If someone were to ask where to start with director Jess Franco's large oeuvre, I might just suggest The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein. Given the wonderful new transfer on Blu-Ray thanks to the folks at Kino Lorber and Redemption, the film has never looked better. The film also contains all of the signature trademarks of Franco's work; a low budget, nudity, gore, strange artistic flourishes and bad dubbing.
The film also features one of the more interesting plotlines in Franco's canon. Dr. Frankenstein has achieved an intelligent creature. His rival Dr. Cagliostro is determined to dominate the world. Dr. Frankenstein is killed and the creature is stolen, given a new master in Cagliostro. He, now in control of what he considers the perfect man, wants to create the perfect woman. He and a strange bird lady, trust me that is the only way to describe her, begin murdering women to get the right parts for their new creation. Enter in Frankenstein's daughter, who discovers Cagliostro's plot and must stop him or be forced to help finish her father's work for this madman.
With a plot that cleverly stems off of a classic horror tale, the film moves along at a quick pace. Quick is a relative term as Franco takes plenty of asides to add a hallucinatory feel to the film. Several striking images can be found in the film. The overall performances are solid and believable making this a strong entry for Jess Franco. Pick this one up if you are a fan or looking to familiarize yourself with this prolific director's work.3.5/5
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