This kitschy blaxploitation film was originally intended as a serious movie, which (ultimately) earns it some points in the camp department. However, the movie's slow starting pacing pace, wooden acting, and (periodically) decent production value make for a largely uneventful ride. Using sets from the original 1931 "Frankenstein," as well as similar art direction, "Blackenstein" was a movie that tried hard to be legitimate, and the first half of the film rises above typical exploitation schlock. However, once the Blackenstein monster is created, the film begins to fall apart, and what follows is a terrible, "Blood Freak"-style horror movie, with laughably amateurish scene direction and gore effects. The result is a very uneven film, and a difficult one to recommend without reservations. The highlight is the awful acting, (particularly of Blackenstein himself), which makes for decent joke material, but I can't say we consistently laughed our way through this one. Fans of H.G. Lewis and Ray Dennis Steckler should be pleased, as the film has a somewhat similar feel, but most others can give it a pass. ---|--- Reviews by Flak Magnet
37 Reviews
Pimp My Mary Shelley!
Coventry20 January 2008
Nothing's sacred in the world of exploitation cinema, not even Mary Shelley's legendary novel or the classic Universal make-up effects on Boris Karloff. And thank the heavens for that, otherwise we never would have seen this wondrously demented Blaxploitation interpretation of Frankenstein. "Blackenstein" is a delightfully inept movie, some would even categorize it under so-bad-it's-great, and the script goes far beyond simply copying the original Shelley tale. There are even flashes of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" to be found here and there's another mini sub-plot about a rejuvenation serum. The actual Frankenstein plot is moderately altered as well, since the mad doctors (yes, two in this case, black & white brotherly messing with Mother Nature and God's creation together!) don't intend to re-insert life into dead body parts, but supply a wounded Vietnam veteran with new arms and legs. The procedure doesn't go as planned, due to the sabotaging of a jealous assistant, and a monstrous creation arises from the operating table. The genetically altered Brutha goes on a murder rampage but his endearing wife still doesn't give up on him. "Blackenstein" is original and funny because of its ineptness, but after a while it nearly becomes unendurable to sit through. The pace slows down fast and the story reverts to boredom, the dialogs are horrible, the make-up effects are miserable and the acting performances are lamentable. Especially Roosevelt Jackson, as Malcomb the assistant, is the hammiest performer I've seen in a long time. The DVD states that the operating sequences were shot with the same and carefully persevered scenery and sets of the original Frankenstein film. That's quite difficult to believe but, as said, everything's possible in the 70's exploitation industry. "Blackenstein" is definitely not a good film, but nevertheless recommended to people with a morbid & insatiable curiosity for weird film-making.
Horror and blaxploitation with Malcomb & Eddie.
BlackJack_B7 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I wanted to originally call this the original "Malcolm & Eddie" but apparently the guy's name in this movie is Malcomb. Whatever.
The blaxploitation phenomenon of the early 1970's yielded some very interesting and memorable product, albeit low-budget. There were a number of black themed horror films that were made. Many are aware of the Blacula series that probably gave ideas to Eddie Murphy and Wes Craven when they made Vampire In Brooklyn during one of Eddie's many low periods. Of course, they also decided to remake Frankenstein.
The movie begins as Dr. Winifred Walker has come to her mentor Dr. Stein in Los Angeles asking for his help. Her boyfriend Eddie Turner is a Vietnam vet who came back to the U.S. with both his arms and legs amputated due to a landmine explosion. Dr. Stein is one of those "mad doctors", although he's not "mad" in the sense. His experiments in healing and DNA are only known to a select few. He agrees to help Eddie.
During the operation, which takes three steps, Dr. Stein's assistant Malcomb falls in love with Dr. Walker. He professes his love for her. Winifred tells Malcomb that she can only like Malcomb as a friend because she loves Eddie and wants to marry him once he's recovered. Malcomb then switches Eddie's DNA with the DNA of someone (something?) else and when they keep injecting the DNA in him, he mutates into the title character: BLACKENSTEIN! Of course, Blacky goes around killing his victims; although he seems to have an agenda when it comes to his slayings. The first one who dies is a male nurse that would verbally assault him for going to Vietnam and wouldn't give him ice cream. His slaying is done behind a screen and we see him pounded into hamburger and then having HIS limbs torn apart. All this while the doctors try to figure out why Eddie has mutated to this form.
The acting in this movie is atrocious. It is obvious none of the actors were naturals. Malcomb, played by Roosevelt Jones, does come off as effective due to Jones' wooden acting since he is playing a simple but sinister man. I did like the spiel of victim Number One, played by Bob Brophy; it's kind of a rant that was expected by the former hippies by 1973. The lighting is terrible, the sets are cheap looking and the script for the most part is on the level of George Lucas' efforts. There's too much dead time and the movie lurches from scene to scene. And boy, does Blacky move slow and look silly with his afro and threads.
