Why so much hype?

Powerful

From my favorite movies..

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

There was a pretty good description of Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) early in the picture when someone called him a 'highly dangerous medical adventurer'. The Baron proceeds to live up to that reputation as a murderer, blackmailer, hostage taker and did I actually witness this - a rapist? Hammer Films really took the Frankenstein character here and made him even more monstrous than a creature one could patch together from spare body parts.You know, for a horror film, you'd have to agree that the locations used for filming were really quite elegant and ornate. The Spengler boarding house and Brandt's home were exquisitely appointed and furnished, and all the while I kept thinking that they would have been a pretty nice place to live. Which made it all the more tragic that Dr. Brandt (George Pravda) in Professor Richter's (Freddie Jones) body acted just a bit too harshly when he torched it at the finale. Gee, you would think he'd have a little more compassion for his wife after what she went through, and now she wouldn't even have a place to live.As far as the creepy brain transplant business goes, the story and Baron Frankenstein's patient persistence in getting the job done almost made it seem believable. Except of course for that nasty sawing of the forehead; man that could really give you a headache. Seems like Brandt/Richter should have complained about that, but I guess he had a bigger concern.Probably the scariest thing here had to do with the Richter body being planted in the backyard garden and then having a water main break directly underneath. I couldn't decide whether that flapping arm coming out of the makeshift grave was more comical or horrifying. But then, with all that mud and water flying around, one would have to agree that Anna (Veronica Carlson) was probably the most ingenious character in the story - she didn't get a speck of dirt on her!

This film came to my attention when I attended the first Monsterama Con in Atlanta, Georgia in 2014. Veronica Carlson was an honored guest and spoke of this movie Frankenstein Must be Destroyed. She went on to make a total of 3 Frankenstein movies but this one was her favorite. Very distinguished cast and Dr. Frankenstein is portrayed as a gentleman scientist who is eager to get a secret from a colleague that has gone mad. Beautifully filmed and a compelling story line, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is a new favorite of mine. It makes for a nostalgic trip to the 60s and the gentile nature of the world of horror. You can't really keep a secret too long and Dr. Frankenstein plan goes out of control.

Hammer did 7 Frankenstein films from the late 50s to early 70s: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973) Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein in every one of these except "The Horror of Frankenstein" because it was a remake of the original story and they needed a much younger actor to play the role; they chose Ralph Bates (who superbly played the love-to-hate OTT satanist in "Taste the Blood of Dracula" released the same year).In any event, we all know the basic Frankenstein story: A mad scientist is obsessed with creating life from an assortment of body parts. Eventually he succeeds and his creation goes on a killing spree, although the creature is nice to kids 'cause they're innocent. Ultimately the monster must be destroyed (and the Baron usually goes with him).Ho Hum. Forgive me if this basic plot no longer trips my trigger. Thankfully, I recently saw a couple of Frankenstein flicks that stirred my interest in this age-old predictable story: This one and "Lady Frankenstein," detailed below.Hammer's "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" was, as noted, the fifth film in their 7-film Frankenstein series. THE PLOT: Baron Frankenstein is a fugitive who goes by a different name but is intent on continuing his gruesome work. He ultimately blackmails a young couple in assisting him. They steal a patient from the local insane asylum and successfully transplant his brain into another body, curing his madness.The film is highlighted by Veronica Carlson, who looks a lot like Ursula Andress, but possibly even more beautiful (if you can imagine that).FINAL ANALYSIS: "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" is one of the best Frankenstein flicks I've seen. It's creative, labyrinthian and full of pizazz. Being a sequel, the film retains the essential elements of the original story but is a natural progression. The REAL monster in this picture is Baron Frankenstein himself; he's no longer a basically good person obsessed with creating life from corpses. His obsession has defiled him to the point of enmity, hate, arrogance, violence, rape and murder.Another great Frankenstein film from this same period is the Italian "Lady Frankenstein," released in 1971, which starred Rosalba Neri (AKA Sara Bey) as the Baron's daughter who overtakes his work after his death. See my review for details.GRADE: A

For all it's impact on the industry, the heyday of Hammer Films encompassed a relatively short time, roughly 1958 to 1969. "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" is one of the last really good films the studio made (1971's "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb" was probably the last). Peter Cushing is back as Baron Frankenstein, and more ruthless than ever, particularly in the infamous rape scene that was imposed upon the cast, director and screenwriter by Hammer's head Sir James Careras. Nobody on the set liked the idea...but one did as one was told. In truth, it doesn't make a lot of sense within the context of the story, and the film doesn't need it. Cushing is, as always, thoroughly professional, even when the script dictates that he do silly things, and Veronica Carlson is excellent as the woman trapped by the evil of the Baron. The real acting honors, however, go to Freddie Jones, as the more-or-less monster, and Maxine Audley, as his widow, for the scene in which they reunite. Probably no sequence in any Hammer film has been played as beautifully and movingly as this one. It alone is worth seeing the film for. But there are many other memorable scenes as well. Old pro Terrence Fisher directs very capably, and the conflagration finale is well staged and spectacular.