Brazzi of “The Itallian Job” and “The Final Conflict”, Christiane Rucker from “The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism”, and Edmund Purdom from “Pieces” and “Don’t Open Till Christmas”, among others. Hell, it even has Xiro Papas, who played the monster itself in Frankenstein ’80, another drugged out freak fest!

So as weird as this film is, why should you watch? If you have seen every retread of this story then why not let it take you somewhere new. If you have a kinky side then it may be the perfect late night flick with your partner and a couple (or more) beers. This film will take you places, that’s for sure. Like I said in the beginning, you can’t pass on a title like this.