If you do like bad movies, this is worthy, but it is missing that special ingredient that something like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Showgirls offered. There is better in every genre (blaxploitation, horror, so-bad-it's good or a mix) so you should look elsewhere.
The blaxploitation phenomenon of the early 1970's yielded some very interesting and memorable product, albeit low-budget. There were a number of black themed horror films that were made. Many are aware of the Blacula series that probably gave ideas to Eddie Murphy and Wes Craven when they made Vampire In Brooklyn during one of Eddie's many low periods. Of course, they also decided to remake Frankenstein.
The movie begins as Dr. Winifred Walker has come to her mentor Dr. Stein in Los Angeles asking for his help. Her boyfriend Eddie Turner is a Vietnam vet who came back to the U.S. with both his arms and legs amputated due to a landmine explosion. Dr. Stein is one of those "mad doctors", although he's not "mad" in the sense. His experiments in healing and DNA are only known to a select few. He agrees to help Eddie.
During the operation, which takes three steps, Dr. Stein's assistant Malcomb falls in love with Dr. Walker. He professes his love for her. Winifred tells Malcomb that she can only like Malcomb as a friend because she loves Eddie and wants to marry him once he's recovered. Malcomb then switches Eddie's DNA with the DNA of someone (something?) else and when they keep injecting the DNA in him, he mutates into the title character: BLACKENSTEIN! Of course, Blacky goes around killing his victims; although he seems to have an agenda when it comes to his slayings. The first one who dies is a male nurse that would verbally assault him for going to Vietnam and wouldn't give him ice cream. His slaying is done behind a screen and we see him pounded into hamburger and then having HIS limbs torn apart. All this while the doctors try to figure out why Eddie has mutated to this form.
The acting in this movie is atrocious. It is obvious none of the actors were naturals. Malcomb, played by Roosevelt Jones, does come off as effective due to Jones' wooden acting since he is playing a simple but sinister man. I did like the spiel of victim Number One, played by Bob Brophy; it's kind of a rant that was expected by the former hippies by 1973. The lighting is terrible, the sets are cheap looking and the script for the most part is on the level of George Lucas' efforts. There's too much dead time and the movie lurches from scene to scene. And boy, does Blacky move slow and look silly with his afro and threads.
If you do like bad movies, this is worthy, but it is missing that special ingredient that something like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Showgirls offered. There is better in every genre (blaxploitation, horror, so-bad-it's good or a mix) so you should look elsewhere.
Not as good as it sounds...and it sounds truly awful!
planktonrules12 October 2008
BLACKENSTEIN is a terrible movie and its title wouldn't suggest otherwise. Like ABBY (sort of like a Black version of THE EXORCIST), BLACKENSTEIN has practically no budget whatsoever and the acting is just terrible. Believe it or not, the two Blacula movies aren't that bad--BLACKENSTEIN, however, is abysmally bad--so bad that bad movie fans might (but probably won't) love it. Others with taste, however, won't!
One of the first things you'll notice on the DVD is that the print is really, really bad--though it does get a bit better later. This is because there just isn't much money to be made from this film and adding closed captions or digitally restoring the picture just isn't going to happen! You also will probably notice how odd Los Angeles is in the film. Most nights, there seems to be thunder and lightning and often there is an eerie fog about as well (perhaps this is just smog). Regardless, it's pretty funky weather for sunny Southern California! As for the plot, it's really not like the traditional Frankenstein story. There is no mad scientist and no dead people are reanimated. Instead, a sane researcher and his assistant work to attach dead limbs to living people who lost theirs in accidents. However, instead of working in a hospital, they work in the doctor's home which is more like a castle (in Los Angeles, okay?). Heck, the place even has a dungeon and Frankenstein-like laboratory! The assistant is a young Black lady whose boyfriend lost his limbs in an explosion in Vietnam. While the transplant looks promising, no one realizes that the doctor's evil butler switches the genetic formulas and the poor Black man starts to mutate and become evil. He, of course, goes on some obligatory rampages and since this is a so-called "Blaxploitation" film, you see two ladies' breasts--though it really made no sense at all and was very, very contrived. It's amazing to see how this made no sense at all, but given that NONE of the film makes sense, it's understandable.
So what is to like about the film......well,....nothing really except for the small sequence involving the comedian. One of the jokes, though a bit crude, is funny and he was pretty cute. The acting is purely amateur, the script is amazingly static and dull (something you'd never expect in a horror film--even a bad one) and the sets are cheap and make no sense. It's really too dull for bad movie fans to enjoy and I found myself falling asleep from time to time--it was that unexciting. By contrast, even the very worst Hammer horror film was light years better.
