The Daily Dig: Frankenstein Unbound (1990)

A rare directorial effort from Roger Corman, “Frankenstein Unbound” boasts a heavyweight cast tackling Mary Shelley’s seminal horror story.

A scientist in the year 2031 opens a time slip and is transported to the early 1800s, where he encounters Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein. Let’s dig into 1990’s FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND, directed by Roger Corman!

As I See It

For such a prolific filmmaker, Roger Corman hasn’t spent too much time in the director’s chair. He’s been the executive chef calling out orders for most of his career. Here, he puts on that hat for 20th Century Fox and reportedly made a cool $1 million to direct some brilliant actors.

The Frankenstein story has been in the public domain for quite a while. What has not been in the public domain is the green monster eternalized by Boris Karloff that we know and love. That’s why the monster in this movie looks more like Mr. Hyde (which happens to be in the public domain as well) through the eyes of the Hell Priest from Hellraiser.

The first two minutes of the film make it seem like this will have some real chops for such thespians to play with.

An opening monologue with John Hurt walking through some Nepalese-like mountain snowscape sets a sprawling atmosphere. As soon as we transition to the laboratory and the idiotic beeps of faux technology that Hollywood of the late eighties and early nineties presented as edgy and futuristic, you realize you’re in a Roger Corman production.

I don’t mean to sound like I’m knocking on Corman. I find most of his productions charming and enjoyable. The juxtaposition here is just jarring.

We start in New Los Angeles in 2031 but quickly discover we’re in a time travel story.

John Hurt (Buchanan) makes his way through a rip in the sky (a time slip) along with his self-driving car — a 1988 Italdesign Aztek concept car that was introduced at the 1988 Turin Motor Show and features two separated bubbles for the passenger and driver a la the Batman 66’ Batmobile. He ends up in the early 1800s, meeting the real Mary Shelley (Bridget Fonda) before she has even completed her manuscript and Doctor Frankenstein (Raul Julia).

Once we’re firmly in the past, the movie becomes exactly what I expected from the opening: well-acted, adroitly directed, and surprisingly contemplative.

“I’m a scientist; I can not sin,” spoken by Raul Julia’s Frankenstein, immediately made me think of the poignancy of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and the real-life scientist behind the biggest tool of destruction this world has ever known.

As unfinished as the makeup on the monster looks, which may be intentional, Nick Brimble puts on a really good performance, somewhere between the tenderness of Tom Noonan’s Frankie in Monster Squad and the pitiless nature of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Edgar in Men in Black.

The story itself ends up being more Bride than monster-driven, and we’re served a smattering of gore until the finale, which pulls the bandage off with no mercy, letting the blood flow freely.

Famous Faces

Whether it’s in Orwell’s 1984, David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, or with a Xenomorph bursting out of his chest in Ridley Scott’s Alien, there is no dearth of show-stopping performances from the late, great John Hurt (Buchanan).

I miss Raul Julia (Victor Frankenstein) a lot. Barry Sonnenfeld’s The Addams Family defined my weirdness as a kid.

Bridget Fonda (Mary) of the infamous Fonda family hasn’t acted since 2002 but, even so, has a ton of great roles to her credit. Her role in Tarantino’s Jackie Brown sticks out for me.

Jason Patric (Lord Byron) plays the half-vamp Michael in Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys, but you knew that already, didn’t you? What you may not have known is that his father was Jason Miller, who played Father Karras in The Exorcist.

Michael Hutchence (Percy) was the lead singer of the Australian pop sensation INXS and an unbelievably talented performer.

Of Gratuitous Nature

Buchanan isn’t worried at all about messing with the space-time continuum. He’s just looking to get his rocks off with a legendary author from the past.

Heartthrob

There is no shortage of pretty people in this film. I have to say I walked away from this one with a deep appreciation for Corman’s directing skills.

Ripe for a Remake

Each generation has tried to apply some new allegory to “The Modern Prometheus”.

Spawns

Being in the public domain means this story is told and retold over and over. There are a ton of adaptations.

Where to Watch

If you can find Frankenstein Unbound, bravo. I’ve luckily got an old DVD copy, which seems to be the only format it was ever released on (besides Laser Disc). It’s not streaming, as far as I can tell, and there is no physical high-definition release. But there are ways to watch it online.