''Frankenstein '80'' is a 1972 Italian film directed by Mario Mancini.
Plot summary
By day,
Dr. Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italians, Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy ...
(Gordon Mitchell) works innocuously in his lab. But at night, he works to perfect Mosaico (Xiro Papas), a monstrosity pieced together from dead bodies. Once completed, the behemoth escapes from the lab and embarks on a killing spree. Local beauties begin popping up dead, murdered in a variety of gruesome ways, as authorities attempt to stop Mosaico's rampage.
Cast
Production
Despite the films title alluding to
Mary Shelley's character, the film has little in common with her creation. The inspiration of Ferdinando De Leone and Mario Mancini's script was from the adult only comics such as ''Oltretomba''. Future
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
winner
Carlo Rambaldi provided the special effects in the film such as the monster named Mosaic. Curti referred to the special effects as "crude" and was an "early hint of the tendency towards excess that will characterise Italian genre cinema of the decade"
Lou Castel
Lou Castel (born Ulv Quarzell; 28 May 1943) is a Swedish actor who became known through his work in Italian films.
Life and career
The son of a Swedish father and an Irish mother, Castel was born Ulv Quarzell in Bogotá, Colombia, where his fa ...
was originally going to act in the film but was not allowed after being expelled from Italy in April 1972 due to his political views.
Actor
Gordon Mitchell
Gordon Mitchell (born Charles Allen Pendleton; July 29, 1923 – September 20, 2003) was an American actor and bodybuilder who made about 200 B movies.
Biography
Charles Allen Pendleton was born in Denver, Colorado, and began working out in hi ...
stated that parts of the film were possibly shot in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, but not any of the scenes he was involved in. The rest of the film was shot in Munich and Rome.
Release
''Frankenstein '80'' was released in Italy on 12 December 1972 where it was distributed by Les Films 2R Roma. Film historian Roberto Curti stated that the film "passed almost unnoticed in Italy at the time of its release" A
photonovel version of the film was released in the Italian issue of ''Cinesex'' in May 1973.
As of 2017, the film is in the
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
in the United States.
Reception
From retrospective reviews,
AllMovie
AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne.
History
AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...
called the film "stupid, sickening, and obscene", but "seekers of psychotronic cinema will have a field day with this ridiculous Italian exploitation product."
In his book on Italian horror film directors, Louis Paul referred to the film as "strange" and "a lurid sex film dressed as a horror movie."
References
Footnotes
Sources
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External links
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''Frankenstein '80''at
Variety Distribution
1972 horror films
1972 films
Italian science fiction horror films
1970s Italian-language films
Frankenstein films
Films shot in Rome
Films shot in Munich
1970s Italian films
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