One of the first things you'll notice on the DVD is that the print is really, really bad--though it does get a bit better later. This is because there just isn't much money to be made from this film and adding closed captions or digitally restoring the picture just isn't going to happen! You also will probably notice how odd Los Angeles is in the film. Most nights, there seems to be thunder and lightning and often there is an eerie fog about as well (perhaps this is just smog). Regardless, it's pretty funky weather for sunny Southern California! As for the plot, it's really not like the traditional Frankenstein story. There is no mad scientist and no dead people are reanimated. Instead, a sane researcher and his assistant work to attach dead limbs to living people who lost theirs in accidents. However, instead of working in a hospital, they work in the doctor's home which is more like a castle (in Los Angeles, okay?). Heck, the place even has a dungeon and Frankenstein-like laboratory! The assistant is a young Black lady whose boyfriend lost his limbs in an explosion in Vietnam. While the transplant looks promising, no one realizes that the doctor's evil butler switches the genetic formulas and the poor Black man starts to mutate and become evil. He, of course, goes on some obligatory rampages and since this is a so-called "Blaxploitation" film, you see two ladies' breasts--though it really made no sense at all and was very, very contrived. It's amazing to see how this made no sense at all, but given that NONE of the film makes sense, it's understandable.
So what is to like about the film......well,....nothing really except for the small sequence involving the comedian. One of the jokes, though a bit crude, is funny and he was pretty cute. The acting is purely amateur, the script is amazingly static and dull (something you'd never expect in a horror film--even a bad one) and the sets are cheap and make no sense. It's really too dull for bad movie fans to enjoy and I found myself falling asleep from time to time--it was that unexciting. By contrast, even the very worst Hammer horror film was light years better.
one of the worst
horrorbargainbin16 May 2003
The moving has serious pacing problems, so it's pretty tough to watch. The best part of the movie is the laboratory set, which must have been where most of the budget went. There are three moments of gore involving intestines and they are not too impressive. A few strange shots might catch the eye, but they are probably ripped off from some other movie. At least Blackenstein is not a pimp or anything, though that's probably what viewers want from their campy movies. My tape is from Media. Well, I used a coupon when I bought it.
Don't blame Sam !!!!
Mark_D-223 September 1999
After the huge success of "Blacula", Sam Arkoff made plans for a similar knock-off called "Blackenstein". In the meanwhile, write-producer Frank Salteri decides to beat him to the proverbial punch by taking the Black Frankenstein concept, dashing out something resembling a script, gathering together a considerably less than stellar cast (including ex-mob moll Liz Renay and a couple of 40's has-beens who appear to have needed some extra bucks to pay the phone bill that month), and spending what appears to be about $30, slaps out one of the worst pieces of cinematic drek to have ever played inside the confines of a movie theater. If the wooden acting and laughably inept gore effects don't get you, how about the inappropriate musical and stand-up comedy routines (such as they are), or the long-shot camera work during crucial scenes, or how the title character shuffles about with his arms outstretched, just like every parody of Frankenstein you've ever seen.
For years, Sam Arkoff has taken the blame for this cinematic blunder. Sam: A lot of people owe you a hell of a big apology!!!!
For years, Sam Arkoff has taken the blame for this cinematic blunder. Sam: A lot of people owe you a hell of a big apology!!!!
Some Good, Cheesy Fun
gavin69421 July 2013
Eddie is a Vietnam veteran who loses his arms and legs when he steps on a land mine, but a brilliant surgeon is able to attach new limbs. Unfortunately an insanely jealous assistant (who has fallen in love with Eddie's fiancé) switches Eddie's DNA injections, transforming him into a gigantic killer.
The most interesting thing about this film is that Bud Costello is credited as the property master. Apparently at some point he came into possession of the original "Frankenstein" props. Who has them now is an even more interesting question...
Beyond that, it is just cheesy fun. This is not a great movie with great acting or plot. The scientist -- despite winning a Nobel prize -- says things that make no sense to people with a basic understanding of science...
The most interesting thing about this film is that Bud Costello is credited as the property master. Apparently at some point he came into possession of the original "Frankenstein" props. Who has them now is an even more interesting question...
Beyond that, it is just cheesy fun. This is not a great movie with great acting or plot. The scientist -- despite winning a Nobel prize -- says things that make no sense to people with a basic understanding of science...
