A really creepy twist on the Frankenstein legend. Peter Cushing is priceless as the good doctor. He looks like a fop, but is in fact quite possibly the most callous of all Dr. Frankensteins. He's ruthless, cold and completely amoral. In other words, he's perfect. Victor Frankenstein, committed to an asylum for the criminally insane, has taken the place over and is up to no good. Terence Fisher's smooth direction and one of the most hideous monsters make this late Hammer entry a real classic. The creature is a grotesque collection of body parts, stitched together in the worst ways imaginable. David Prowse is ideal as the monster and Madeline Smith (as Cushing's mute assistant) is quite a stunner. Fisher sprinkles the film with a lot of great touches: the nervous as hell asylum director; two over-zealous orderlies; Cushing not only dropping a discarded brain, but stepping on it too. One complaint - the obvious miniature used for the asylum exterior...it's needless given the number of real castles all over Europe. Nevertheless, a great movie!
