Flesh for Frankenstein (Paul Morrissey, 1973)

”In need of ze perfect Serbian nasum (i.e. nose)” it is the final thing baron Frankenstein needs to create the perfect man. He has a plan to complete his racist scheme by mating the perfect woman and the perfect man and thus creating a new breed of men. The plan ramshackles completely when the Serbian nose the baron found belongs to Nicholas, who´s planning to become a monk. When Nicholas´ head is fitted on the body, it is controlled by Nicholas celibate mind and it turns out impossible to get him to mate with the perfect woman. That is basically the story but into it is woven a plot of incest, blood, gore and general disgust, which is better to see than hear.

The role of the baron is in the hand of b-film star Udo Kier and he gives the baron a very thick German accent which increases the film´s comedy effect. Flesh for Frankenstein is often referred to as Andy Warhol´s Frankenstein, since he ran the production company responsible for it and many other b-classics. For example did Morrissey direct the classic Flesh, Trash and Heat trilogy for the company.
Many of the film´s scenes might seem awkward where the characters make swift movements toward the screen or throw bodyparts at it. That is the remains of the 3-D technology it was filmed with, but since we don´t have the techno gadgets for that on our screening we just have to do with the added weirdness of it.

Deep down, under all the pornography, violence and sickness of the film lies hidden a message. A message critisizing the perfect family and to say the least, that message is not shown in a very PC kind of a way. Every character of the film has a voyeuristic need to look at others and nothing seems holy. It is in many ways a parody and Morrissey thought of it as a comedy. The term splatter comedy seems more fitting with a dose of blood and organs all around. Enjoy.