Malcomb in the Middle
BaronBl00d25 February 2005
A rather abysmal, plodding Blaxplotation reworking of the Frankenstein myth - sort of - best describes this 70s offering. Probably trying to latch on to the success of Blacula(a rather good film), Blackenstein tells the story of a limbless Vietnam vet named Eddie returning only to be the guinea pig of a Nobel Peace prize winning doctor. Strange that he won the Peace prize for his work with DNA, but let's push logic aside for now. The director of this film sure did. It seems that Eddie's girl, winsome Winifred Walker, a doctor with a PH.D in physics once worked under the renowned Dr. Stein. She appeals for help with her man, but things go awry when manservant Malcomb tries to thwart the romance because he is in desperate love with Winnie. The result - a hulking limbful(OK, I don't think its a word either)"creature" wearing a black suit he inexplicably picked up somewhere in just his size and styling around with a square-cut afro emerges with a zest for killing and ripping entrails from the bodices of newly slain women. Although on the surface this might seem like grand entertainment, the director and cast do an amazing job of breathing as little life into this film as possible. The site of the good doctor's work is seemingly in a country estate, but later we hear from two policeman, not unlike members of the mob, that murders have been happening in the nearby vicinity. Nearby vicinity - a hospital, residential homes, and an ethnic night club are all in the vicinity as well as a power plant(?). Scenes are very hard to see as there is virtually no lighting of any real value. The music score is dreadful. Clanging and suspenseful chords can be heard when nothing happens. And just wait until you hear that ridiculous heartbeat! The actors are dreadful. None of them are very good. The guy playing Dr. Stein looks casually interested in his role. Roosevelt Jackson is interesting as Malcomb, but he is definitely no actor. The special effects consist of the old lab equipment of Kenneth Strickfaden that was used in the 30's Frankenstein films. It looks very out of place in a modern setting. The worst part of this film though is its relentless plodding from one uninteresting scene to another. Nothing really is ever explained, the victims and their slayings are awfully executed, and the ending - what was that all about? It definitely had gone to the dogs at that point! If you are looking for something akin to fun "trash" from that decade famous for just that, I think you will be greatly disappointed with Blackenstein.
Bad cinema rediscovered once again.
emm3 February 1999
A few of the 70s drive-in movies I've seen were a lot of fun. This one is not. I appreciate Xenon in bringing back the "blaxplo" heydays through their video releases, but man, why not leave that scratchy looking print on the shelf and make it stay forgotten? BLACKENSTEIN is downright awful in its dreadful glory. Not a whole lot can be said about the horror elements other than the removal of body parts. How about shoving down people to make them die? A lot of your fun goes to scenes of mad scientists playing with liquid formulas and having to sit through useless scrap footage. The way our stiff-looking creep in an afro walks around and spreads his arms defines the most horrendous acting performance I've ever seen. It's that bad! Naturally speaking, don't confuse this one with the much superior BLACULA. The two are not the same. Dreadful!
Thrilling (not so thrilling) Cheesy McCheese Film
jessisparkman20 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
If you like 'b' movies to just check off your list, Blackenstein should rate number 27.
This is a one of a kind experience that makes you realize just how slowly time can move. Seriously. I had no idea that one single afternoon could take 16 hours to get through watching this movie.
Eddie, a Vietnam Vet, tragically wounded by a land mine gets the crappy version of Lieunenant Dan's new legs (and arms!) in a thrilling (not so thrilling) adventure of third rate science and fourth rate acting.
There are three really amazing things to see in this movie. One: The 'science' laboratory set of Dr. Stein (LOVE the groovy funkified name shortening, really, I think it's a hilarious update to this century.) Two: the night club with an appearance by Cardella Di Milo. And Three: The glorious 70's porn-stache worn by Dr. Stein.
Other than that, enjoy endless minutes of the slowest walking done by the monster with frightful music that keeps you in a permanent state of daze. There are some amazingly gruesome kills where actors throw themselves into the arms of the monster, only to be torn up and have their guts mashed up. Death by bad acting!
This movie is a must see for everyone who enjoys a laugh at 70's cheese, and won't take the plot too seriously. Grab a drink, sit back and soak it all in!
This is a one of a kind experience that makes you realize just how slowly time can move. Seriously. I had no idea that one single afternoon could take 16 hours to get through watching this movie.
Eddie, a Vietnam Vet, tragically wounded by a land mine gets the crappy version of Lieunenant Dan's new legs (and arms!) in a thrilling (not so thrilling) adventure of third rate science and fourth rate acting.
There are three really amazing things to see in this movie. One: The 'science' laboratory set of Dr. Stein (LOVE the groovy funkified name shortening, really, I think it's a hilarious update to this century.) Two: the night club with an appearance by Cardella Di Milo. And Three: The glorious 70's porn-stache worn by Dr. Stein.
Other than that, enjoy endless minutes of the slowest walking done by the monster with frightful music that keeps you in a permanent state of daze. There are some amazingly gruesome kills where actors throw themselves into the arms of the monster, only to be torn up and have their guts mashed up. Death by bad acting!
This movie is a must see for everyone who enjoys a laugh at 70's cheese, and won't take the plot too seriously. Grab a drink, sit back and soak it all in!
PU
Andy Sandfoss21 January 2000
I and my friends had a great time watching this collection of dismal performances, tacky set design, a confused patchwork script, and completely unjustified invocation of serious themes like Vietnam and racism in support of exploitationist trash. The things we couldn't figure out were little things like: why does a black female physics student do graduate work with a white male medical doctor? Why this same woman had one hairdo in the lab and a completely different one two seconds later outside of the lab? Why do the doctor and the woman have dinner by themselves at opposite ends of the world's biggest dining table with the world's biggest (and ugliest) centerpiece smack in the middle? Why does the movie just stop dead right in the middle to present a couple of nightclub acts, then just pick up again like nothing had happened? And why "Blackenstein" anyway? The story has nothing to do with the Frankenstein story or anything like it. If anything, it's closer to Jekyll and Hyde....well, kinda, sorta....well, not really.....
one bad brutha
magicinema17 October 2006
WOW! Watching Blackenstein the Black Frankenstein (what a title!) is a one of a kind experience. It's a unique spectacle that must be seen to be fully appreciated. I can truly say that I've never seen a film quite like it. Is it as bad as everybody says it is? Oh yeah! Absolutely! It's horribly edited and extremely incoherent. It's INSANE and that's the beauty of it! The abundant and endless flaws are all a part of this flick's crazy charm. I loved it! Watch this one with your Z Grade movie loving friends and plenty of cold beverages. It's perfect for that kind of viewing. Invite your friends, serve some drinks, laugh your butt off, and enjoy!
exploitation classic
johnc214120 February 2011
Following on the heels of blacula and Dr black and Mr Hyde,blackenstein is a pretty good little b movie made by American international pictures,although not shown in the credits.blackenstein is laughable at some point,but good.i actually enjoyed it more than blacula.John Hart who played the lone ranger back in the day,is Dr stein a kindly Dr who has mad lab equipment in his basement.a former pupil of Dr stein comes to visit,played by lovely;Ivory Stone whose fiancé is a Vietnam vet who had his arms and legs blown off in combat.OK i guess you will see how this is going.for a 1974 movie its pretty gory.and yes the lab props were from the universal Frankenstein films borrowed from the late Ken Skrickfadden.blackenstein is a fun horror film for fans of the genre.cant figure out why a.i.p. is not in any credits,they may have disowned the film in the later years.if you never seen blackenstein then heres your chance.gruesome exploitation from the seventies.
Dr. Stein grows funny creatures.
BA_Harrison1 November 2020
In 1972, some genius had the idea of a blaxploitation vampire film, Bram Stoker's legendary vampire Dracula becoming Blacula. It's clever because it rhymes.
The following year, writer/producer Frank R. Saletri tried to get in on the action with a blaxploitation version of Frankenstein called Blackenstein, which isn't such a great title. It's also not a very good film.
Blackenstein sees Dr. Winifred Walker (Ivory Stone) paying a visit to her old teacher Dr. Stein (John Hart) in the hope that he will help her fiancé Eddie (Joe De Sue), a Vietnam veteran who has lost all of his limbs in a landmine blast. Using a special DNA serum, Stein transplants new limbs onto Eddie, but his assistant Malcomb (Roosevelt Jackson), who is in love with Winifred, meddles with the treatment, turning Eddie into a violent lumbering monster.
The problem with Blackenstein is that it's not obvious whether director William A. Levey was going for genuine horror or pure camp. If he was aiming for a truly terrifying experience, he fails spectacularly, starting with Stein's hilariously clichéd mad scientist's lab, which is full of flashing lights, bubbling beakers, and crackling electrical equipment that could have come straight out of James Whale's Frankenstein forty years earlier (in fact, the special electronic effects were created by Ken Strickfaden, who also worked on Whale's movie). If he was going for tongue-in-cheek, OTT fun, he doesn't go far enough: much of his film is uneventful and extremely tedious, so much so that the director resorts to throwing in a nightclub act to try and add some pep to proceedings.
With terrible performances, inept gore (limb ripping, spilled guts, a torn out throat), and gratuitous female nudity (four bare breasts, and past-her-prime mobster's girlfriend Liz Renay in a sheer negligee), Blackenstein sounds like fun, but it takes a special kind of horror fan to sit through a film like this without wanting to throw in the towel at some point.
The following year, writer/producer Frank R. Saletri tried to get in on the action with a blaxploitation version of Frankenstein called Blackenstein, which isn't such a great title. It's also not a very good film.
Blackenstein sees Dr. Winifred Walker (Ivory Stone) paying a visit to her old teacher Dr. Stein (John Hart) in the hope that he will help her fiancé Eddie (Joe De Sue), a Vietnam veteran who has lost all of his limbs in a landmine blast. Using a special DNA serum, Stein transplants new limbs onto Eddie, but his assistant Malcomb (Roosevelt Jackson), who is in love with Winifred, meddles with the treatment, turning Eddie into a violent lumbering monster.
The problem with Blackenstein is that it's not obvious whether director William A. Levey was going for genuine horror or pure camp. If he was aiming for a truly terrifying experience, he fails spectacularly, starting with Stein's hilariously clichéd mad scientist's lab, which is full of flashing lights, bubbling beakers, and crackling electrical equipment that could have come straight out of James Whale's Frankenstein forty years earlier (in fact, the special electronic effects were created by Ken Strickfaden, who also worked on Whale's movie). If he was going for tongue-in-cheek, OTT fun, he doesn't go far enough: much of his film is uneventful and extremely tedious, so much so that the director resorts to throwing in a nightclub act to try and add some pep to proceedings.
With terrible performances, inept gore (limb ripping, spilled guts, a torn out throat), and gratuitous female nudity (four bare breasts, and past-her-prime mobster's girlfriend Liz Renay in a sheer negligee), Blackenstein sounds like fun, but it takes a special kind of horror fan to sit through a film like this without wanting to throw in the towel at some point.
blackenstien
soulman_2758512 May 2006
Well the movie is silly now but you got to really understand that was 1973 and it was scary back then. even the original movies are not scary now . But they was back then. so come on now. if today they do a remake of blackenstien YES it would be scary now .THINK ABOUT IT.AND THE MOVIES THEY make now unless the music is really hard people are not that scared now. but on the real tip the movie was not all that bad for it,s time that it came out.the end of it was a bit silly. It did not have that hard core thunder to it . and really if it was a black movie why all the white women getting kill . you don,t see that many black women getting killed in the white movies . just asking OK don,t get it wrong . just something to think about.
Wanna Sit Slackjawed With Boredom? This Is The Film For You!
gftbiloxi1 April 2005
When her boyfriend Eddie Turner (Joe DeSue) returns from Vietnam without arms and legs, Dr. Winnifred Walker (Ivory Stone) appeals to former teacher and Nobel Prize-winning Dr. Stein (John Hart) for help--and Dr. Stein, who has been fiddling with DNA, accomodates them by growing some new arms and legs. Unfortunately, the experiment goes awry, and Eddie suddenly develops a square afro, takes to wearing ankle boots, and sneaks out at night... and one of his first victims is an ugly white woman with a really bad hair-do and bad taste in pink nighties.
On the surface, BLACKENSTEIN would seem everything a cult-movie fan could ever wish. And it is true, there are about six "howlers" per minute in this film--actors who can't act, ridiculous dialogue, bad cinematography, awful special effects, extremely silly make-up, you name it, this flick has it. Trouble is, BLACKENSTEIN is also incredibly, unspeakably dull. In fact, it is so dull that after about ten minutes its dullness overpowers the giggle factor and you are left to sit in slack-jawed exhaustion.
The DVD release of this film offers nothing in the way of extras and the print is bad to boot--not that it makes any difference where this film is concerned. If you have to buy a gift for some you don't much like, this would be a perfect choice. Otherwise, steer clear.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon reviewer
On the surface, BLACKENSTEIN would seem everything a cult-movie fan could ever wish. And it is true, there are about six "howlers" per minute in this film--actors who can't act, ridiculous dialogue, bad cinematography, awful special effects, extremely silly make-up, you name it, this flick has it. Trouble is, BLACKENSTEIN is also incredibly, unspeakably dull. In fact, it is so dull that after about ten minutes its dullness overpowers the giggle factor and you are left to sit in slack-jawed exhaustion.
The DVD release of this film offers nothing in the way of extras and the print is bad to boot--not that it makes any difference where this film is concerned. If you have to buy a gift for some you don't much like, this would be a perfect choice. Otherwise, steer clear.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon reviewer
Blackenstein – THE BLACK FRANKENSTEIN (William A. Levey, 1973) BOMB
Bunuel197624 October 2013
I knew going in this did not have much of a reputation but, frankly, I was not expecting the result to be of such an utterly amateurish quality either! Anyway, after the runaway success that the Blaxploitation take on "Dracula" i.e. BLACULA (1972) had been, it was inevitable that Frankenstein would also undergo a similar makeover – pity they did not wait for a better script or, for that matter, a more talented crew of both technicians and performers before experimenting! Incidentally, the critique of the Vietnam War – the monster here is a veteran rendered limbless by the conflict who receives new transplants but goes typically berserk – falls flat on its face. However, neither is the make-up devised for it any better: after his cells are exchanged with those of another patient in white(!) Dr. Stein's laboratory – by a zombie-like assistant who lusts after his girl, a former pupil of the doc's – he gets an absurdly elongated and bulging forehead to go along with the recognized arms outstretched countenance and snarling! Though kept in a cell, this is conveniently left open for the creature to roam the streets freely and disembowel(!) any passer-by who happens to cross his path (but starting out with a hospital orderly who had abused him while still a cripple)! For what it is worth, the only scene that elicits a vaguely positive reaction is the irrelevant stand-up comedy routine revolving around a talking dog!
Blackenstein
BandSAboutMovies14 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Look, this movie is horrible, but when I'm happy that it exists. That sentence could pretty much sum up nearly every movie that I write about on this site, right?
Writer and producer Frank R. Saletri had also planned Black the Ripper and while I'm confessing, I will say that I would totally watch that movie and probably love it. He also wrote Sherlock Holmes in the Adventures of the Werewolf of the Baskervilles and Sherlock Holmes in the Adventures of the Golden Vampire, movies that were supposed to star Alice Cooper as the man who lives at 221B Baker Street. However, he was killed gangland style in his home, a place where Bela Lugosi once slept. Probably in a coffin.
Doctor Stein (John Hart, who replaced Clayton Moore for one season in a Coy and Vance trick and we all know that that never works) has recently won a Nobel Prize for solving the DNA genetic code, which means that he can put body parts back on someone or make people look young. These things will come in handy, as Eddie Turner stepped on a land min back in the rice paddies of Da Nang and ended up coming back a torso.
Things go well, but Stein's assistant Malcomb falls for Eddie's woman Dr. Winifred Walker and so he sabotages the surgery, turning our hero into a cannibal Frankenstein with a huge afro. So how do you stop an out of control black Frankenstein's monster? You just have some police dogs tear him apart.
At least they used the original Universal lab equipment.
Writer and producer Frank R. Saletri had also planned Black the Ripper and while I'm confessing, I will say that I would totally watch that movie and probably love it. He also wrote Sherlock Holmes in the Adventures of the Werewolf of the Baskervilles and Sherlock Holmes in the Adventures of the Golden Vampire, movies that were supposed to star Alice Cooper as the man who lives at 221B Baker Street. However, he was killed gangland style in his home, a place where Bela Lugosi once slept. Probably in a coffin.
Doctor Stein (John Hart, who replaced Clayton Moore for one season in a Coy and Vance trick and we all know that that never works) has recently won a Nobel Prize for solving the DNA genetic code, which means that he can put body parts back on someone or make people look young. These things will come in handy, as Eddie Turner stepped on a land min back in the rice paddies of Da Nang and ended up coming back a torso.
Things go well, but Stein's assistant Malcomb falls for Eddie's woman Dr. Winifred Walker and so he sabotages the surgery, turning our hero into a cannibal Frankenstein with a huge afro. So how do you stop an out of control black Frankenstein's monster? You just have some police dogs tear him apart.
At least they used the original Universal lab equipment.
I feel like 87 minutes of my life has been stolen from me.
yodaman1239 December 2001
This movies is absolutely awful. I truly feel like every copy of this movie should be destroyed to prevent additional people from wasting part of their lives on it. Trust me, this movie should not be viewed, even to laugh at how bad it is.
So Horror-ible it's a Hoot
Cineanalyst25 August 2018
I thought fellow-blaxploitation horror flick "Blacula" (1972) had slipshod production values and was campy, but, wow, it's "Citizen Kane" compared to "Blackenstein." I understand the other IMDb reviews and voters who voted this movie 1/10, a rating I usually reserve for motion pictures that lack even the most basic of technical competence, for which in many ways this one is wanting. But, I found its wretchedness to be amusing.
The story is thin, the plotting repetitive (the monster interrupts three near rapes, Malcolm exchanges way too many creepy glances, and there are far too many lingering exterior shots of Dr. Stein's residence), the science-y stuff is ludicrous. the monster is pathetically slow and his victims hilariously too stupid to just keep running away, or merely walking away at a comfortable pace, and the editing is some of the worst I've ever seen. I wonder if the film was cut for censorship or something during its violent scenes, because the version I saw was extremely choppy. But, the editing is bad all over the place. The cuts to close-ups of Malcolm and Dr. Walker, for instance, which are also poorly directed and acted--I didn't even know what the movie was trying to convey, at first, until Malcolm declared his love for her.
Like "Blacula" and its sequel "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973), "Blackenstein" has at least one nightclub interlude, where we're treated to a stand-up act and some singing. The dog joke, though, as with much of the movie, is bad, although it's not nearly as atrocious as the use of dogs in the film's conclusion. The actor playing Eddie turned the monster has his arms and legs covered by blankets in too obvious of a way during the scenes where he supposedly has no arms and legs. Choppy editing and dark lighting help hide the later makeup job, where he's made to look like a cross between Universal's Frankenstein monsters and a giant Neanderthal. Additionally, "Blackenstein" doesn't deal with anything like the racial issues that elevated the Blacula films beyond mere camp. The semi-mad doctor Stein is white, but there's also a female black doctor assistant. One detective is black, the other white. Race is never really mentioned. And you can forget about there being any intelligent reworking of Mary Shelley's novel.
But, Dr. Stein's lab is fabulous. I have nothing bad to say about it; it's all I could hope for from a low-budget, bad 1970s exploitation monster movie trying to rip-off the 1931 "Frankenstein," complete with pseudoscientific gizmos, beakers that are always burning with bubbling liquids, shadows cast on the walls, flickering lights, spinning things and other nonsense. The film's lingering and repetitive shots and scenes also are put to good use in showing off the space.
The story is thin, the plotting repetitive (the monster interrupts three near rapes, Malcolm exchanges way too many creepy glances, and there are far too many lingering exterior shots of Dr. Stein's residence), the science-y stuff is ludicrous. the monster is pathetically slow and his victims hilariously too stupid to just keep running away, or merely walking away at a comfortable pace, and the editing is some of the worst I've ever seen. I wonder if the film was cut for censorship or something during its violent scenes, because the version I saw was extremely choppy. But, the editing is bad all over the place. The cuts to close-ups of Malcolm and Dr. Walker, for instance, which are also poorly directed and acted--I didn't even know what the movie was trying to convey, at first, until Malcolm declared his love for her.
Like "Blacula" and its sequel "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973), "Blackenstein" has at least one nightclub interlude, where we're treated to a stand-up act and some singing. The dog joke, though, as with much of the movie, is bad, although it's not nearly as atrocious as the use of dogs in the film's conclusion. The actor playing Eddie turned the monster has his arms and legs covered by blankets in too obvious of a way during the scenes where he supposedly has no arms and legs. Choppy editing and dark lighting help hide the later makeup job, where he's made to look like a cross between Universal's Frankenstein monsters and a giant Neanderthal. Additionally, "Blackenstein" doesn't deal with anything like the racial issues that elevated the Blacula films beyond mere camp. The semi-mad doctor Stein is white, but there's also a female black doctor assistant. One detective is black, the other white. Race is never really mentioned. And you can forget about there being any intelligent reworking of Mary Shelley's novel.
But, Dr. Stein's lab is fabulous. I have nothing bad to say about it; it's all I could hope for from a low-budget, bad 1970s exploitation monster movie trying to rip-off the 1931 "Frankenstein," complete with pseudoscientific gizmos, beakers that are always burning with bubbling liquids, shadows cast on the walls, flickering lights, spinning things and other nonsense. The film's lingering and repetitive shots and scenes also are put to good use in showing off the space.
Frankenstein Meets the Dog Man
stephenstephenbyrne9 November 2020
I'm not proud of myself for including this in my Frankenstein movie-a-thon but after learning of it's existence I couldn't leave it out. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my so-bad-its-good expectations. And c'mon, dogs? Really?
Meandering, very conventional Frankenstein movie
r-shasta22 March 2019
Here's a very conventional retelling of the movie Frankenstein story, set in a classy mansion but featuring some real dullards for characters and routine performances. The poor soul that gets turned into a monster is a cipher, barely in the movie except he does get progressively slimy and cheap makeup changes. The main character is a new female assistant to the Doctor, who suspects things aren't as they seem... etc., and this plot has been traveled many times. The movie has the dubious distinction of being part of the "blaxploitation" trend that came about in the 1970s. The movie is largely forgettable.
An enjoyably cruddy 70's blaxploitation variant on "Frankenstein"
Woodyanders29 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The 70's blaxploitation horror craze hits its entertainingly sleazy nadir with this supremely trashy flick that somehow manages to be oddly endearing in its very low-grade cheesiness. Noted scientist Dr. Stein (stolid John Hart) and perky assistant Dr. Winfred Walker (a winningly spunky portrayal by Ivory Stone) try to restore dismembered Vietnam veteran Eddie Turner (an engagingly earnest performance by the hulking John De Sue) to his former self. Alas, smitten and jealous servant Malcomb (deliciously overplayed with deep-voiced hammy brio by Roosevelt Jackson) tampers with the serum, which turns Eddie into a grunting grotesque monster who breaks out to embark on the expected murderous rampage. Director William A. Levey, working from a shamelessly trashy, albeit too talky script by Frank R. Saletri, manages to produce a reasonable amount of brooding gloom-doom atmosphere (the Gothic castle main location is an eerie beaut) and totally cuts loose with oodles of tacky excessive gore in the second half with Eddie killing various hapless folks. The scenes showing Eddie tearing apart people are simply hilarious; the definite sidesplitting highlight occurs when our hideously malformed maniac disembowels a shrieking topless woman in an alley way. The legendary Liz Renay has a funny bit as a shrewish victim with a horrendously humongous beehive hairdo. Robert Caramico's grainy, but fairly polished cinematography boasts a few neat fades and dissolves. The lively ooga-booga score by Cardella Di Milo and Lou Frohman and several get-down groovy R&B songs on the soundtrack both hit the right-on funky spot. A real schlocky hoot.
Better than Blacula
Chance_Boudreaux1912 March 2018
Better than Blacula in a sense that it was much funnier. Blacula is the actual better movie but it's dull. This one starts off boring but picks up pace when one of the characters is transformed in to the titular Blackenstein. All the sequences of the monster killing others are utterly hilarious and mostly random with some victims being those that wronged Blackenstein and others being random civilians. Even the last victim which he chases during the epic climax is just a random woman we've never seen before, that is unless I missed some nuanced character introduction in the earlier scenes. On another note I don't know how anyone could get caught by Blackenstein as his victims do since he moves at the speed of a bag of sand rolling down the stairs but I digress. Watch it, it's terrible and funny which is what anybody who chooses to watch this will want.
Injecting DNA turns you into Frankenstein?
tidomonkey9 December 2001
This has got to be the worst movie I have ever seen, an hour and a half of my life that I will never get back. There were many scenes where Blackenstein's shadow walks around for no reason, and to cap it off a bottle only marked "DNA" turned him into Blackenstein.
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